REU Site: Sensor Science and Engineering

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This three-year REU site program at the University of Maine will engage eight undergraduates per year in hands-on research experiences in sensor science and engineering. The REU program will be integrated with the PIs' Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs. REU participants will have the opportunity to interact with faculty research mentors, graduate students, post-docs, technicians, visiting scientists, and middle and high school teachers. REU students, GK-12 fellows, IGERT fellows, and RET participants will participate in field trips to Maine companies that perform sensor research such as The Jackson Laboratory and Spectral Solutions. They will also participate in weekly seminars in the area of sensors given by invited speakers, faculty research mentors, graduate students, and visiting scientists. Weekend recreational activities will be an integral part of the program and will enhance the REU students' sense of community and improve their research group dynamics.In addition to the research experience, REU students will participate in two complementary courses, INT 398 Undergraduate Research Participation and ECE 465 Introduction to Sensors. Each student will receive three credits for each course. At the end of the research experience, students will present their research in conference format and submit a written report or co-author paper(s) for publication in peer-reviewed journals and/or symposia.Recruitment efforts will be targeted to women and minorities and students at non-PhD granting institutions. Research results will be disseminated through campus presentations and more broadly through professional journals and symposia. Society will benefit as undergraduates, as a result of their participation in their research experiences, choose to continue in graduate school or to excel in technologically and scientifically challenging careers that advance such areas as homeland security, food safety, transportation, communications, and medicine.