REU Site: Achieving the Next Level: Research Experiences for Underserved Populations

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This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) at the National Science Foundation supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site is led by Professors Kenneth L. Brown and Graham F. Peaslee at Hope College. The research projects supported at this Site entitled "Achieving the Next Level: Research Experiences for Underserved Populations", is dedicated to recruiting and training underrepresented minority students and students from nearby 2-Year Community Colleges (2YCs). The collaboration with the 2YCs involves a pre-training program which will allow students to work on research projects during the academic year prior to starting the summer research experience. The improved professional development activities supplement the diversity of research projects. For example, the REU Site will be supported by the on-campus career services office in helping students to develop a resume portfolio. In addition, continued support from the previously established Student Advisory Board, consisting of professionals from local industry, medical doctors, and attorneys, will provide students with access to a broad range of expertise in career planning. The research projects for this REU site are innovative and quite capable of being completed by undergraduate students. The students involved in the research enterprise receive a full complement of experiences in literature review, hands-on training with modern chemical instrumentation, data analysis, and in the dissemination of results through group meetings and formal oral and poster presentations. The projects span a wide range of areas from designing electrochemical sensors and understanding biochemical mechanisms of gene regulation, to designing polymer coatings. All of the REU students will have access to an intensive and transformative research experience that prepares them to enter competitive STEM fields. This REU Site is focused on increasing the number of minority students and students from 2YCs entering graduate school to pursue an advanced degree in the STEM fields. Hence, all of these enhanced initiatives will help these underserved populations achieve the next level of success in their chosen STEM discipline. The research activities described in this proposal will help to build a cohesive community of researchers who are equipped with the research skills needed to solve current and challenging research problems that have local and global implications.