REU Site: Developing next generation entrepreneurs in sustainable manufacturing

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

This three-year renewal REU Site at Louisiana State University (LSU) will engage 10 undergraduate students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields in sustainability-related research with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. The ten-week summer program will provide REU participants each year with experiences in world-class hands-on energy/sustainability related research, and will prepare them to pursue graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees. Participants will be trained in the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and industrial technology development. Weekly seminars, field trips, and workshops will provide students with opportunities for professional development in areas such as ethics, patents, and intellectual property. These excellent training opportunities along with mentoring from faculty and engineers in the petroleum and chemical industry will inspire more students to attend graduate school and pursue careers in innovation. This three-year REU Site at Louisiana State University (LSU) will engage 10 undergraduate students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields in sustainability-related research with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. The goal is to expose future scientists and engineers to the primary channels of research conversion, to basic science to practice via academic labs, and to industry and technology start-ups. The research focus of this renewal project will be structured around a common theme of sustainability with sub-topics including catalysis and sustainable manufacturing. In addition to technical training, students in the ten-week summer program will receive training in teamwork and teambuilding, research ethics, and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. PhD engineers from top petroleum and chemical companies in the world will mentor the REU students on the importance of high-quality research in industry and the types of careers available to those with postgraduate degrees. 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.