9424228 Bachas This REU Site Award will introduce twenty-seven talented undergraduates to research in the field of membrane science. Nine students per year will be selected primarily form nominees provided by nine Kentucky colleges and universities that serve the economically underprivileged Appalachian regions of Kentucky, and will be matched with the eight faculty advisors. Special efforts will be made to recruit minority students by using our established contacts with faculty at U. S. institutions that have high minority enrollments. The individual projects are designed along the lines of the research program of the supervising advisor to ensure direct scientific interaction with the graduate and postdoctoral students of each research group. Weekly seminars during the summer, and evening seminars in the fall will be conducted to stimulate discussion and provide information on career possibilities, on current major research issues, and on the development of effective scientific communication skills. Further, in-house "mini-conferences" will be organized during which the students will present their project results in the form of a scientific presentation. The students will also have the opportunity to attend a professional conference and get exposed to the most recent advances in their field. Finally, the students will be encouraged to participate at the annual Regional Undergraduate Chemistry Research Poster Competition organized by the Department of Chemistry and sponsored by the University of Kentucky Graduate School. %%% This wide spectrum of research-related activities is expected to contribute toward the scientific maturation of the individual students and possibly encourage them to pursue a research career
