REU Site: Smart Manufacturing Research Experiences for Undergraduates (SMREU)

Drexel University, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

Smart manufacturing is a critical area of national interest for the US economy. This Smart Manufacturing Research Experiences for Undergraduates (SMREU) program will address scientific challenges in smart manufacturing while contributing to the quality of the domestic workforce ablility to deploy, use, and maintain smart manufacturing technologies. It therefore contributes to cyberinfrastructure workforce development, one of the most critical needs in human resources currently faced by our nation. Importantly, SMREU focuses on recruiting efforts at local primarily-undergraduate-institutions (PUIs), including community colleges and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Recruiting specifically from these nearby institutions is expected to establish meaningful, long-term relationships between Drexel University and local PUIs including research collaborations between faculty, feeder programs for Drexel BS, MS, and PhD students, and undergraduate research exchange, such that the impacts of the REU last long after the project has completed. With concerted recruitment of minorities, women, other underrepresented groups, and those who do not have access to advanced research facilities at their own educational institutions, the SMREU hopes to open new career paths to some of the best and brightest students in our nation who might otherwise miss out on these opportunities. The overall objective of the proposed SMREU Site is to provide hands-on experience in cutting-edge research relevant to smart manufacturing to twelve students per year from institutions that do not typically offer research experiences to undergraduate students, with a particular emphasis on under-represented minority groups. Specific research topics relevant to smart manufacturing will be set annually by research active faculty from a broad cross-section of educational units at Drexel University, including Chemical, Biochemical, Electrical and Computer, Materials, and Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science. Research topics will be selected such that there will be a synergy among these areas and the overall smart manufacturing theme. Faculty members from these diverse fields will mentor SMREU participants. This experience is expected to encourage students to continue STEM careers (especially in the area of smart manufacturing), including pursuit of graduate education, by immersing them in a dynamic research environment where they will develop: (i) Technical skills including mathematical modeling, data analytics, optimization, design of experiments, automation, and other areas related to smart manufacturing; (ii) Critical thinking skills that are necessary to define, diagnose, and solve open-ended problems; and (iii) Communication (both oral and written), time and resource management, and other “soft” but vital skills for modern engineers. In addition to research projects, students will attend professional development workshops, sessions for active reflection and feedback on the research process, invited seminars from industry, and field trips to local manufacturing companies. The synergy of the activities will help students understand the role of their own efforts in the broader scientific and engineering challenges of smart manufacturing. 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.