REU Site Program in Environmental Sciences and Engineering: Sustainable Solutions to Emerging Environmental Problems

这个为期三年的REU网站计划的主题是“新出现的环境问题的可持续解决方案。“随着新技术和科学的进步，加上人口的增加和资源的有限，环境问题变得更加复杂和相互关联。 这些问题可能需要提供经济、社会和环境可持续性的技术和/或社会解决办法。 新出现的环境问题的例子有：1）预测的石油终结; 2）气候变化; 3）新出现的污染物对人类和生态系统的影响。 为了应对这些新出现的环境问题的解决方案的需要，这个REU网站的主题包括三个主要的研究领域：替代能源和温室气体减排;新兴污染物的归宿和运输;以及对新兴环境问题的政治，社会和生态响应。这个REU网站的目标如下：1）激励学生继续研究生院和成功的职业生涯在科学和工程，2）招收传统上代表性不足的学生，并为这些学生提供机会，进行独立的研究，在环境工程和科学在一个支持和具有挑战性的环境，3）通过假设驱动的研究方法和应用研究经验的跨学科培训，推进多学科方法来解决新出现的环境问题，以及4）教学生如何通过专业的口头陈述，同行评议的出版物和媒体将他们的研究传达给同事和公众。除了实践研究经验，学生还将参加研讨会，实地考察和社会活动。该计划旨在通过与少数民族人口众多的大学联系以及与其他校园计划合作，增加对代表性不足的学生的招聘。

The theme of this three-year REU Site program is "Sustainable Solutions to Emerging Environmental Problems." With new technological and scientific advancements combined with increasing population and limited resources, environmental problems become more complex and inter-connected. These problems may require technological and/or social solutions that provide for economic, social and environmental sustainability. Examples of emerging environmental problems are: 1) the predicted end of oil; 2) climate change; and 3) human and ecosystem impacts of emerging pollutants. In an effort to respond to the need for solutions to these emerging environmental problems, this REU Site program theme incorporates three main areas of research: Alternative Energy and Greenhouse Gas Reduction; Fate and Transport of Emerging Pollutants; and Political, Social and Ecological Responses to Emerging Environmental Problems.The objectives of this REU site are as follows: 1) to motivate students to continue on to graduate school and successful careers in science and engineering,2) to recruit traditionally underrepresented students and provide these students with the opportunity to conduct independent research in environmental engineering and science in a supportive and challenging environment , 3) to advance multidisciplinary approaches to solving emerging environmental problems through cross-disciplinary training in hypothesis-driven research methods and experience in applied research, and 4) to teach students how to communicate their research to colleagues and the general public through professional oral presentation, peer-reviewed publication, and the media. In addition to the hands-on research experience students will participate in seminars, field-trips and social activities.This program will aim to increase recruitment of underrepresented students through contacts at colleges with large minority populations and collaboration with other on-campus programs.