REU Site: Interdisciplinary Micro/nano/additive-manufacturing Program Addressing Challenges Today - Gen 3 (IMPACT-Gen3)

University Of Louisville Research Foundation Inc, Louisville KY

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Interdisciplinary Micro/nano/additive-manufacturing Program Addressing Challenges Today – Gen 3 (IMPACT-Gen3) is hosted by the University of Louisville. The project will work with a diverse cohort of STEM students in the interdisciplinary field of Advanced Manufacturing, with an emphasis on micro/nano-manufacturing and additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing). Educating the next generation of young scientists and engineers about “micro/nano/additive Advanced Manufacturing” is critical to the country’s global competitiveness and national security, especially how they can be used to solve societal challenges in the areas of energy, healthcare, climate change, security, medicine, manufacturing, robotics and automation, bio-inspired products, the Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, and the environment. IMPACT-Gen 3 features structured hands-on micro/nano/additive training classes, personalized independent research projects, professional faculty mentorship, student professional development, and exposure to a wide variety of micro/nano/additive applications over the10-week summer program. In addition, participants will supplement their technical experiences with programs to improve their oral/written communication skills, opportunities to learn about graduate school, seminars about entrepreneurship, lunch meetings with technical and government leaders, tours of industry manufacturing facilities, ethics training, and a wide variety of organized activities. This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Interdisciplinary Micro/nano/additive-manufacturing Program Addressing Challenges Today – Gen 3 (IMPACT-Gen3) is hosted by the University of Louisville. The goal of the program is to recruit and educate the next generation of scientists and engineers in the converging Advanced Manufacturing fields of micro/nanotechnology and additive manufacturing, especially how these areas can be used to solve societal challenges in the areas of energy, healthcare, climate change, security, medicine, manufacturing, robotics and automation, bio-inspired products, the Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, and the environment. The 10-week interdisciplinary program includes formal training initiatives and exciting independent research projects, professional skills development, and preparation for graduate education. The objectives are to: a) recruit a diverse cohort of undergraduate students from underrepresented populations (50%), freshmen/sophomores (25%), in-state (30%), and out-of-state (70%), b) build a strong sense of community among these populations so that each will benefit from the talents, challenges, and perspectives of the others, c) educate all students about micro/nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, SEM/optical microscopy, and lab safety, d) provide each student with a successful independent research experience, e) provide a formal Professional Development and Critical Thinking program, f) encourage graduate education, g) generate student products such as conference presentations and journal publications, h) effectively disseminate the results to the public, and i) evaluate the success of our program. 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.