This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the Department of Defense (ASSURE Program) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site led by Jeffrey D. Evanseck and Jeffrey D. Madura at Duquesne University. The research projects supported in this site are in areas at the intersection of theoretical and experimental chemistry. Undergraduates will be recruited to this site, along with external faculty mentors -- both students and mentors will be recruited from undergraduate institutions lacking significant infrastructure for research, including historically black colleges and primarily undergraduate institutions. The site will have support for three summers, commencing in 2010. The site will support ten students per summer in a ten week program. Two companies (Silicon Graphics and Gaussian) will provide additional support to this site, through the loan of equipment and the gift of software, respectively. Sample projects include: (1) the study of the hydrolysis and hydrothermolysis of ammonia borane for practical and efficient hydrogen generation; (2) the synthesis and study of diamond-like semiconductors with novel optical properties; (3) the computational and experimental study of dopamine and serotonin transporters; and (4) the study of organic thin film stability on stainless steel 316L in real-time in environmental conditions. In addition to conducting research during the summer, the students participating in this program will participate in a number of professional development activities, including the presentation of research results in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, as well as presentations at local and/or national professional society meetings. The students and faculty participating in this site will have the opportunity to continue computational work when they return to their home institutions.
Young scientists need exposure to modern research methods and tools as part of their training. This REU site aims to provide cutting-edge research training in the chemical sciences, with a strong emphasis on computation and modeling, to a significant number of students and faculty who might not otherwise have this opportunity. The research projects are in diverse areas of chemistry, many of which will have an impact in areas of national need. The diverse student cohort participating in research at this site will be well-prepared for graduate school, and eventual employment as part of the country's technical workforce.
The NSF/REU CHE-1005145 award provided regional impact upon Southwestern Pennsylvania in terms of training and preparing undergraduates for graduate studies in the field of chemical research, providing a novel research infrastructure for faculty and students from institutions that value research but cannot support such activities, offering advanced instrumentation workshops to supplement the skillset of students, and fostering career development and networking for students and faculty to fortify the U.S. workforce. Eight regional research teams were established to train undergraduates and increase scholarship productivity. The research team concept enhanced scholarly production, where the research teams produced 5 peer-reviewed publications and presented 53 national/regional ACS poster abstracts over the entire CHE 1005145 award period. The investment in research infrastructure will be realized in future reports, since publication with the REU students can be delayed to the shortness of the intense research experience coupled with training. Five Skilled Workshops were offered in conjunction with the NSF/MRI and NSF/S-STEM efforts for hands-on experience and training by academic and industrial experts on the fundamentals of molecular modeling, and the use of state of-the-art computational facilities and modern software to advance experimental research. A novel approach to developing written and oral presentation skills was implemented with great success. A weekly meeting of the students was held over the 10 week period of the summer research program. The research experience (scientific method) was divided into four phases to develop both oral and written skills. Each student gave a 10-minute presentation and write a short paper in each of the phases, where feedback was given on both components. The NSF/REU Site at Duquesne continues to grow and attract highly qualified faculty and students from underserved populations. Each of the eight faculty (100%) depends upon the resources, infrastructure and support leveraged from CHE-1126465 (MRI supercomputer) and CHE-1259941 (S-STEM workshops). The composition over the three-year program involves 50% females, 23% under-represented populations, and 93% regional students that would not have had a research experience otherwise.
