This REU site will provide 9 undergraduate students with research opportunities in the area of Sensor Technologies. The main purpose is the study of sensor-related phenomena in order to generate scientific knowledge and to apply this knowledge to sensor development. The REU site ill be part of the Center for Sensor Technologies. The Center provide the infrastructure for faculty and students to collaborate, exchange ideas, co-supervise students, and share resources. The undergraduate students will become actively involved in one of the research projects of a participating faculty. Special emphasis is put on the broader interaction of the undergraduates with graduate students and other faculty member associated with the Center. Four or five students will be recruited from Penn and the rest from on of 25 smaller colleges in the Philadelphia area. Special attention is made to recruit minorities. Students will be selected by a committee according to the students academic potential, research interest, attitude towards graduate studies and research opportunities in the mother institution. Each selected student will work under the close supervision of one or two faculty members. The projects are chosen based on their educational value, the scientific merit, and the prospects for continued involvement after the summer. Project topics include optical, mechanical, microstructure and micromachining, packaging, neural network based sensors and sensor interfacing.
