Green Chemistry in Chemical Engineering

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EEC-0552702John W. WeidnerThis award provides support for a three-year REU Site at the University of South Carolina at Columbia (USC). The REU site builds upon prior experience over the last eight years of successful REU sites at USC. This program focuses on two core research areas related to Green Chemistry: (1) catalysis and (2) hydrogen technology (i.e. production, storage and use of hydrogen for the hydrogen economy). The site will involve 10 chemical engineering undergraduate students, over a ten-week summer program. They will join eight other REU students supported on a materials research REU grant for a cross- disciplinary research experience. The objectives of the program are: (1) encourage students to continue their studies and seek research careers in chemical engineering; (2) help them to realize the employment and research opportunities available in chemical engineering aspects of sustainable technologies; (3) enhance professional development and communication skills; and (4) provide a rewarding experience by exposing them to outside classroom faculty-student interaction. The program provides not only stimulating research opportunities, but it also offers a variety of social events and group activities designed to foster interaction among the REU students, undergraduates, graduate students, industrial representatives and participating faculty. The proposed group activities include a research communication studio, tours of industrial sites, participant-led laboratory tours, workshops on graduate studies, an ethics seminar in science and engineering, a welcoming reception and a final research symposium, and the various social activities.