RUI: Studies of Relativistic Heavy Ions Collisions in ALICE at the LHC

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At the core of a successful undergraduate education in STEM disciplines is the capacity to offer students the opportunity to practice scientific inquiry through the iteration that connects the use of modern technology and captivating areas of research. This project is centered on a research program to study Heavy Ion Collisions at European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) with the ALICE experiment in two areas of interest: the jet physics capabilities brought to ALICE by the electromagnetic calorimeter (EMCal), and a modest R&D component to explore the enhancement of the EMCaL physics possibilities by improving ALICE's track-by-track particle identification capabilities with the construction of a very high momentum charged particle identification detector (VHMPID), and the expansion of the number of the EMCaL modules.Recruiting, retaining, and educating science, technology, engineering and mathematics students and teachers has been identified as the cornerstone in the effort to improve scientific literacy, maintain economic growth, and to provide the platform for relevant scientific discoveries. This project addresses these issues by strengthening a recently instituted high-energy experimental nuclear physics program at CSU: (1) The use of cutting-edge technology for high-energy nuclear physics experiments provides an attractive opportunity to captivate and prepare students, (2) A collaborative program at an international laboratory exposes students to research experiences they could not otherwise obtain at an undergraduate university. Because of the make-up of our student population, the location of our university and the current outreach programs of the department, this program has the potential to promote inner-city underrepresented students into STEM education.