This award, by the Chemistry Division, supports Dr. Rebecca Braslau and other members of the Department of Chemistry at the University of California Santa Cruz in continuing a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site in chemistry. For the period 2000 - 2002, 36 undergraduate students will spend ten weeks each performing original research under the supervision and guidance of Chemistry faculty each summer. The program will introduce student participants to the use of the library in addition to laboratory research and will train them in both written and oral communication of research results. The program will be integrated with the University's ACCESS program which brings 18 local underrepresented minority college students to campus for a summer research experience. Participants in the two programs will attend joint evening research seminars and workshops on graduate school selection and application. The long range impact of the program will be to provide the participants with a realistic understanding of scientific research that will be crucial to their post graduate professional success.
