This award supports the continuation of the summer REU program in the Department of Physics at Alabama A&M University. Opportunities will be offered to 30 students to be actively engaged in cutting-edge research under the direction of senior faculty mentors for three consecutive summers. The projects available to participants include forefront physics research in Space Science, Nonlinear Optics, and Materials Science. Participating students will experience the excitement of frontline research in Nanotechnology, Pyroelectricity, Triboluminescent Materials, Optical Hole Burning, Fiber Bragg Gratings Sensors, Electroporation, Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering, Chemical Sensors, Electric Redshift, Solar Cells, Corona Mass Ejections, and Coronal Loops and get acquainted with ethical issues in Physics. Individual guidance and mentoring promotes participating students' intellectual development. Each participant will be making unique advancements in the understanding of technology-based devices and/or their utilization, as well as engaging in hands on research and exposure to a professional career in STEM disciplines through their personal and shared experiences with their research team members. The participants will gain experience in technical writing, presenting their research work to a variety of audiences, including dissemination of their results in local, regional, and national scientific conferences focused on undergraduate research. This award is funded by the Division of Physics in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences and by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources.
The REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program in the Physics department at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AAMU) was first established in 2007. The REU Site was awarded a continuation grant to carry out the summer research for undergraduates in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The main objective of the program was to provide exposure, experience, and expertise in forefront research in photonics, material science, nanotechnology, and space science to a pool of diverse undergraduate students from all over the nation. A range of recruitment strategies for minority and female students resulted in 217 applications for 24 funded spots. The participating students had diverse demographics - 58% African American, 21% Caucasian, 21% Asian American, 63% female, and 44% 1st generation college student. Sixty-six percent of the participants came from institutions with limited research facilities. Each student worked with a faculty adviser on a specific project within the context of the overall research focus of the group. REU students attended weekly presentations by University faculty, tours of University research facilities and other extracurricular activities. Participating in this intense and individualized environment significantly advanced these students' intellectual development and professional preparation. Students participated in synergistic meetings and workshops that assisted their development as researchers, improving their technical writing and presentation skills, exposed them to technical research projects, and expanded their knowledge of graduate programs and the process of applying for advanced degrees. Students presented their research to a gathering of STEM faculty, graduate students, and other invited scholars. The program concluded with each student submitting a report on her/his research project and on his/her research experiences. REU students co-authored seven articles which were published in refereed scientific journals and made fifteen presentations at state and national meetings. Students were strongly encouraged to continue their projects and to present their results at national student and professional conferences. To evaluate the impact of the program on students, each participant filled out pre- and post-program surveys, and participated in an individual exit interview. Students stated that they definitely gained important lab skills, learned new research techniques, and gained more confidence in their research abilities. All students indicated that they will recommend the program to their peers. Of the 24 students, 7 are now in graduate programs in physics and other fields in science and engineering, 15 are completing the senior year of their undergraduate degree with a plan to pursue a graduate degree, and 2 pursued a STEM related career in the private sector. The program was highly successful in encouraging participants to consider graduate school in STEM disciplines.
