REU Site: Physics and Astronomy Summer Research at the University of New Mexico

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

This award is to support a program of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) hosted by the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of New Mexico, which will fund 8 students to work in research laboratories each summer. The program serves the national interest in two key aspects of the NSF mission. First, the participating students contribute directly to ongoing research projects, thus promoting the progress of science. Second, and more importantly, this program will advance the national prosperity and welfare, through the training of young scientists, many of whom have not yet had opportunities to participate in cutting edge research. The program provides opportunities for participating students to develop skills in laboratory work, analysis, computation, electronics and machining that will serve them (and the nation) well, regardless of their ultimate choice of career. The primary goal of the program is to give 8 participating students an authentic summer research experience that will help each decide whether a research and/or academic career in physics or astronomy is right for him or her. The program features new approaches to student recruitment, and to the training of both students and mentors. As part of the recruitment effort, the principal investigator (PI) and co˗PI will visit colleges in the four corners states to increase awareness of these research opportunities and meet prospective students in person. On applying, students may express their level of interest in working with any of the 16 faculty mentors participating. Mentors will develop research plans each spring, in consultation with the PI and co-PI, managing expectations and providing progress benchmarks. Mentors have already identified specific skills that student researchers will acquire during the 10 week program. In addition, brief courses in electronics and machining will be offered to participants. Student participants will not only learn from mentors and graduate students, but also from their peers. The REU program benefits from synergy with an existing undergraduate research program in quantum science (QU˗REACH) that hosts approximately 10 New Mexico students each summer. The programs will share a Friday seminar series and group lunch that features talks from scientists and technologists in academia, industry, and the national labs (Sandia and Los Alamos), showcasing the variety of career paths in STEM fields. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Physics 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.