The Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) hosts an REU site dedicated to physical metallurgy research, an area that continues to be fundamental to critical national needs in transportation, infrastructure, and energy. Specifically, research in the REU Site focuses on processing-structure-property relationships of ferrous alloys, non-ferrous alloys, modern welding and joining technologies, and solidification. The Materials Reliability Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder also collaborates on 2 projects and offers both their facilities and their mentorship to the students. The REU Site provides research experiences for 10 undergraduates each year. Students stay for 10 weeks during summers and live together on campus so they are fully integrated as a group into the CSM community. As part of their research experience, students participate in 4 half-day workshops that introduce them to physical metallurgy concepts and tools, especially those that are unique to CSM. The students are also exposed to other materials engineering environments via tours to local industry and government facilities.
It is important for the US to prepare competent scientists and engineers who are knowledgeable in metallurgy areas in order to help fill the large numbers of high level research and leadership positions available in national and global industries. The REU Site will be assessed to make improvements on the effectiveness of its activities and analyze the direct impacts of those activities on participants? critical thinking and future career decisions.
This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU Site program.
