This award supports the continuation of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Maryland College Park. The main goal of the program will be to introduce undergraduate students to the university research environment through participation in frontier research. Participating undergraduates become members of research groups and are mentored by faculty members, post-docs and graduate students. Students see first-hand and participate directly in the research process. Past research topics have included: nano-photonic devices, spatio-temporal chaos and synchronism of chaotic systems, chaotic microwave circuits, dynamics of granular media, development of singularities in fluids and solids, nonlinear dynamics in optical systems and charged particle beams, magnetic reconnection, and turbulence and nonlinear phenomena in plasmas. Seminar series will complement and reinforce the learning experience. Student projects and presentations will be judged on the final day of the program, and winners will be funded to present their work at a relevant national conference. In addition, the summer program offers seminars and trips that expose students to a wide variety of subjects and opportunities. This will likely include trips to nearby government research laboratories, and lectures on topics such as applying to graduate school.
