REU Site: Team-Mentored Interdisciplinary Research Experiences in Chemistry for Early-Stage Undergraduates

University Of North Texas, Denton TX

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of North Texas (UNT) is located in Denton, TX. The site is led by Profs. LeGrande Slaughter and Hong Wang. It supports the training of 8 students over 10 weeks during the summers of 2019-2021. It is funded by the Division of Chemistry in the Mathematical and Physical Science Directorate. Student scientists focus on collaborative and interdisciplinary team-mentored research projects. The student participants are co-advised by two or more chemistry research groups. They also take part in professional development activities. These are designed to foster knowledge of career opportunities in chemical research, ethical issues in science, and scientific communication skills. This REU Site targets early-stage science majors who have not yet experienced research. The program also builds upon and strengthens UNT Chemistry's network of faculty partners in the underserved Texas/South Central/New Mexico region. This will help to recruit students from undergraduate-focused institutions, including several Hispanic-serving institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The research projects designed for participants are highly interdisciplinary. They encompass joint computational/experimental studies of selective organometallic catalysts and synthesis of new materials by soft-landing mass spectrometry. The also include studies of corrosion mechanisms in electronic devices, and pi-extended porphyrin materials for dye-sensitized solar cells. The focus on team mentoring prepares participants to make substantive independent research contributions within a collaborative team setting. It enables them to thrive in the increasingly collaborative world of modern scientific research. Research training is coupled with career development activities addressing communication skills, career development, scientific ethics, and public outreach. 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.