This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program at Iowa State University, offers state-of-the-art, multi-disciplinary research experiences in the areas of sensing, actuation and imaging, to diverse and talented cohorts of undergraduates from institutions with limited or no research opportunities. The need for advanced sensing and imaging technologies to enhance our nation's health, homeland, food and energy security has never been more urgent as evident from the NAE Grand Challenges. Research in sensing and imaging technologies has an obvious societal impact that appeals to a broad demographic of students. In addition, the multidisciplinary nature of the research, which merges engineering concepts with those in the sciences will help attract students from all engineering and non-engineering disciplines. This REU Site with a focus on sensing and imaging research will take advantage of shared research interests and synergistic interactions of the faculty to help increase graduate enrollment. The student experience will evolve from dependent to independent status and will enable them to acquire life-long skills that will impact their contributions to science and engineering and to society.
The primary goal of this renewal REU Site program is to provide each undergraduate participant with a ten-week scientifically rigorous, intellectually demanding, research experience within a highly collegial environment of collaboration with faculty and other students. The program focuses on the development of the technical skills and critical-thinking abilities of the participants and on their exposure to substantive, representative research investigations related to design and manufacturing of sensors, actuators and smart materials; state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostic systems and data driven approaches to sensor/device design and reliability. Project topics include microfluidic devices, nanomechanical sensors for biological agents; nanoenergetics imaging, bioprosthetics, nanomaterials synthesis, and reliability of implantable sensors. The program will also include weekly seminar series; short courses; communication workshops; interactions with middle school teachers; organized social and cultural events designed to complement the research activities; a REU Research Symposium to provide feedback on student work and exceptional achievement; and training in ethical implications of engineering that will be conducted by ISU's Bioethics program. Participants will also be encouraged to present a technical paper/poster at regional and national conferences within one year of participating in this program.
This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program.
