REU Site: Enhancing Knowledge Integration Through Undergraduate Research -- Particle-based Functional Materials for Energy, Sustainability, and Biomedicine

该计划承认工程教育部和国家科学基金会中心的支持，资助号EEC-1359308。技术摘要：虽然NSF资助本科生研究经验的理由主要在于相信这是“吸引学生并留住他们的最有效途径之一”科学和工程“，同样重要的因素是需要“为他们在这些领域的职业生涯做好准备”。 匹兹堡大学在研究和教学方面都有很强的教育重点-促进学生参与知识整合的能力。这是及时的，因为最近的技术进步改变了美国工程培训的格局，促使学生避免简单地掌握一个不同的领域，而是更多地关注两种或多种技术的交叉点。在生物技术/生物医学、纳米技术和能源领域尤其如此，未来的挑战需要研究科学家和工程师接受各种新兴技术的培训，并能够无缝跨越这些看似不同的技术领域之间的边界。这是通过将REU网站的传统研究与定制的研讨会系列，（产品）翻译练习和创新的交叉培训实习相结合来实现的。讲习班的主题包括：产品创新、颗粒生产-无机和有机、显微技术、悬浮液/流变测量、基于颗粒的模拟、信息素养、道德、沟通技巧。项目评估包括对与项目目标相关的各种目标的评估以及对参与项目的学生的总体评估。在监测参与的学生时，将跟踪来自代表性不足群体的学生比例（即性别，种族），并与学习工程的学生的总体比例进行比较。为了解决更大的，项目的整体成功，谁参加该计划和录取到研究生课程或劳动力的学生人数的跟踪将通过继续建立一个LinkedIn.com社区执行。最后，除了上述的直接统计测量和跟踪之外，还将使用包括调查、概念图和过程图开发在内的综合评估计划，对项目实现目标的程度进行定性和定量测量。非技术总结：今天的进步不是孤立发生的，而是发生在两种或多种技术的交叉点上。在生物医学、可持续发展和能源领域尤其如此。本科生（REU）计划的研究经验侧重于基于颗粒的功能材料（PFM）。本研究的重点是研究实现特定功能的颗粒材料，无论是因为它们的离散性质还是由于颗粒对宏观结构的影响。这些系统包括：材料自我修复、治疗剂的受控递送、“智能”催化和颗粒分离，仅举几例。该计划的前提是，未来成功的工程师需要能够无缝跨越这些看似不同的技术领域之间的边界。为了让参与的学生成为不断变化的经济所需的“敏捷的思想家”，PFM-REU计划明确侧重于提高学生的知识整合技能以及参与产品创新的能力，同时建立他们的知识基础在特定领域。该计划将在其三年的每一年教育12名本科研究员。这些学生将主要从本科院校和代表性不足的群体中招募。

This program acknowledges the support of Division of Engineering Education and Centers of the National Science Foundation, under grant number EEC-1359308.TECHNICAL SUMMARY:While the NSF's rationale for funding research experiences for undergraduates largely lies in the belief that it is "one of the most effective avenues for attracting students to and retaining them in science and engineering", an equally important factor is a need to "prepare them for careers in these fields". The University of Pittsburgh, has fostered a strong educational focus both in research and in teaching - on facilitating a student's ability to engage in knowledge integration. This is timely as recent technological advances have altered the landscape of engineering training in the US, prompting students to eschew simply mastering one distinct area and instead focus more at the intersections of two or more technologies. This is especially true in the area of biotechnology/biomedicine, nanotechnology, and energy, where future challenges necessitate that research scientists and engineers be trained in a diverse range of emerging technologies and are able to seamlessly traverse the boundary between these seemingly disparate technology areas. This is accomplished by combining the traditional research of an REU site with a tailored workshop series, a (product) translation exercise, and an innovating cross-training internship. Workshop topics include: product innovation, particle production - inorganic and organic, microscopy techniques, suspension/rheology measurements, particle-based simulation, information literacy, ethics, communication skills. Project evaluation consists of both assessment of the various goals associated with the project objective as well as an overall evaluation of the students who have participated in the program. In monitoring the students who participate, the proportion of students from underrepresented groups will be tracked (i.e. gender, ethnicity) and compared to the overall proportion of students studying engineering. To address the larger, overall success of the project, tracking of the number of students who participate in the program and matriculate into either a graduate program or the workforce will be performed via continuing to build a LinkedIn.com community. Finally, in addition to the direct statistical measures and fellow tracking outlined above, qualitative and quantitative measures of the degree to which the program attains its goals will be performed using a comprehensive assessment plan that includes, surveys, concept mapping, and process map development.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:Today's advances don't happen in isolation, but instead occur at the intersections of two or more technologies. This is especially true in biomedicine, sustainability, and energy. This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program focuses on Particle-based Functional Materials (PFM). This research focus is studying particulate materials that fulfill a specific function, either because of their discrete nature or due to the influence of particles on macroscopic structure. Such systems include: material self-healing, controlled delivery of therapeutics, "smart" catalysis, and particle separations, to name a few. This program is based on the premise that the successful engineer of the future will need to be able to seamlessly traverse the boundary between these seemingly disparate technology areas. In order to equip the participating students to become the "nimble thinkers" necessary in the changing economy, the PFM-REU program explicitly focuses on enhancing students' knowledge integration skills as well as their ability to engage in product innovation, while building their base of knowledge in a specific area. This program will educate 12 undergraduate research fellows in each of its three years. These students will be recruited from primarily undergraduate institutions and students from under-represented groups.