Interdisciplinary Micro/nano-manufacturing Program Addressing Challenges Today (IMPACT)

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This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of Louisville, offers research experiences in the field of advanced micro/nano-manufacturing to a diverse cohort of undergraduate students, over a three year period. Students will participate in an intense training/research program centered around exciting hands-on research projects which demonstrate how this interdisciplinary miniaturization technology can be used to create a wide variety of novel devices and systems capable of impacting the grand challenges of today in energy, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, security and the environment. The emphasis on mico/nano-manuafacturing is of economic importance to the nation and developing the required workforce is vital to our nation retaining its leadership role in this technology. Undergraduate programs such as this are vitally needed to introduce students to the fascinating field of micro/nano-manufacturing at an early stage in their academic careers so they can leverage it in their graduate studies and throughout their professional careers. The objectives of this 10 week summer research experience are to: 1) Provide each student with a personalized research experience, with faculty and graduate student mentors, related to micro/nano-manufacturing, 2) Have all students obtain a core competence in the field of micro/nano-manufacturing through a common classroom experience where they design, fabricate and test solar cells, 3) Develop each student's independence and confidence through participation in research, in-house presentations, weekly scientific meetings and poster presentations, 4) Provide complementary programs to enhance each student's learning and skillset (i.e. seminars on writing, engineering design, critical thinking, ethics) 5)Stimulate the students' interests in graduate careers in related science and engineering disciplines, 6) Reach out to undergraduates (especially underrepresented groups) in Kentucky to help improve the state's national ranking in education, and 7) Make the 10-week REU experience rewarding and potentially transformative for the students. This REU Site program will help create greater awareness of micro/nano-manufacturing and the positive impact it can have on society today and in the near future.