By providing the opportunity for participating undergraduate students to display the results of their creative academic activities at the national level, the Symposium, which is specifically dedicated to recognize and celebrate the students' exceptional work, is one of the effective means to motivate these students and stimulate their interest in graduate education. The symposium will give participating students a chance to discuss their research projects and exchange ideas with other students, graduate researchers, faculty and professional scientists. In addition students will practice presentation skills and gain invaluable experience presenting research at a premiere, national level, scientific conference .
NON-TECNICAL SUMMARY
The symposium will serve to provide recognition to outstanding undergraduate students in polymer science and engineering, to foster networking and exposure, to introduce opportunities in graduate research and education and help develop the careers of future leaders in both academia and industry. The symposium will also offer an occasion for students and supervising faculty to witness how student projects enhance faculty research and also serve the greater community. Additionally, it will provide motivation for future generations of undergraduate students. Those who are not engaged in these pursuits as yet can learn how their fellow students developed their research interests.
The fifth annual Undergraduate Research in Polymer Science Symposium was held at the National American Chemical Society Spring Meeting in San Francisco, March 21-22, 2010. The ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry (POLY) Annual Symposium in Undergraduate Research in Polymer Science is a nation-wide forum for undergraduate researchers to share the results of their work with fellow students, faculty, polymer researchers and professionals interested in higher education. The symposium is intended to provide recognition to outstanding undergraduate students in polymer science and engineering, to foster networking and exposure, to introduce opportunities in graduate research and education and to help develop the careers of future leaders in both academia and industry. The primary goal of the Symposium is to encourage top undergraduate students in chemistry, polymer science and related fields to pursue graduate studies in polymer science and engineering. The education and training of American students in science and engineering has been identified by the U.S. Commission on National Security as a national imperative for maintaining national security and global economic competitiveness. This National Science Foundation award sponsored travel assistance for ten undergraduate students to participate in the national meeting. The travel awards help to broaden participation in the symposium and increase student submissions. Twenty-three undergraduate students from nineteen universities across the country submitted preprints published in Polymer Preprints and presented their work at the symposium. Students with the top ten preprints, as determined by evaluation of the scientific merit of the research and significance of the results, were awarded travel stipends for the conference. The theme of the spring 2010 ACS meeting was "Chemistry for a Sustainable World."
