Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site in Structural Engineering

阿拉巴马大学伯明翰分校诺伯特·J·德拉特提议为阿拉巴马大学伯明翰分校(UAB)开设结构工程本科生研究体验(REU)网站。该网站将邀请八名优秀的本科生参加UAB为期十周的研究项目。预计来自UAB的学生不会超过三名。其他学生将从全国各地的工程和工程预科项目中招收，重点是那些学生没有机会参与研究的项目。招聘将集中在过去三年来我们在REU计划中与我们密切合作的四家符合这一标准的机构。已经与这四所学校达成了协议，其中三所是历史上的黑人大学。提供研究机会对于留住少数族裔学生非常重要，这是UAB的一项使命，它服务于一个少数族裔人口较多的地区。邀请少数族裔学生和那些工程课程早期的学生在UAB进行一个暑期的研究将鼓励他们留在学校，让他们有进入一所主要大学的经历，让他们体验工程，并让他们赚钱支付学费。在过去的三年里，UAB土木工程和环境工程系在结构工程专业运营了一个非常成功的REU站点，每年招收6名学生，Duane Castaneda博士担任首席调查员。这项提议寻求在这一基础上进一步发展。结构工程学院和UAB积极为本科生和高中生提供研究经验。UAB是阿拉巴马州唯一一所被卡内基基金会评为研究I级的机构。此外，土木工程与环境工程学系由8名教员组成，在1997-98年度的研究开支达497,000元，证明该系正积极进行资助研究。该系的教职员工目前有大约130万美元的待定补助金和合同。结构工程专业的REU网站将为有才华的阿拉巴马州和佐治亚州少数民族学生以及那些攻读工程预科课程的学生提供进行和体验工程研究的独特机会。除了这些对这些学生的直接好处外，参与的大学与UAB之间的关系也将得到加强。

9820484University of Alabama at Birmingham Norbert J. Delatte A Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site in Structural Engineering is proposed for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This site will invite eight outstanding undergraduate students to participate in a ten-week research program at UAB. It is anticipated that no more than three students will be from UAB. Other students will be recruited from engineering and pre-engineering programs throughout the nation, with emphasis on programs where students do not have the opportunity to participate in research. Recruiting will focus on four institutions meeting this criterion that we have cooperated closely with in the REU program over the past three years. Agreements have already been made with these four schools, three of which are historically black universities. Providing research opportunities is important for retaining minority students, a mission of UAB, which serves a region with a high minority population. Inviting minority students and those early in their engineering curricula to conduct research for a summer at UAB will encourage them to stay in school, give them the experience of being at a major university, allow them to experience engineering, and allow them to earn money to pay for their education. Over the past three years, the UAB Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has operated a highly successful REU Site in Structural Engineering for six students per year, with Dr. Duane Castaneda as Principal Investigator. This proposal seeks to build further on that foundation. The Structural Engineering faculty and UAB actively provide research experiences for undergraduate as well as high school students. UAB is the only institution in Alabama rated Research I by the Carnegie Foundation. Also, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering comprised of eight faculty members is active in funded research as evidenced by having $497,000 in research expenditures during the 1997-98 year. The faculty of the department currently has approximately $1.3 million in pending grants and contracts. This REU Site in Structural Engineering will provide talented Alabama and Georgia minority students and those in pre-engineering programs with a unique opportunity to conduct and experience engineering research. As well as these immediate benefits to these students, relationships between the participating colleges and UAB will be strengthened.