This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Professors Philippe Buhlmann and Steven R. Kass will train undergraduates from institutions with limited research opportunities, sophomores, under-represented minority groups, and the economically disadvantaged. These students are targeted to lead students to consider careers in chemistry-related fields who might otherwise have chosen different career paths. To increase the program impact and sense of community among the participants, students are encouraged to volunteer on weekends for an outreach program that gives children the opportunity to perform hands-on chemistry experiments at local community libraries, many of which are in neighborhoods with large minority communities.
The REU Site whose theme is "Challenges of the 21st Century" will fund ten undergraduate students per year over a period of three years to carry out individual research projects in interdisciplinary areas. Participants will gain research experience in a nurturing environment at a major research university, with particular emphasis on addressing critical challenges in environmental, materials, and biological chemistry. This broad research exposure is supplemented with extensive mentoring and hands-on training. Students have the opportunity to work on environmental, sustainable and health-related chemistry problems of critical societal importance.
