Physics Research Experience for Undergraduates Site at AAMU

Alabama A&M University, Normal AL

Investigators

Abstract

The Physics REU Site at AAMU is a 10-week summer program that provides research opportunities to 24 talented undergraduate students from institutions with limited or no access to basic research in science and engineering. The project broadens the participation of members of groups that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines, especially women. The program attracts physics undergraduates from minority serving institutions with limited opportunities to be involved in active research. The participants will gain experience in technical writing and presenting their research work to a variety of audiences, including dissemination of their results in local, regional, and national scientific conferences focused on undergraduate research and publishing in refereed journals. By training undergraduates in research, the goal is to produce skillful professionals who will contribute to the technological advancement and economic development of the nation. Through this program participants will be able to enhance their professional and personal portfolio by making unique advancements in experimental design, instrumentation, data acquisition and analysis, as well as engaging in a hands-on research experience with state-of-the-art equipment. Participating students will be actively engaged in cutting-edge research under the direct supervision of dedicated faculty mentors throughout the completion of self-contained ten-week projects in a collaborative research environment. Each participant will have an individual research project funded by an external funding agency with one-on-one mentoring from a faculty member through individual guidance as well as ample interactions with graduate students. The projects will include frontier research in Materials Science, Optics, Bio-photonics, Space Science, and Nanotechnology. The primary goal of the program is to increase the students' knowledge, skills, and communication capabilities in different areas of physics; inspiring them to pursue graduate work in STEM fields, where the underrepresentation of women and minorities is particularly acute. Exposure to a dynamic and diverse research in physics enhances the REU participants' understanding of scientific research and broadens their perspective on related professional careers in STEM.