Support for an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site is continued. The NSF support for 10 undergraduate students each year will allow them to become involved in the research activities of the faculty. This experience is designed to provide students with an improved understanding of research and to encourage them to consider careers in research. Support for this REU will provide continuity for our program carried out in the summers of 1988 and 1989, supplement the commitment to such research activities, and provide students with the opportunity to participate in ongoing cutting-edge research projects. The research activities span the areas of expertise of the faculty in civil engineering and include projects in water resources, bioengineering and pollution control, and structural mechanics. Components of the program include identification of exceptional students through nationwide recruitment with emphasis on women and minority participation; matching of student research interests with faculty; close interaction of graduate students and faculty; close interaction of graduate students and faculty with the undergraduates to provide students with a fuller appreciation of graduate study, university research, and careers in academia; an intense two month research experience; mini-courses, as needed, to facilitate effectiveness in the research projects; and a mini-conference for presentation of results. The goal of the program is to excite some of the best engineering students in the nation about the challenges of a career in research.
