This project continues an existing, successful REU site program that provides research opportunities for undergraduates in the applications of electrical and computer engineering (ECE) to biosystems, covering a cross-disciplinary range of topics from microsystems & devices to information processing & computing. Many breakthroughs in modern medicine and bioscience have been built on ECE foundations, notably in the areas of medical devices and information technology. The BIEN REU program builds upon the highly supportive intellectual atmosphere and culture of the ECE Department at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) toward interdisciplinary research.
BIEN has proven to be widely appealing to STEM undergraduates in a variety of fields. In the first three years of the program, a total of 12 faculty members (including four female and one African American) have supervised 34 student research interns who form a diverse and balanced group, with 56% of the students from under-represented groups (35% female, 15% African-American, 15% Hispanic, 3% American Indian) and 56% from schools other than UMCP.
Intellectual Merit: The BIEN REU site attracts and nurtures students to take part in a broad range of cutting-edge biosystems research topics with a unique synergy among microelectronics, bioengineering, optics, signal processing, controls, and neuroscience. In the renewed program the site builds upon the strong base of mentoring support and ethics activities that they have developed in the first phase of the program. The work introduces several changes from previous years: 1) to expand the research theme to encompass electrical and computer engineering applications of biosystems; 2) to reinforce the interdisciplinary emphasis by having an external co-advisor from outside the ECE Department (e.g., from another department or from industry) for each project, in addition to the ECE faculty mentor; 3) to introduce a series of tutorial lectures throughout the program to better prepare students for interdisciplinary research; and 4) to proactively gather new techniques, tools, and research outcomes from their interdisciplinary REU projects, as they have strong potential to aide many scientists and engineers of similar interests to leverage and build upon, and contribute to the goal of building cyberinfrastructure that can support future growth and development in science and engineering.
A program of seminars, workshops, and field trips will complement and reinforce the learning experience. Ethical training will be integrated tightly into the other activities of the program. Students will present the results of their research at a symposium at the end of the program and will also be encouraged to publish their findings in international conferences and journals. Outcomes will be evaluated quantitatively using a variety of methods. In addition, this site is revising the assessment instruments in accordance with those currently under development in the OCI/CISE REU PI community, and to reinforce recruitment and publicity efforts in order to increase the percentage of female applicants and participants in the program.
Broader Impact: BIEN?s impact has two distinct aspects: 1) building a well-balanced intellectual community that nurtures REU students and allows them to thrive, and 2) preparing this future STEM workforce to tackle grand challenges of national and global significance. The proposed effort will contribute towards positive balance in gender and race, by providing students the opportunity to work on compelling research projects with applications to humanitarian and social welfare and by creating a vibrant and supportive community. This site is creating and nurturing a STEM workforce with interdisciplinary strength and an appreciation for and the drive to build an infrastructure that allows our society to tackle grand challenges in areas such as healthcare and the environment. This is vital to promote the progress of science, to advance the health, prosperity, and welfare of our nation and the world.
