This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site in Applied Physics aims to provide high quality motivational research experiences in four thrust areas including materials physics, atomic, molecular & optical physics/sensors, biomedical/biophysics, and computational physics. Each year, ten undergraduate students will work closely with faculty mentors on the individual research projects that are specifically designed taking into account the limited research experience of REU students. The research experiences are enriched by a special professional development program to facilitate learning of research methods, laboratory skills, critical thinking, organizational, oral and written communication skills including: (i) extensive research training in experimental and computational techniques during the first week of the program; (ii) weekly REU-wide seminar programs; (iii) a weekly lecture series ?Advances in Applied Physics? and lab tours given by participating REU faculty; (iv) workshops on the development of oral and communication skills; (v) workshops on preparing for graduate school; (vi) the REU symposium at the end of the program.
The participants will be exposed to the interdisciplinary interactions between different research groups and will be involved in teamwork within individual research groups. In addition, an enjoyable and meaningful social and cultural program for REU students is organized with participation of USF students and faculty. The program aims at attracting undergraduates that have limited possibility to be involved in full-scale research activities in their home institutions, including students from predominantly undergraduate institutions, and groups underrepresented in science and engineering.
The REU research program in Applied Physics provided a high-quality research experience for undergraduate students in four thrust areas, atomic, molecular & optical (AMO) physics/sensors, biomedical/ biophysics, materials physics, and computational physics. The special focus was placed on attracting undergraduates with limited possibility to participate in full-scale research activities at their home institutions, including students from predominantly undergraduate institutions, and groups underrepresented in science and engineering. The goal of this program was to broadened the students' general physics background, develop their key research skills, strengthened critical thinking, and improved their ability to communicate scientific information effectively both verbally and in written form. The research experiences were enriched by a special professional development program to facilitate learning of research methods, laboratory skills, critical thinking, as well as organizational, oral and written communication skills. In addition, an enjoyable and meaningful social and cultural program for REU students is organized with participation of USF students and faculty. One of the key elements of our REU program was providing the REU students with the opportunity to attend a major professional meeting to present results from their summer research. Every REU participant was asked to prepare an abstract in consultation with their faculty and graduate student advisors for the APS March Meetings. Most of REU students eventually came to the APS March meeting to give oral presentations given at the Undergraduate Research Sessions organized by the National Society of Physics Students and the APS Outreach Office. This REU program contributed to the increase the number and the quality of STEM graduate students entering the field of applied physics. By pursuing the overall goal of attracting bright minds through enriched research participation, this program provided research opportunities for the next generation of the scientists and engineers who will work in areas of critical importance such as energy, environment, medicine, micro and nanoelectronics, information technologies, and other key enabling technologies.
