REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Energy and Propulsion

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Insufficient energy research and the shortage of people pursuing advanced STEM degrees are topics of high importance to the nation. This renewal REU Site program is a collaborative effort between Texas A&M University (TAMU) and Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) that will engage diverse and talented cohorts of undergraduates, from institutions with limited or no research opportunities in hands-on research projects , with faculty and graduate student mentors, related to energy and propulsion. This REU site will impact society in two major ways: 1) through the involvement of undergraduate students in scientific research, encouraging them to pursue advanced degrees in science and engineering; and 2) the energy-related research will potentially benefit thousands of people through alternative sources and improved, less-polluting combustion devices. This REU Site will also include a 10-week summer program as well as an academic year program. Specific research topics include alternative fuels combustion, materials for energy conversion, novel laser diagnostic development, reaction kinetics of crude oils, high-efficiency low temperature combustion engines and Li-ion batteries among others. In addition to the scientific research that will be performed, the students will participate in a GRE Workshop, research and ethics seminars, and oral and poster presentations of their projects. The discoveries made during these collaborations will be communicated to the broader scientific community via publications and presentations.