This is a Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site Award at the University of Southern Mississippi. The funds provide support for ten undergraduate students selected from candidates who have completed three years from colleges in the Southeastern United States as well as Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. Participation includes a summer session and the following academic year. Special emphasis is placed upon recruitment from under-represented groups such as females and minorities. Students having three years in the physical sciences are considered. Scholastic achievement is the primary requirement for participation in the program, with consideration given for prior research experience, and recommendation by a faculty member. Scholastic courses on polymer science and laboratory safety are required during a ten week summer session. The research under supervision of faculty members will involve topics in the areas of ionomer coatings and composite membranes, crystallization kinetics of semicrystalline ionomers, nylon copolymers, graft polymers, and polyelectrolyte/surfactant coacervates, and bioabsorable composite materials. The professors involved in this program have a strong record of interaction with undergraduate students in research.
