REU Site: Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Chemistry for Community College Students at Old Dominion University

Old Dominion University Research Foundation, Norfolk VA

Investigators

Abstract

Professors Bayse, Holder, and colleagues at Old Dominion University (ODU) host the site: REU Site: Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Chemistry for Community College Students in Old Dominion University. This site is funded by the CHE REU Program of the Division of Chemistry in the NSF Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Ten students are supported for ten weeks each summer. This site provides opportunities for community college students to perform research in the chemical sciences in topics ranging from sustainable energy production to development of materials with biomedical applications. Community college students are recognized as an untapped resource for a diverse STEM workforce. Participants are drawn from two-year institutions across the nation with a focus on Tidewater Community College and Thomas Nelson Community College, local institutions with high populations of underrepresented minorities and veterans. Access to early research opportunities, career training, and one-on-one mentoring facilitate successful transfer to four-year baccalaureate programs and enhance retention of these student groups in STEM careers. REU students gain hands-on experience in the laboratory under the close mentorship of more experienced researchers and participate as a cohort in a series of professional development activities to include seminars, panel discussions and workshops. These are designed to equip participants with the tools for success in a chemistry/STEM career. Topics include transfer to a 4-year STEM major; life experiences of career chemists; networking and job searching; and ethics. Selected events are held on-site at the local community colleges and are open to all students as outreach for broader participation in STEM fields. Faculty mentors provide individual career advice and support for their mentee to establish a support network that continues after the summer research experience has concluded.