Undergraduate Research Experiences in Composite Materials for Petrochemical and Offshore Applications

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9820369Louisiana State University Dr. Su-Seng Pang The objectives of this project are to: (1) enhance the technical and educational backgrounds of undergraduate students by offering more collaborative research activities; (2) increase the number of well prepared undergraduate students, especially minorities, entering graduate school by providing vital information and necessary training for their admission to and success in graduate school; (3) promote intercultural participation among non-minority and minority students; (4) assist students in their development towards obtaining employment in high level engineering jobs; and (5) enhance students' computer capacities by integrating these skills into composite engineering applications. Undergraduate students in their junior and senior years of study will participate in this project. They will be recruited from Louisiana State University, the state's flagship institution, and Southern University, the largest HBCU (Historically Black College and University) in the nation. The 16 selected students per year (about half will be minority) will participate in selected projects of composite materials, co-advised by academic mentors and industrial supervisors. By affording non-minority and minority students the opportunity to work together on projects, cultural interaction will allow the different races to learn more about one another. The investigators will assign projects to the undergraduate students, which deal with any of the above sources addressing their petrochemical and offshore applications, as these industries are very important to the economic developments in Louisiana and in the nation. Each participant will receive professional counseling and instruction concerning graduate school admissions and funding. Participants will attend monthly seminars dealing with improved technical writing, graduate school survival (especially for minorities), and ethical issues in engineering. The investigators have confidence that the program will be a successful national model of how a majority white and a historically black institution can jointly develop and assist undergraduate students in developing research skills needed for industry, as well as for graduate studies.