REU Site for Nanotechnology in Health, Energy and the Environment

Suny At Stony Brook, Stony Brook NY

Investigators

Abstract

This renewal REU Site for Nanotechnology in Health, Energy and the Environment, at SUNY Stony Brook will engage a diverse cohort of undergraduate students from underrepresented groups and institutions with limited research opportunities in nanotechnology research. Nanotechnology is widely recognized on a global scale as one of the 21st century's most influential and transformative technologies and is by its nature multidisciplinary, drawing from physics, chemistry, materials science, biology and essentially all areas of engineering. Hence the skills and knowledge necessary to properly prepare the next generation of nanotechnology researchers and engineers require educational models which build a cross-disciplinary vocabulary and theoretical framework, and which help to develop a multidisciplinary learning community. Further, critical shortages are being predicted in developing a nanotechnology workforce-not just at the PhD/research level, but also amongst those who will need to manufacture, apply, and use nanotechnology in a variety of areas. Training undergraduates in the multidisciplinary area of nanotechnology will prepare our next generation of graduate researchers as well as those who will participate in industrial research and manufacturing. This renewal program has already proven to be successful in providing research experiences, mentorship, professional development and a supportive learning environment for more than 60 undergraduates, almost all of whom have continued on to advanced study and success in helping to develop the field of nanotechnology and support its use in critical applications such as in health care and medical research, developing new sustainable energy sources and efficient storage technologies, and in environmental stewardship and reducing environmental pollutants. The program has also had great success in enhancing diversity in the nanotechnology research and industrial communities, as over half of the participants have been women and nearly a third from minority populations underrepresented in STEM. As the field of nanotechnology and it uses continues to evolve, supporting growth in economies and providing new solutions for emerging societal and global needs, this program will continue to respond to the experiential education needs of undergraduates from diverse institutions and backgrounds. Over a three year period SUNY Stony Brook will offer an intense ten week summer research program to eight interns. The multidisciplinary nanotechnology program will involve four engineering departments and be administered by the University's Center for Inclusive Education (CIE). Providing real research experiences for undergraduates tailored to each student's interests under the guidance of a faculty mentor, is a critical need for the successful education of the next generation of engineers and scientists. The laboratories involved will provide research experiences for REU interns in all aspects of nanotechnology and nanomaterials development, including polymeric nanostructures for medical applications, batteries, catalytic surfaces for energy and environmental remediation, and development of nanosensors. The program's approach integrates a comprehensive graduate education preparation model that has proven to be effective in successful transition of undergraduate students into competitive graduate programs. The project will also include a RET experience for a STEM high school teacher. Results of this program will be widely disseminated to the campus and local community, and to other scientists and engineers in the U.S. and worldwide.