Materials, Mechanics, and Manufacturing (3M) REU Site

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ABSTRACT 0453216This award supports development of an REU Site at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) focusing upon Materials, Mechanics, and Manufacturing (3M) is proposed. The main objective of the 3M REU Site is to enhance student interest in post-graduate study. Another objective of the 3M REU Site is to improve student abilities with respect to those tools that will make them more competitive in a research environment, namely, team building, technical communication, ethics, and overall research acumen. Additional objectives are to promote minority-student exposure to cutting-edge research. One of the targeted populations is drawn from Oglala Lakota College (OLC), a Native-American institution. Three-to-four OLC students participate in this 3M REU Site summer program on an annual basis. The second targeted student population includes SDSM&T undergraduates. Three SDSM&T students participate in the 3M REU 10-week summer program on an annual basis. The third category of targeted student groups is found at regional four-year institutions that do not possess a program to support undergraduate research. Three students from the regional four-year schools participate in the 3M REU summer program on an annual basis.Projects focus on cutting-edge research in materials, mechanics, and manufacturing and are led by senior SDSM&T Faculty Mentors. Research projects involve freeform laser deposition, composite materials, nanomaterials/lithography, and materials selection in product design. This research draws upon existing SDSM&T faculty expertise and research infrastructure, including the SDSM&T Advanced Materials Processing Center and the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Production. A detailed 3M REU-Site Assessment Plan has been developed and includes assessment components for both the summer and academic portions of the program. The 3M REU Site offers the potential for significant broad impact on the Nation's human resources given the emphasis on the recruitment of Native-American students into the program. In general, many of the 3M REU students tend to be first-generation college students. Thus, the 3M Site serves both minority and other traditionally underrepresented students and encourages them to pursue post-graduate study and a career in research.