This project provides an opportunity for deaf and hard of hearing students to participate in classroom and laboratory research work in the field of polymers. A small group of college-age students will perform an internship at Tufts University for six weeks during the summer. The classroom and laboratory components address the chemistry and physics of polymer molecules, crystallization and melting of polymers, the interaction of X-rays and light with polymers, mechanical properties of polymers, and the connection between thermal processing, structure, and ultimate properties of polymers. To prepare the students for participation in the scientific community, a strong component of pre-professional training is incorporated, including discussion of integrity in the performance of research and in scholarship. The goals of the laboratory research component are to: expose the students to the laboratory environment; introduce them to the concepts of formulating and testing hypotheses; assist students to conduct systematic studies while controlling variables; illustrate the use of modern analytical equipment; and demonstrate the connection between processing variables, structure, and properties. The students will make and characterize polymer-based nanocomposite films comprising a semicrystalline polymer matrix and an organically modified silicate (OMS). This research will contribute to a fundamental understanding of the effects of OMS on the structure and properties of semicrystalline polymers. The program is aimed at a disadvantaged minority population, of deaf and hard of hearing college age students. The broader impact will be to bring deaf and hard of hearing students into the larger scientific community as professionals, by providing positive scientific experiences at a formative time in their educational lives. The long-range goal of the proposed program is to increase participation of deaf and hard of hearing students in science and engineering, and provide enrichment and mentoring for these students.
