REU Site: Physics Research at Brigham Young University

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This award supports an REU / RET site in physics at Brigham Young University. Participating students will engage in a ten-week summer physics research program in computational plasma physics, ultrafast nonlinear optics, experimental and computational condensed matter physics, x-ray and XUV sources and optics, microfabrication technology, metrology, astronomy, or materials science. Participating students will have the opportunity to experience the joy of research by being involved in all aspects of a research project from proposal presentation through performing the research and reporting their results. The program will focus on developing students' abilities and interest in physics research by hands-on experiences. There will also be some direct mentoring and group training to help the students acquire the skills they will need to get started in their research projects. Group training will include instruction in experimental and computational techniques, sensitivity to experiences of underrepresented groups in the disciplines, preparation for graduate school, and scientific writing and presentations. Students will also benefit from close and direct mentoring by faculty members involved in their research projects. This contact will give them role models for professional ethics and standards and opportunities to discuss many aspects of graduate school opportunities and careers in physics and related fields. Special efforts will be made to recruit and accommodate women and minority students in physics and those from two-year and four-year colleges in our geographical region. The site will also include an RET program involving three secondary school teachers. The teachers will work alongside the REU students in similar research projects under the supervision of faculty mentors. This award is co-funded by the Division of Physics and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.