Bay Bridge REU Site: Undergraduate Research Experience for Future Scientists and Teachers

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The Saint Mary?s College ?Bay Bridge? REU site will bridge current and future Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students by offering exceptional research and training experiences for science students who intend to pursue careers in research or in secondary education. The production of research-literate teachers will subsequently improve the pipeline of future STEM students. This project includes research topics in several key scientific fields. Students will perform scientific research for a 10-week period, with regular progress reports to the cohort, giving multiple opportunities for discussion, constructive criticism, and support of their projects. Our participants will include undergraduates who plan to pursue graduate degrees and research careers, as well as those who plan to become science teachers. We will recruit from underrepresented groups and those without the opportunity to engage in research at their home institutions. We have taken advantage of several of Saint Mary?s strengths: a focus on academic excellence; strong teacher/student interactions; and Bay Area location with access to prominent science museums and research centers. The Bay Bridge REU is distinguished by the emphasis on science education and communication of science, and the inclusion of ethics workshops, in-depth field trips to science museums, and guided visits to technology companies and research institutes. This REU site aims to train future researchers, as well as the teachers of future scientists. The cohort made up of future researchers and teachers, the multidisciplinary research focus, and the diverse interactions inherent in the program will enrich the research experience.Intellectual Merit. The intellectual merit of this proposal stems from the unique combination of science research with science education, communication, and ethics. The key part of the program is to engage students in innovative research in different disciplines, reflecting the diversity of research interests and expertise at Saint Mary?s. All mentors have science Ph.D.s, active research projects, and extensive experience mentoring undergraduate researchers, including presentations and publications with undergraduate student co-authors. Saint Mary?s resources are sufficient to carry out the proposed projects and introduce students to advanced instrumentation and techniques. The Bay Bridge REU also contains education, communication, and ethics elements, through which students will communicate science at different levels, explore the connections between their research and science education, and identify and develop solutions for ethical issues.Broader Impacts. The Bay Bridge REU program involves research projects to advance scientific boundaries. Participants will contribute to science research and thereby enhance their undergraduate education. This research experience will improve the training of teachers in STEM disciplines, and these better-prepared teachers will provide a better educational experience for the next generation of STEM students. Each project will be submitted for publication, thus disseminating the results widely. The effectiveness of the unique combination of science research with science education, communication, and ethics activities will also be evaluated and the results disseminated.