REU Site: Materials Education and Research on Far-From-Equilibrium Materials, Structures, Properties, and Processes

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This award, funded by the Division of Materials Research, will help establish a new Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Materials Education and Research on Far-From-Equilibrium Materials, Structures, Properties, and Processes at Iowa State University. As society moves more rapidly, demands from the materials used in everyday technology increases and pushes devices such as cell phones and computers to the extreme limits of their operation. This necessitates that we rely upon the performance of materials in their non-equilibrium property-structure arena and makes the study, understanding, and control of materials structure, properties, and processing under non- equilibrium conditions very relevant to scientific advances in the future. This REU site will engage nine undergraduate students in cross-disciplinary research projects that augment disciplinary curricular exposure. Example research projects include materials for next generation lithium battery anodes, ultra-high strength bio-inspired materials, and non-equilibrium surface processing of wear-resistant composites. Recruitment for this 10-week summer program will be from a nation-wide pool with a focus on underrepresented minorities including women and students from community colleges. In addition to materials research training, REU students will attend research seminars, participate in professional development activities, and receive career guidance through interactions with faculty, graduate students, and among peers.