REU Site: Sensor Science and Engineering

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Intellectual MeritThis three year renewal REU site program will provide 10 undergraduate students per year with in-depth research experiences in sensor science and engineering at the University of Maine. Students will conduct research advancing their knowledge of engineering, chemistry, physics, and/or biology. The students selected will be distributed so that at least 15 of 30 participants (50%) will come from institutions with limited research opportunities for undergraduates and at least 12 students will come from the student applicant pool of women, minorities and students with disabilities. At least 30 additional undergraduates (funded through research grants) will participate in site activities, for a total of at least 60 site participants. All participants will be on site for ten weeks each summer, working with 15 of University of Maine's top researchers, and benefiting from specialized sensor science and engineering research facilities such as the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology and Maine Center for Next Generation Wireless Communications. REU participants will interact with faculty research mentors, graduate students, post-docs, technicians, visiting scientists, and middle and high school teachers. Such interaction will help the students develop strong communication skills and work across disciplines as required in a growing number of professional environments. In addition to their research experience, REU participants will complete INT 398 Undergraduate Research Participation and ECE 465 Introduction to Sensors, make a presentation within a context similar to a national or international conference, and share results from their research at a middle or high school.Sensor design and use provides an ideal context for demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of scientific/engineering content and methodology. The ability to solve problems using an improved understanding of mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering is central to the proposed REU site. In addition to gaining hands-on experience as part of a research team, the REU participants in the proposed site will become familiar with the integration of knowledge for creative problem solving and effective communication across disciplines.At the end of their research experience, REU participants will present their research in conference format and submit a written report or co-author paper(s) for publication in peer-reviewed journals and/or symposia. REU students will also participate in two complementary courses, INT 398 Undergraduate Research Participation and ECE 465 Introduction to Sensors. Each student will receive three credits for each course (total of six credits for the summer). Both courses have already been developed and successfully implemented as a result of prior NSF funding.Broader ImpactsThe undergraduate participants will utilize new knowledge to solve real-life research problems that impact society. This REU site will specifically recruit women and minorities and provide research experiences for students at non-PhD granting institutions. Two of the 15 senior personnel are women with very strong research track records who are especially well qualified to mentor female students. More than 90% of U of Maine undergraduates are from Maine; many are the first from their family to attend college and come from geographically isolated areas where opportunities for research experiences are limited. This REU site will enhance the infrastructure for research and education by bringing together faculty and students from diverse disciplines under the intellectual umbrella of sensor science and engineering. The proposed activities will also ensure that multi-user facilities are sites of research and mentoring for significant numbers of science and engineering students. Research results will be disseminated through campus presentations and more broadly through professional journals and symposia enhancing scientific and technological understanding. Based on their interaction with former RET and GK-12 participants during their on-campus research experiences, REU participants will share their research experiences with middle and high school students and teachers. Finally, society will benefit as undergraduates, as a result of their research experiences, choose to continue in graduate school to excel in technologically and scientifically challenging careers that advance such areas as homeland security, food safety, transportation, communications, and medicine.