REU Site: Ole Miss Physical Chemistry Summer Research Program REU

University Of Mississippi, University MS

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of Mississippi, located in Oxford, MS, supports the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2023-2025. Managed by principal investigators Nathan Hammer and Eden Tanner, the site offers original research projects in experimental and theoretical physical chemistry. These research projects foster communication and collaboration between members of physical and computational chemistry groups, which increases literacy in high performance computing and its applicability to chemistry. In addition to participating in research, students develop a deeper knowledge in physical chemistry through faculty-led lectures on topics like quantum chemistry, molecular spectroscopy, and medicinal chemistry. Students engage in a summer-long schedule of organized professional development and social activities with University of Mississippi undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff. These activities are expected to prepare students for chemistry careers and help to build a network of peers and faculty. To broaden participation and develop a diverse chemistry workforce, this site recruits students from throughout the U.S., particularly those from underrepresented groups in chemistry and from institutions with limited research opportunities. Student participants will perform original research in the laboratories of faculty members and using the Mississippi Center for Supercomputing Research (MCSR). Centered around experimental and theoretical physical chemistry, the research projects include synthetic design of light-harvesting, photoemissive, and catalytic materials; characterizing the photophysical properties of newly-developed materials; the spectroscopic study and computational modeling of important biologically relevant interactions; and the synthesis and computational modeling of newly-developed materials with important energy or drug development and delivery applications. Senior personnel mentor students in original research, present lectures on physical chemistry-related topics, administer mini-courses, and organize social activities. Students in the program gain practical experience in the physical sciences, while also applying knowledge in chemistry to real world problems and co-authoring scholarly publications. 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.