9619852 Van der Spiegel ABSTRACT The project provides 9 undergraduate student with summer research opportunities in the area of Sensor Technologies. The goal is to attract and retain gifted students to a graduate career in engineering. The REU Site is part of the Summer Undergraduate Fellowship in Sensor Technologies (SUNFEST) program of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Sensor Technologies. The Center provides the infrastructure for faculty and students to collaborate, exchange ideas, co-supervise students, and share resources. Students are selected by a faculty committee based on their academic potential, interest in pursuing a research career, attitude towards graduate studies, advisors' recommendations, membership in under-represented groups, and research opportunities in the mother institution. It is anticipated that about two thirds of the students will come from outside Penn. The undergraduate students participate actively in a research project under the guidance of one or more participating faculty and graduate student. Special emphasis is placed on broader interaction and communication of these SUNFEST fellows with the graduate students and faculty members. The projects suggested to the students are chosen for their educational value, scientific merit, appropriateness for undergraduates, and the prospects for continued involvement after the summer. Project topics include: chemical, optical, mechanical, and neural network based sensors; micromechanical systems, phenomena and micromachining; and sensor interfacing. The students will also participate in a variety of hands-on workshops in order to give them the tools to do first rate research or enhance their oral and verbal skills. These will include seminars on "Giving effective presentations", "Writing research reports", "Ethics in Science and Engineering" and "Use of electronic database searches". Students will also have the opportunity to participate in social activities organized with faculty advisors. ***
