REU Site: Tuskegee University Research Experience for Undergraduates in Nano-Bio Materials Science and Engineering

Tuskegee University, Tuskegee Institute AL

Investigators

Abstract

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY Tuskegee University (TU) has, over the years developed a center of research and education in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal agencies, which is not only very comprehensive but also very effective in recruiting, motivating, mentoring and graduating students with advanced degrees in MSE. In our previous two NSF funded REU sites, 65 students have participated of which 96% were underrepresented minority students and more than 60% were females. 78% of these students were from four-year and community colleges. Four African American REU participants from our first REU have received PhDs in MSE. Several of the REU participants in the last funding cycle have joined graduate programs, medical school, or transitioned from community college to 4-year colleges, and the majority of the remainder plan on pursuing graduate studies. Their participation has resulted in journal and conference publications, and oral and poster presentations. Through this REU Site, Tuskegee University will continue to expose undergraduates from four-year and community colleges in Alabama and neighboring states to the research environment. The research projects chosen for students are in Nano-Bio Materials Science and Engineering, an area of high national interest that is vital for technological developments in engineering, science, and medicine. Involvement of REU students in these emerging research areas and existing on-campus multidisciplinary research and education centers will enable them to develop skills needed to excel in academia and STEM careers. Some of the highlights of this REU site include: participant mentoring by minority Ph.D. students, interactions with deans of various colleges at TU and MSE minority Ph.D. alumni as seminar speakers, workshops, summer presentations, and field trips that will give students a broad appreciation and an incentive for pursuing graduate studies in STEM disciplines. This REU Site is made possible by generous support from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Office of Multidisciplinary Activities and Division of Materials Research, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program at the National Science Foundation. TECHNICAL SUMMARY The Tuskegee University Research Experience for Undergraduates site is focused on training undergraduate minority students for a 10-week period each summer in the fields of Nano-Bio Materials Science and Engineering under the mentorship of interdisciplinary research faculty and their Ph.D. students. Research activities will be focused on a wide range of important areas including synthesis of nanoparticles from agriculture and poultry waste for biomedical applications and antimicrobial properties, drug loading and cell adhesion properties of agarose-based hydrogel films, synthesis of protein coated gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for prostate cancer diagnosis, fabrication of nanocomposite scaffolds using electrospinning and forcespinning techniques for bone regeneration applications, and structure-property relationship of nano-bio composites through experiments and simulations. Involvement of REU students in these challenging and meaningful research areas with minority Ph.D. students as mentors will have a significant impact on their decision to pursue graduate studies and STEM based careers. REU students will also participate in several unique activities including a 2-credit hour Introduction to Research course and preparation for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students will learn critical thinking, qualitative reasoning, mathematical, analytical and research skills through these activities that will be integral in their transition toward graduate studies and STEM careers. Site activities will also support student professional development including professional seminars by role models, field trips to local industrial sites, summer presentations and workshops. Finally, a comprehensive assessment plan will be implemented to assess the impact of the project on students including interest in research, progress in education, and long-term professional development. This REU Site is made possible by generous support from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Office of Multidisciplinary Activities and Division of Materials Research, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program at the National Science Foundation.