The Chemistry REU program at Syracuse University (SU) will provide research opportunities for students in a unique research environment created to combine structured learning with maximum hands-on time in the laboratory. Participants will experience the entire scientific process: planning and conducting experiments, interpreting results, drawing conclusions, and presenting their results in written and oral form. The overall theme of the program is "research in chemistry", involving all faculty members in the department. This topic was chosen to expose participants to the full breadth of chemical research, including the vast array of chemistry subfields and related interdisciplinary topics. Additional funds will extend the program to several other students, some of them participants in the SU LSAMP program, plus two high school teachers. The unique partnership with Le Moyne College (LMC) in Syracuse will support the development of year-round collaborative research programs between the two institutions. Specific emphasis will be placed on the recruitment of at least one veteran utilizing SU's or LMC's veteran's resource center. Financial support and recruiting assistance by several minority inclusion programs on campus (LSAMP, McNair, and CSTEP) demonstrates SU's commitment to involve underrepresented students in the sciences.
This program will introduce a diverse group of students to a rigorous research environment, motivating and readying them for scientific careers or graduate school in the chemical sciences. The program will include veteran students, minority students, students with limited access to research, international students, and high school teachers, providing all with the benefit of exposure to peers with wide-ranging experience and perspectives. Results will be reported through publications and conference presentations, many made by the students themselves. Students will be involved in highly relevant research projects that directly benefit society while covering the breadth of chemical research.
