REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Chemistry at The University of Alabama

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This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site led by John B. Vincent and Stephen A. Woski at the University of Alabama for three summers, commencing in 2010. The site will support ten students per summer in a ten week program. The majority of research projects focus on interdisciplinary topics in chemistry of relevance to the environment, materials or biology. Sample projects include: (1) the synthesis and characterization of micro and mesoporous materials; (2) the development of new synthons for crystal engineering based upon donor-acceptor interactions; (3) the study of the inactivation o the DNA repair Glycosylase, MutM, by heavy metals; (4) the study of the gas-phase structure of peptides by mass spectrometry; (5) the application of computational chemistry to interesting problems in environmental, biological and catalytic chemistry; (6) the development of green chemistry for chemical processing; (7) the synthesis and characterization of interesting dendrimer-based materials; (8) the design of environmentally sustainable catalytic processes; (9) the synthesis and characterization of new kinds of organic/inorganic solar cells; (10) the synthesis of pentafluorosulfanyl derivatives; (11) the development of therapeutic agents for Type 2 diabetes; and (12) the synthesis of nucleoside derivatives. In addition to conducting research during the summer, the students participating in this program will take part in a number of professional development activities, including workshops on ethics, proposal writing, and preparation for applying to graduate school. Young scientists need exposure to modern research methods and tools as part of their training. This REU site aims to provide cutting-edge research training in chemical problems of relevance to issues of energy and the environment. Students will be recruited primarily from the southeastern United States, and will emphasize recruitment of students from underrepresented groups. The site will provide opportunities for research to a significant number of students who might not otherwise be reached. The diverse student cohort participating in research at this site will be well-prepared for graduate school, and eventual employment as part of the country's technical workforce.