REU Site: Interdisciplinary Materials Research for Undergraduates (REU) and Teachers (RET) in Materials

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: This project will provide 10 undergraduate students each summer with an introduction to materials research, to encourage interested students to pursue a graduate degree in a materials-related field. During the 10-week project, students will participate in a research project, integrate into a research group, and work alongside faculty, postdocs, and graduate students. A stimulating cohort experience is created through mentoring, leadership, ethics, and presentation workshops, weekly seminars, field trips, a variety of informal activities, and a concluding symposium. The project will also support a teacher program that will increase student achievement in science by providing professional development each summer for four teachers from schools that serve large underrepresented minority and low socioeconomic status populations. The progressive summer teacher experience introduces teacher to materials research over six weeks and includes an option to return in a subsequent summer for an independent, six-week research experience that will enable in-depth exploration. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: A wide range of experimental and computational techniques and materials research topics will be accomplished under this program. Individual projects will include computational design, experimental studies of advanced polymer sensors, energy storage technology and characterization of nanomaterials. With the guidance of top researchers and their research groups, the participating undergraduate students and teachers will construct scientific equipment, perform experiments, model material properties, analyze data, and contribute to the general materials knowledge base and to their own education and training. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.