The award provides support for a three-year REU Site at Texas Tech University (TTU). The REU Site program focuses on Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) which are a broad class of microfabricated devices that are making important inroads into many technology areas. MEMS are integral parts of projection display systems, automotive airbag systems, ink-jet printers, and biomedical and chemical sensors. MEMS are a bridge to the nano-world and frequently include nano-enabled components and nanoscale features. MEMS are also a fertile area that incorporates state-of-the-art technologies and recognizes, creative, outside the box thinking.
The objectives of this program are to provide undergraduate students with the knowledge and training needed to make a contribution to microdevice and materials research at TTU and Angelo State University (ASU), to give them technical background needed to compete for industrial internship positions, and to increase the number of US students who will continue on to graduate school and find successful careers in important technology areas.
The program will strengthen bridges to four-year colleges in Texas with limited research capabilities by promoting the benefits of undergraduate research and it will increase the number of students going to graduate school in engineering and the sciences, which is important, if the US is to remain competitive globally. Strengthening these ties will allow the principal investigator to continue to recruit a diverse group of students by effectively communicating the excitement of the field and offering interesting and relevant research projects.
