The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site in Multidisciplinary Physics and Materials Science offers undergraduate students a unique opportunity to engage in cutting edge research in basic and applied physics. The ultimate goal of the scheduled activities is to provide students with a robust platform to successfully launch their careers in all areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The Multidisciplinary Physics REU Site provides a balance between formal instruction, independent research, and professional development. In this manner, the students are taught the basic skills needed to conduct research, while at the same time becoming aware of the larger scientific community and their contribution within it. Activities are tailored to enhance student research skills along with an emphasis on preparing them for advanced careers in STEM. Activities include a technical writing workshop, special topic lectures by experts, field trips to local industries and research institutions, biweekly networking events, and a student-centered seminar series. Students can choose from a variety of projects that span the multidisciplinary nature of physics and materials science in either computational or experimental areas. The activities and workshops that students engage in address the challenges that students from community colleges and minority institutions face when transitioning to four-year universities and graduate programs in STEM.
TECHNICAL DETAILS: Each participating student will benefit from spending a summer on UofM campus immersed in a research-intensive program in the Physics and Materials Science Department. Under the tutelage and guidance of an experienced faculty researcher and mentor, students conduct research in multidisciplinary areas of physics through synthesis, characterization, modeling, and computation. Students can choose from a variety of research projects from four main themes: Theme 1: Nanomaterials for Energy Applications, Theme 2: Biophysics, Theme 3: Photonics/Plasmonics, and Theme 4: Computational Physics. Students are given the opportunity to continue their research with their appointed faculty mentor after the REU program has finished. Following the orientation (welcome note, laboratory safety training, library training, and campus orientation) and appointment of a mentor, all students receive hands-on training with research-grade instruments such as profilometer, light and electron microscopes, spectroscopes, other materials analysis tools, and computational tools and techniques. Students that successfully complete this research training are well-equipped for STEM careers and graduate programs in the same field or in a related discipline. This REU site is primarily focused on providing access and opportunities to students in the local mid-South area, nearby HBCUs, local community colleges, and is open to first and second year students. A sound strategy of post-program assessment utilizing the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment (URSSA) tool, is implemented and used for and tracking of participants post completion of the training.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
