The Chemistry Division award supports a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of Missouri for the summers of 2004-2006. Susan Lever is the site's program director and J. David Robertson is the co-PI. The focus of this program is training in, and conduct of radiochemistry research in the broad areas of nuclear medicine, life sciences and the nuclear industry. Seven faculty from the departments of chemistry, environmental health services and radiology, nuclear engineering, radiological sciences and biochemistry, will serve as student mentors to 8 students each summer in an eight-week program. The faculty members have expertise in radiochemistry as well as one additional field including organic, inorganic, analytical or nuclear chemistry. Students will be recruited nationally and from minority serving institutions that have served as sources of summer students in the past and the LSAMP program in Missouri. There will be workshops on environmental health and safety, safe handling of isotopes, and weekly lectures and discussions of radiochemistry research. The students will present their research at an end-of-summer symposium and capstone poster session. The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institute of Health (NIH) cofunds the award.
