The proposed Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program (NEESreu) will provide undergraduate engineering and computer science students with the opportunity to participate in high quality earthquake engineering research within the largest experimental testing network in the nation. Participants will learn from leading seismic research faculty, experience a wealth of local and virtual professional development activities, and build lasting relationships with fellow NEESreu students. NEES research projects represent the highest priority problems and tackle a breath of issues ranging from study of structures such as bridges to port to the performance of structural elements such as wood, concrete, and subsystems. Hybrid testing facilities and the NEES cyberinfrastructure allow research at one site to be tied in real time to experiments at another site, thus permitting testing of a larger specimen than is possible at one site. The REU students will be able to witness test and data streams at other sites in real time, thus broadening the scope of research that each student is exposed to.
In addition to these local research experiences, the NEESreu program will expose students to other world-class research activities, professional networks, and facilities through participation in the NEES Annual Meeting and a capstone Young Researcher Symposium. Cyberinfrastructure tools will be used throughout the program to provide network-wide professional development opportunities and forums for peer mentoring.
The NEESreu program will recruit students from institutions with minimal research facilities and from underrepresented groups. The program will increase the diversity of the earthquake engineering profession through successful outreach to students from underrepresented groups. These students will benefit from participating in research projects that are unusual in size, scope, and collaborative approach, while receiving the support they need to guide them on an academic path within the STEM field.
