REU Site: University of Michigan - CERN Research Experience for Undergraduates and High School Teacher Programs

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor provides fifteen undergraduate students each summer the opportunity to participate in research on topics in high energy physics at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition to participating in research with an experienced mentor, the REU students will engage in activities such as seminars and lectures to learn to understand the nature of international scientific collaborations and the questions and methods of modern physics research. By the end of the program, every student will have given a formal presentation, which will be recorded on video and posted on the CERN website. This project includes a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) site, where each summer five high school teachers from across the U.S. are exposed to research at CERN. The teachers will use their experience to motivate their students to better understand the physical world and prepare them to become the future generation of scientists. Teachers also share teaching methods with teachers from other countries. Research and study at CERN will provide unparalleled opportunities for students and teachers to learn about and work on some of the most intellectually challenging topics in high energy physics. Students working on cutting edge problems at CERN experience an intellectual apprenticeship and learn to understand the nature of international scientific collaborations and the questions and methods of modern physics research. Student projects at CERN will include experiments involving the Large Hadron Collider, other low energy and neutrino experiments, and CERN computing research. This award is co-funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering.