REU Site: Summer MAterials Research @ Tulane (SMART)

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NON-TECHNICAL PART: The Summer MAterials Research @ Tulane (SMART) Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site will engage ten students for ten weeks each summer in leading-edge materials science research focused in the areas of health, energy, and the environment. The projects sponsored by this project are interdisciplinary with faculty advisors and co-advisors across the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics and Engineering Physics within Tulane University's School of Science and Engineering. The SMART Site will engage students in research experiences guided by faculty and graduate mentors and will provide professional development workshops on topics covering graduate school preparation, research ethics, technical communication, data analysis, and technology transfer. Additional activities will include seminars by participating faculty, visits to local companies, and a closing student symposium on the research projects performed each summer.TECHNICAL PART: Experimental and modeling-based research projects offered by faculty mentors participating within the SMART Site will involve materials for bioimaging and cell culture (health), solar energy capture and storage (energy), and environmental remediation (environment). These fields address some of the most critical global challenges requiring innovation in materials science. Sample projects include: porphyrinic nanospheres for biological imaging, biocompatible polymeric materials for cell culture, two-dimensional ultra-high power density photovoltaics, photochemical generation of hydrogen from water, polymer functionalized carbon materials for hydrocarbon remediation, and simulations of micellar assemblies under extreme conditions for oil spill clean-up. Faculty mentors will maintain relationships with student participants after their summer experiences to offer advice and support letters to pursue advanced degrees. The long-term payoff of this site is promotion of advanced STEM field study to a broader base of students with ties to Louisiana and the Gulf region who can support future tech sector economic development.