An interinstitutional REU site is established. The program will provide ten selected undergraduates research opportunities in the mechanical engineering and engineering science department encompassing the mechanical, materials and bioengineering subject areas. The specific research topics selected for the program are of fundamental, as well as, current engineering interest including several to be conducted with external support and collaborations. A five-member faculty team from the host institution will supervise the project activities. Research projects are thermal compatibility for metal- ceramic systems, properties of liquid metal-liquid insulator interfaces, control-structure interaction of large flexible spacecraft, and diffraction studies of defect substructures in bulk single crystals. Participants will be recruited from both inside and outside the host institution with special attention given to attracting qualified minority, handicapped and female students. The interinstitutional cooperative arrangement is intended to facilitate the recruiting effort, allow several participants to work in on-going joint projects to gain research experience and generally enhance the impact of the REU program by spreading its benefits beyond host site. Productive participation of the students in the project activities will be assured through a concentrated ten-week summer involvement, pairing of internal and external students on individual projects and carefully planned orientation and post participation activities. The program will terminate with written reports and oral presentations of the project results by the participants.
