Integrated Computational and Experimental REU/DoD Site

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This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the Department of Defense (ASSURE Program) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site led by Jeffrey D. Evanseck and Jeffrey D. Madura at Duquesne University. The research projects supported in this site are in areas at the intersection of theoretical and experimental chemistry. Undergraduates will be recruited to this site, along with external faculty mentors -- both students and mentors will be recruited from undergraduate institutions lacking significant infrastructure for research, including historically black colleges and primarily undergraduate institutions. The site will have support for three summers, commencing in 2010. The site will support ten students per summer in a ten week program. Two companies (Silicon Graphics and Gaussian) will provide additional support to this site, through the loan of equipment and the gift of software, respectively. Sample projects include: (1) the study of the hydrolysis and hydrothermolysis of ammonia borane for practical and efficient hydrogen generation; (2) the synthesis and study of diamond-like semiconductors with novel optical properties; (3) the computational and experimental study of dopamine and serotonin transporters; and (4) the study of organic thin film stability on stainless steel 316L in real-time in environmental conditions. In addition to conducting research during the summer, the students participating in this program will participate in a number of professional development activities, including the presentation of research results in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, as well as presentations at local and/or national professional society meetings. The students and faculty participating in this site will have the opportunity to continue computational work when they return to their home institutions.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 the chemical sciences, with a strong emphasis on computation and modeling, to a significant number of students and faculty who might not otherwise have this opportunity. The research projects are in diverse areas of chemistry, many of which will have an impact in areas of national need. 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.