REU Site: Collaborative Undergraduate Research in Energy

University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

Professors Fermann, Kittilstved and colleagues at the Univeristy of Massachusetts - Amherst host the REU Site: Collaborative Undergraduate Research in Energy (CURE). This award is supported by the Division of Chemistry in the Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The REU site offers research opportunities in the broadly-defined area of renewable energy to 10 students per year. A core group of 14 faculty members from five academic departments at UMass Amherst offer ten-week intensive research internships. The CURE REU program trains students in the rigors of individual investigation in the context of intellectual collaboration that is a signature of work on scientific solutions to real societal challenges. Students work in pairs on separate aspects of one overall scientific question, sharing their results and insight to compliment and reinforce each other's work. Each student pair is mentored by two faculty members with active research collaborations in the specific area and two near-peer mentors who guide the day-to-day activities of the participants. Students complete collaborative proposal presentations, education and outreach projects, and manuscript writing in different formats to develop skills in communicating science to distinct audiences. A weekly seminar and discussion program covering a wide range of special training modules (laboratory safety and scientific ethics) and current topics in renewable energy strategies is also held. The CURE REU program brings students into existing collaborations in the broad area of energy. Specific collaborative research projects address current challenges in the development of renewable energy; including novel platforms for potential hybrid photovoltaic applications, biodistributions of nanoparticles used in solar cells, electroactive polymer materials, and biomass energy technologies. Recruitment of participants leverage programs that comprise underrepresented students such as the Northeast Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NeLSAMP), the McNair Scholarship Program, and institutions with the NSF's HBCU-UP Program. The REU site continues longstanding partnerships with the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the Northeast Alliance LSAMP Program. These recruiting efforts have been successful at increasing the participation and retention of STEM majors, especially underrepresented minority groups. Participants tracked after completion of the program to evaluate the impact of the REU experience on their later career steps. Dissemination of student research is accomplished through the "Journal Challenge" manuscript preparation in anticipation of eventual publication. Participants also receive training in public outreach through the creation and presentation of Outreach and Education Project materials.