The Materials Connection Research Experience for Undergraduate Students (MacReu) site at the University of California-Riverside (UCR) will provide 10 students with experience in a broad spectrum of preparative methods for composite and thin film (including 2D) growth through active participation in ongoing research efforts. Thin films and 2D materials play crucial roles in a wide spectrum of technologies, from activating catalysts for crude oil refining to automotive emission control to the next generation of microchip transistors. The MacReu students will join research groups from Chemistry, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Chemical Engineering, reflecting the broad impact of thin film materials. All participating faculty and research labs are affiliated with the UCR interdepartmental Materials Science and Engineering program, so undergraduates from a wide range of fields will be exposed to a highly interdisciplinary environment. Specific research efforts will include growth of MoS2 and related transition metal dichalcogenides for electronic applications, preparation of materials for photo-/electro-catalytic water splitting, and development of novel atomic-layer and chemical-vapor based growth methodologies. The students will jointly be instructed in hands-on practical materials characterization including electron microscopy, Raman, photoluminescence, and Infrared spectroscopy. Co-directed by a chemist and a professor of political science, this project will also generate quantitative measures of the success of the MacReu program as well as actionable and unbiased evaluation of the educational concept and effectiveness.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY The Materials Connection Research Experience for Undergraduate Students (MacReu) Site at the University of California-Riverside (UCR) will provide 10 students per year with experience in working in research labs that target the preparation of an array of composite and thin-film materials, including 2-D materials, that will form the basis for the next generation of chemical catalysts and advanced electronic devices. These materials play crucial roles in a wide spectrum of technologies, ranging from oil refining to emission control to data and signal processing. The MacReu students will join research groups from Chemistry, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Chemical Engineering, reflecting the broad impact of thin film materials. All participating faculty and research labs are affiliated with the UCR interdepartmental Materials Science and Engineering program, so undergraduates from a wide range of fields will be exposed to a highly interdisciplinary environment. The students will gain hands-on experience in a number of essential techniques for making and analyzing advanced materials. The REU site will actively recruit from 2-year and 4-year institutions, particularly Hispanic Serving Institutions, in Southern California. Besides providing the MacReu students with exciting research experience, this project seeks to form them into an outreach team that is effective in promoting STEM education to their peers at Southern California 2-year colleges and high-schools serving a population of 12 million within about 50 miles of UCR. At this same time, such activity will impart leadership and presentation skills in the MacReu participants in support of their future careers.
