This Chemistry Division award supports a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of California where a previous REU site was funded for 1996-1998. Robert Bau is the site's Program Director. Thirteen faculty will serve as REU student mentors. Over the award period (2002-2004), ten students will be supported each summer in a ten-week program. Minority students will be recruited through existing contacts with institutions in the LA area that have significant populations of underrepresented groups and with the help of the institution's McNair Scholars Program. The available research will include imaging and manipulations with STMs and AFMs, optical imaging of reaction products, femtochemsitry experiments, X-ray crystallography, spectroscopy, and theoretical simulations. Students will participate in informal evening tutorials and seminars. Visits are planned to several large R&D labs in the LA area. All students will prepare a final written paper and a poster presentation on their research. Evaluation forms are to be completed by all students. In the future, the career choices of the students will be monitored.
