IRES Track I: STEM Advancement through International Learning (SAIL)

Inter American University Of Puerto Rico San Juan, San Juan PR

Investigators

Abstract

The STEM Advancement through International Learning (SAIL) Program at Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, Bayamon and Ponce, will expose Hispanic undergraduate students to nanoscience research under the supervision of Material Physics Department faculty from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spanish acronym UCM), Spain. SAIL will recruit six (6) undergraduate minority students per year from Inter American University of Puerto Rico (IAUPR) to participate in a 9-week research experience focusing on the design and characterization of advanced nanomaterials for electronic and photonic applications. Currently, nanoscience and nanotechnology are utilized in many public sectors, such as transportation, medicine, and energy. However, nanotechnology depends on the existence and characterization of new nanomaterials. The control of nanomaterials' composition, size, shape, and morphology are essential, and their complex functions require further advancement in preparation and modification. For this reason, the design and study of advanced nanomaterials are of great importance to society and the future. SAIL Scholars will conduct mentored, high-quality research activities and develop the necessary skills to manage high-performance equipment. Two independent campuses of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Bayamon campus (IAUPR-BC) and Ponce campus (IAUPR-PC) will establish a collaborative network to support the students in this research experience. SAIL Scholars will work on multidisciplinary (Physics, Chemistry, and Material Science) projects but with a unifying theme that enables a cohort experience under the mentoring of expert researchers. The results of the projects will generate new knowledge that will contribute to the advancement of science. The skills developed by multidisciplinary collaborative research will help students in their future careers and research opportunities. The international and cross-disciplinary component of this learning experience goes beyond what is ordinarily available to low-income undergraduate students in Puerto Rico. The IAUPR is a private undergraduate institution with 99% Hispanic, primarily first-generation/low-income students. The proposed activities will impact underrepresented minorities in STEM, enabling cross-disciplinary research and promoting cultural competence in a cohort model. A gender balance will be sought during the selection process, as Hispanic women are even more underrepresented in the STEM community. Students will present their research projects at regional, national and international conferences to improve their networking and presentation skills. The collaboration among campuses and the international alliance will strengthen research, education opportunities, and mobility for minority students. The SAIL project will impact the IAUPR system and the Island by combining program activities and dissemination efforts. The anticipated results of the project are an increase in the retention and graduation rates, development of research and international skills for undergraduate students (self-efficacy in STEM) and enhanced the number of students who decide to pursue graduate studies (persistence in STEM). This project is jointly funded by the International Research Experience for Students program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). 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.