REU Site

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

Nontechnical Abstract: This REU-Site project is a continuation of an activity that has been ongoing at the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, LRSM, at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) since 1989, during which a large, diverse group of undergraduates, including many women and minorities, have spent 10 summer weeks working in the laboratory of an LRSM-affiliated faculty member on an individual, materials-related research project. The undergraduate is thus trained in research techniques and is fully incorporated into the graduate group, in many cases undergoing a life changing experience which puts him/her on the path to a career in research. Three quarters of our students enter Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduate programs with the almost all others entering medical school, industry, or business. Over the last grant period, approximately one third of our students became co-authors with their advisers on scientific publications, which can be a thrilling experience for an undergraduate. These Research Experience for Undergraduates, REU, activities are an essential and well-documented ingredient in the development of our future leaders in science and engineering. Currently, faculty are drawn from eleven university departments to our Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), almost all of whom can offer summer positions to undergraduates. Technical Abstract: The objective of the proposed REU-Site project is to provide a diverse group of ten STEM undergraduates with hands-on experience in materials research. Student participants are hosted by the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM) at Penn for 10 weeks during the summer. The targeted student participants are gender, racially, and ethnically diverse, with representation from a broad spectrum of colleges throughout the nation, especially minority-serving and small colleges with limited research capabilities. The project introduces students to materials research as a cohesive subject of study. This objective is achieved by incorporating the student participants into active research groups of faculty affiliated with the LRSM and engaging them at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary materials research. The stimulating intellectual environment provided by LRSM research, facilities, and community, inspires and nurtures student participants, thereby fostering a STEM trajectory. Current research projects include topics ranging from "microfluidic-based rheology of complex fluids" and "self assembly of hydrogels" to ?"hemo-mechanical-sensing" and "interaction and assembly in soft materials.?"Students also receive a series of lectures on research ethics, laboratory safety, and the fundamentals of materials science. The LRSM, which is host to a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), oversees the requested REU-Site project. The breadth of materials topics covered in the LRSM research portfolio enable students from different disciplines and diverse backgrounds to interact and appreciate the application of materials research to engineering, medicine, industry, and commerce.