REU Site: CAS: Cross Disciplinary Training in Sustainable Chemistry and Chemical Processes

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

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 Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to Michigan State University, located in East Lansing, MI, will support 10 weeks of training for a total of 30 students over the summers of 2022-2024. Participants in this REU program will engage in faculty-mentored research projects aimed towards developing more sustainable chemical products and processes to benefit society. Professional development activities, such as faculty seminars on green chemistry topics, chemical and laboratory safety training, responsible conduct of research discussion sessions, effective mentoring, and discussions about the importance and value of diversity, fair treatment of all, and inclusive ideas and environments will position students well for their future careers. At this REU site, student participants are expected to be involved in all aspects of the research enterprise, from project design, to conducting experiments and analyzing data, to reading and discussing relevant scientific papers, and finally to preparing text and graphs for eventual publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The available research projects span a wide range of green chemistry, including green synthesis, polymer membranes for water purification, water quality monitoring, environmentally friendly coating systems for corrosion control, solar energy conversion, energy-related materials, advanced imaging and spectroscopy of materials and surfaces, computational approaches for understanding and predicting material properties, and assessing the fate of environmental pollutants. Philosophically, this program is designed to teach one about conducting scientific research and to help prepare one for postgraduate education or to enter the workforce through development of problem-solving skills, chemical literature and information skills, laboratory safety skills, communication skills, team skills and ethics. To increase diversity in the STEM pipeline, this site also actively recruits underrepresented students through a variety of mechanisms and partnerships. 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.