REU Site: Soft Materials at Penn State University

该奖项在宾夕法尼亚州立大学材料科学与工程系建立了一个新的软材料本科生（REU）研究经验网站。该计划旨在培养具有知识，观点和团队合作经验的本科生，以激励他们追求工程和科学学科的高级学位和职业生涯。每年，11名本科生在全国范围内招募，与材料科学，化学工程和化学系的教师导师在计算和实验研究项目中密切合作。研究围绕聚合物，生物大分子和自组装生物结构进行，这些结构在制药，农业和其他行业中具有潜在的用途。除了学生的研究项目，该计划还包括研究主题研讨会，职业发展指导，非正式的社交活动，以促进同龄人之间的互动，并与导师，最后的研讨会，REU学生介绍他们的研究成果。这个REU网站被设想为在软材料领域形成一个“本科生卓越研究中心”，同时加强未来科学和工程劳动力的教育和研究经验。这个REU网站由NSF材料研究部门资助。

This award establishes a new Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) Site in Soft Materials at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of Pennsylvania State University. The program aims to train undergraduate students with knowledge, perspective, and teamwork experience to inspire them to pursue advanced degrees and careers in Engineering and Science disciplines. Each year, eleven undergraduate students are recruited nationally to work closely with faculty mentors across Materials Science, Chemical Engineering and Chemistry departments in computational and experimental research projects. Research is organized around polymers, biological macromolecules and self-assembled bio-structures which have potential use in pharmaceutical, agricultural and other industries. In addition to student research projects, the program includes seminars on research topics, guidance on career development, informal social activities to promote interaction among peers and with mentors, and final symposium where REU students present their research results. This REU site is envisioned as nucleating a "center-of-excellence for undergraduate research" in the field of soft materials while strengthening the education and research experience of future science and engineering workforce.This REU Site is funded by the NSF Division of Materials Research.