This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE), supports the renewal of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of Cincinnati (UC) for the summers of 2008-2010. This REU site will be managed by Bruce Ault with assistance from Anna Gudmundsdottir from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati. This REU site will bring nine students to campus for a ten-week period each summer to conduct cutting edge research in chemistry. Eight of the nine students will be funded through NSF and one student each summer will be funded by the John J. Alexander Fellowship endowment in the Department of Chemistry. Recruitment plans are expected to identify these nine REU students, all from outside the University of Cincinnati. Though applications will be accepted from across the U.S., recruitment will target pre-senior chemistry and biochemistry students at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUI's) within 300 miles of Cincinnati, with a special focus on minority students at regional historically black colleges and universities (HBCU's). Student projects available encompass a broad spectrum of research in chemistry including the core areas of organic, biochemistry, analytical, and computational. The students will work closely with one of twelve UC faculty members participating in the participating who all have extensive experience in working with undergraduate students. In addition, a faculty member from an HBCU will be brought to UC each summer to collaborate on research and serve as an informal mentor to the REU students. An active educational program will develop research and professional skills in the REU students and prepare them for their future careers. Educational activities will include hands-on enhancement of research skills, resume writing and interviewing, workshops on career options and planning, and discussions of issues of overarching importance in science. With institutional support from the University of Cincinnati, all participants will be given the opportunity to attend and present their research results at the ACS national meeting in the spring following their REU summer experience.
