REU Site: Research Experience in Nanotechnology and Sustainability

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Portland State University (PSU) continues its operation of a multidiscipline research experience for undergraduate site, the only site of its kind in the greater Portland region. This site has been successfully operating for the past nine years and has achieved a high level of participation from women and minorities. While the objective of the REU site will continue to focus on inspiring undergraduate students to pursue careers in science and engineering by involving them in hands-on research, new emphasis will be placed on sustainability. We will offer students nationwide the opportunity to take part in cutting-edge research spanning nanomaterials synthesis, characterization of biological and geological samples, nanodevice fabrication and investigations concerning the impact of atmospheric trace gases on climate change. Through a concentrated summer program, the participants will obtain technical training, conduct independent research, visit local high-tech industries, present their research at an REU symposium, and publish their papers in a specially designed online journal.The REU summer program will begin with a training week including workshops on laboratory safety, library database searches, graduate school applications, and the greater impact of their research. Also offered is an intensive short course that trains students in using electron & focused ion beam microscopy and spectroscopy for material and device characterization. Students will then use these acquired skills in research projects offered by faculty from seven departments. It is highly anticipated that REU participants will leave the summer program with a quintessential skill (electron microscopy) applicable to all disciplines and a broader perspective of the impact and feasibility of sustainable technologies.