This three-year REU Site program at the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa will focus on the research theme of the NAE Grand Challenges. The Grand Challenges investigated in this program are to: 1) Make solar energy economical; 2) Provide access to clean water,; 3) Advance health informatics; 4) Secure cyberspace; 4) Restore and improve urban infrastructure; 5) Engineer the tools of scientific discovery; and 6) Engineer better medicines. These research topics, with their broad societal impact, will allow undergraduate students from multiple engineering disciplines and computer science to work together on exciting and critical problems.
This specific objectives of this 10-week summer REU Site program include the following: 1) training of undergraduates in multidisciplinary research fields; 2) generating student interest in playing a role in a grand challenge with critical societal impact; 3) developing technical and professional skills offering increased future opportunities; 4) networking with fellow REU students and faculty mentors; and 5) motivating students to pursue graduate studies. In addition students will attend the following professional development workshops: 1) Ethics in Research; 2) The Craft of Writing a research Paper; 3) Writing a Captivating Abstract; 4) Creating and Delivering an Effective Oral Presentation; 5) Creating and Presenting and Attractive and Informative Research Poster; 6) Applying to and (and Paying for) Graduate School; and 7) Life as a Graduate Student. Social activities are planned that will enhance the cohort experience. At the end of the summer, each student will participate in a poster session and work with their faculty mentor to publish and present research results at a regional or national conference. What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
The PI intends to recruit 50% of the students from underrepresented groups. A unique aspect of this program is that all faculty mentors are female two of which are African American.
After three years, 33 students have participated in this multi-disciplinary site where students worked on research problems identified by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) as our nation’s Grand Challenges. The program was 9-weeks in length. Intellectual Merit: Our students worked on problems that fell in the following categories: Make solar energy economical, provide access to clean water, secure cyberspace, engineer better medicines, restore and improve urban infrastructure, advance personalized learning, and engineer the tools of scientific discovery. Tracking efforts from 2010 and 2011 indicate that 25% are still pursuing engineering degrees, 45% are in graduate school, and 30% completed their degrees and have positions in industry. From 2012, 70% are still pursuing their engineering degree, 10% in industry, and 20% unknown. Previous student participants came from various states including Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, South Dakota, Arizona, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Alabama. Previous student participants are attending graduate schools at UA, Clemson, Michigan Tech, Auburn, Colorado School of Mines, Louisiana State, and U. Tennessee. One graduate student helped to coordinate and manage the program each year. Broader Impact: Overall, 66.7% of the students were from underrepresented groups (51.5% female, 18.2% African American, 3% Hispanic, 3% Native American). All three graduate students assisting with program logistics were female and 64% of the faculty mentors were female including 1 female African American. Several papers have been published or presented in regional and national conferences, including several posters. One student received 2nd place in IEEE SoutheastCon Ethics Competition, one student gave a talk at the University Transportation Centers for Alabama meeting, one student poster, "Better Bamboo Bikes: Mechanical Properties of Alabama-Grown Bamboo," received second place for best poster at the UA Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) conference held in 2013. Ten journal articles were published. Students rate the quality of the program high (mean of 4.3 on a 5.0 scale) and 100% would recommend the program to others. They noted increased confidence, especially in giving presentations, as a significant benefit of participating in the program.
