This award for an REU Site at the University of South Florida (USF) supports 12 undergraduate engineering students each year for three years in a 10-week summer program. The primary focus of the research projects is on engineering of novel materials for use in next generation devices utilized for example in space, health, and electronic areas. The objective is to encourage talented undergraduate students, in particular women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and community college students, to pursue graduate studies in the interdisciplinary STEM fields.
The program provides not only stimulating research opportunities, but it also offers a seminar series, field trips, enrichment activities, workshops and journal club sessions on ethical and societal research impacts, graduate education spotlights, and career strategy highlights. The program will culminate with a Research Summer Fest, where REU students, including students and teachers from other NSF USF REU and RET (Research Experiences for Teachers) funded programs and research fellowship programs, e.g. McNair, Sloan and GEM, etc., will present during a poster session and conduct oral presentations. This program capitalizes upon the University of South Florida's College of Engineering internal REU program impacting over 150 students over 4 years. This REU program intends to increase the number of US advanced degree holders, especially for underrepresented minorities, females, and an underutilized pool of talent from community colleges.
