Frank Snowden - US grants

9988039
Snowden

The University of Minnesota provides opportunities for undergraduate research through a multidisciplinary Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site. The REU Site is hosted by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of Minnesota. Nine undergraduate students are recruited nationwide every year for a ten-week research experience. Undergraduate students are involved in materials research projects that include microstructured polymers, artificial tissue, magnetic and porous materials. In addition to working in individual research projects, REU participants attend personal and professional development workshops, research seminars and on-campus social events. The REU Site benefits form other ongoing outreach efforts at the MRSEC, such as the summer program for faculty and students from tribal colleges in the region.

The University of Minnesota continues operating a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site. The REU Site is affiliated with the U. of Minnesota Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Ten undergraduate students are recruited nationwide every year for a ten-week summer research experience. Emphasis is placed on recruitment from four-year colleges, tribal colleges in the upper Midwest, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic Serving Institutions. Undergraduate students are involved in materials research projects that include microstructured polymers, crystalline organic semiconductors, and magnetic materials. In addition, REU participants attend professional development workshops, research seminars and on-campus social events.

The REU Site also includes a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) component. Seven high school teachers are recruited every year for a five-week summer research experience, with an option for accompanying high school students for returning teachers.

The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of Minnesota is the centerpiece of an overall Education and Human Resources program within the University?s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). This site provides cutting-edge research and education experiences in Materials Science and Engineering by assembling a group of talented undergraduates along with high school teachers. Seven undergraduate students are recruited for a 10 week summer program from a nationwide pool of applicants with an emphasis on four-year, Tribal colleges, and Native American students. Six teachers, mostly from the greater Twin Cities area, participate in the 6 week Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program. Each participant in the REU and RET programs will be integrated into the research group of a faculty member from one of the MRSEC?s interdisciplinary research groups and pursue an independent research project in polymers, organic electronics, magnetic materials, and nanoparticles. MRSEC faculty and students are based in six different science and engineering departments, assuring a particularly broad and interdisciplinary experience for all the participants. In addition to engaging in research projects, participating students and teachers will attend research seminars, career development and ethics workshops, on-campus social events, and have opportunities to present their research at professional meetings. This Site is co-funded by the Division of Materials Research, Office of Multidisciplinary Activities, and the Division of Social and Economic Sciences.

This Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) creates a partnership between the University of Texas Pan American (UTPA) and the University of Minnesota (UMN) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) focused on the development of polymeric and nanoparticle based materials and devices. While this collaboration builds upon the growing research activity at UTPA, this PREM embodies the first science and engineering collaboration of this magnitude at UTPA. Research conducted in this partnership are in five thrusts: (1) the exploration of nanoparticle-based materials, such as laser-induced aggregation of nanocrystallites as well as nanoparticles-in-photonic crystal material systems, for applications to photovoltaic solar cells, (2) the development of soluble conjugated polymers for spin-processable, low cost, plastic light emitters as well as conjugated-polymer-in-photonic crystal system low-threshold lasers, (3) the functionalization of nanoporous materials for the application of mechanical-to-interfacial energy conversion, (4) the development of self-healing polymeric materials with block copolymers for smart flexible materials applications, and (5) the study of nanoreinforced polymeric composite-thin film and metal-thin film interfaces to improve the mechanical properties of these systems.

Materials science educational outreach is performed utilizing existing UTPA programs such as Upward Bound, GearUp and Tex-Prep programs. In addition to these outreach activities, this PREM also presents materials science sessions to K-12 students and participates in the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program for science teachers hosted at the partner UMN MRSEC. Besides the education and outreach to the community in general, this PREM increases the participation of women STEM faculty members and promotes their retention in materials research as more than 57% of the UTPA participating faculty are women.

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:
The University of Minnesota, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) acknowledges the support of the Division of Materials Research of the National Science Foundation for funding of the UMN MRSEC REU Site in Nanomaterials. The REU Site will bring talented undergraduates from a national network of four-year colleges, Minority-Serving Institutions, and regional Community Colleges to the UMN campus for an intensive 10-week research experience. The UMN MRSEC comprises four Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) addressing pressing problems over a wide range of "soft" to "hard" materials: polymers, organic electronics, magnetic materials, and nanoparticles. MRSEC faculty and students are based in six different science and engineering departments, assuring a particularly broad and interdisciplinary experience for all the participants. The research advisors/mentors represent an appealing blend of junior, senior, and mid-career faculty; all are acknowledged leaders in their fields. Undergraduate research training is comprised of three fundamental and essential elements: (i) providing an independent intensive research project unavailable for most at their home institutions; (ii) developing effective multi-tiered mentoring relationships between student participants and faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows with whom they work; and (iii) enhancing those skills students need in preparation for graduate school (technical writing, oral presentation, ethical issues, GRE practice), while providing undergraduate students with a realistic preview of the graduate school experience.

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:
The University of Minnesota, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) acknowledges the support of the Division of Materials Research of the National Science Foundation for funding of the UMN MRSEC REU Site in Nanomaterials. The UMN MRSEC comprises four Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) addressing pressing problems over a wide range of "soft" to "hard" materials: polymers, organic electronics, magnetic materials, and nanoparticles. The REU/RET program will provide high-quality research and education experiences in Materials Science and Engineering, primarily to students from undergraduate institutions with limited research opportunities (64% of participants for previous award), and to high school teachers principally from the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Center has demonstrated consistent and growing success at including women and members of underrepresented groups (49% and 38% respectively, in the previous REU award, DMR-0754792) in these activities, enabled by long-term partnerships with four- and two-year colleges, and Minority Serving Institutions. The inherently interdisciplinary nature of MRSEC research is particularly important for training the next generation of scientists and engineers and assuring U.S. competitiveness. We envision this comprehensive program, in both its scope and execution, as a means of meeting many of the challenges set forth by the National Academy of Sciences assessment of the state of science and engineering education discussed in its 1997 publication, Rising Above the Gathering Storm