This award by the Chemistry Division supports a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at Georgetown University for the summers of 2006-2008. The program director is Jennifer Swift who is assisted by co-PI Sarah Stoll. Nine students recruited from across the country, but with a focus on the Mid-Atlantic region, will have an opportunity to work on well-defined research projects in the major areas of chemistry. The program will target first generation college students, with special consideration for those who may not already have participated in research. The interests and experience of the students will be matched with the individual research groups in the department. They will have access to all of the modern equipment available and will acquire skills in designing and conducting experimental work and analyzing scientific data. They will also participate in a series of weekly career development workshops covering oral and written communication skills, ethics, resume writing and science careers, and the graduate school selection and application processes. Social events will provide an opportunity for student-student and student-faculty exchange. The program concludes with a poster session in which the REU participants and all other summer undergraduate researchers in the department present their results.
