This unique 10-week summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program at the University of Delaware's College of Engineering is complementary to the university's six-week Nature InSpired Engineering Research Experiences for Teachers Program (RET ) program. The intellectual focus of the comprehensive program is Nature InSpired Engineering (NISE) which is defined as the engineering study or inspirational use of natural systems and principles. Engineering faculty and students can learn a great deal from nature, infusing that information into research and educational activities, yielding innovative results and inspired students.
To engage participants in the comprehensive program, a team comprising faculty from five engineering departments, complemented by educational technology, ethics, and evaluation experts will be involved. The joint REU and RET programs will form five sets of research teams. Each NISE research team will consist of one math teacher, one science teacher, and two undergraduate students. To further assist in the growth of the undergraduate students, each participant will be paired with a career mentor in addition to his or her research mentor.
The REU program will be comprised of four main components: 1) in-depth laboratory experiences; 2) corporate site visits and social trips; 3) synergistic workshops and seminars; and 4) a research symposium. These four components will be common to the REU and RET programs, with overlaps and variations necessary to serve the specific participants. Corporate site visits will expose participants to the practical application of engineering principles they encounter in their research. A broad range of social and cultural activities will be critical to fostering a sense of community within the diverse undergraduate student groups. A set of workshops and seminars will assist in their development as researchers, improve their technical writing and presentation skills, expose them to technical research projects across the spectrum of NISE fields, and expand their knowledge of graduate programs and the process of applying to graduate school.
In addition, the students will participate in the following activities: 1) a Friday lunch seminar series that will focus on the virtues of lifelong learning; 2) an ethics component; and 3) a summer symposium where they will present a poster illustrating their research experiences. The activities in the ethics component of the program will include the following: 1) discussions and readings pertaining to ethical issues; 2) talks from experts in the various fields of engineering ethics; 3) each student will give a presentation on a particular ethical issue; and 4) each student will construct a wiki for ethics topics and readings in the field of science and in engineering, which they will be able to update and contribute to in the years following their summer REU participation.
Finally, the summer REU program will be complemented by a set of academic-year activities designed to keep the undergraduate students engaged, tracked, and directly involved in continuing technical and evaluation research and in-school collaboration with the teachers. Two undergraduate students will have an opportunity to work in the classroom with teachers, who focus on translating their research experiences into classroom activities and experiences.
Recruitment efforts will focus on attracting women and minority participants. These efforts will build upon well-established collaborations with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), minority serving programs, and women in engineering networks, societies, and programs.
In addition to yielding novel research results, this REU program will develop student's critical thinking, collaboration, and presentation skills as well provide students with an appreciation for the advantages of long-term collegial relationships, advanced degree studies, and lifelong learning.
Nature is the greatest innovator. This principle is the foundation upon which the Nature InSpired Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NISE-REU) is founded. The program immersed students in a supportive, comprehensive research and instructional environment in which: Students acquired an understanding of the research process and develop enhanced critical thinking, collaboration, and presentation skills. Students produced and presented novel research results. Students develop an appreciation for long-term collegial relationships, advanced degree studies, and lifelong learning. The NISE-REU focused on recruiting women and minority participants and integrated its activities with a complementing Nature InSpired Engineering Research Experiences for Teachers (NISE-RET) program. Research teams typically consisted of two undergraduate students, two K-12 teachers (typically one science and one math teacher), a graduate student or postdoc, and a faculty mentor that led the project. Students participated in synergistic workshops and seminars that assisted their development as researchers, improving their technical writing and presentation skills, exposed them to technical research projects across the spectrum of NISE fields, and expanded their knowledge of graduate programs and the process of applying for advanced degrees. Twenty-nine students participate in the program. Notably, 38% of the participants were female and nearly 50% were of non-white race/ethnicity. Approximately 20% of participants were from academic institutions that do not have graduate programs. Evaluation results show a statistically significant improvement in the research capabilities of participants, including: Ability to figure out the next step in a research project Formulating a research question that could be answered with data Identifying limitations of research methods and designs Understanding the role of theory in research Understanding the connections among scientific disciplines Making oral presentations Preparing scientific posters Conducting observations in the lab or field Calibrating instruments needed for measurements Working with computers Understanding journal articles Follow-up surveys with participants indicate that: 21% were interested in pursuing a professional degree in law or business 42% plan to pursue a nonprofessional mastersv(e.g., in engineering) 33% plan to obtain a PhD, M.D., or DSc. degree
