REU and RET Site in Physics at The University of Texas at Brownsville

该奖项支持继续在德克萨斯大学布朗斯维尔物理本科生（REU）网站的研究经验。该网站包括一个教师研究经验（RET）组件。REU和RET网站将专注于现象学，实验和应用物理学的前沿领域的研究在国家的最先进的设施。 目标是让学生和教师在引力波天文学，光学天文学，激光和光子学，材料科学和/或生物物理学领域的研究经验，这将激发学生成为科学家的愿望，并让教师更好地了解科学研究的过程。REU和RET计划包括教师和计划管理团队的密切指导和指导系统，通过研讨会，午餐会，座谈会，专业发展研讨会，外展机会，在引力波天文学中，参与者将获得该领域的连贯统一观点，并将学习潜在的科学价值。从这一新的天文学窗口获得的大量天体物理学信息，以及在开发打开这一新窗口所需的仪器一级的技术专门知识方面所面临的挑战。在激光和光子学中，他们将了解到这个快速发展的学科对新电子学的挑战和承诺。在生物物理学方面，参与者将接触到单分子光谱学和氨基酸在蛋白质结构和功能中的作用的研究方面的最先进技术。在材料科学中，他们将学习热电材料及其在可再生能源中的潜在用途。

This award supports the continuation of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site in Physics at the University of Texas Brownsville. The site includes a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) component. The REU and RET site will focus on research in frontier areas of phenomenological, experimental and applied physics at state-of-the-art facilities. The goal is to give students and teachers a research experience in the areas of gravitational wave astronomy, optical astronomy, lasers and photonics, materials science, and/or biophysics that will stimulate students' desire to become scientists and give teachers a better understanding of the process of scientific research. The REU and RET programs include a close mentoring and guidance system from the faculty and program management team, fostering interaction and active participation by students and teachers through seminars, lunch meetings, colloquia, professional development workshops, outreach opportunities, and presentations.In gravitational wave astronomy participants will be given a coherent unified view of the field and will learn the scientific value of both the potential wealth of astrophysical information to be obtained from this new astronomical window and the challenges posed in developing the technological expertise necessary at the instrumental level in opening this new window. In lasers and photonics they will learn of the challenges and promises that this fast evolving discipline holds for new electronics. In biophysics participants will be exposed to state-of-the-art techniques in single molecule spectroscopy and in investigations of the role of amino acids in protein structure and function. In materials science they will learn about thermoelectric materials and their potential use for renewable energy.