REU Site: Tuskegee University Research Experience for Undergraduates in Nano-Bio Materials Science and Engineering

非技术概述塔斯基吉大学(TU)多年来在美国国家科学基金会(NSF)和其他联邦机构的支持下，建立了一个材料科学与工程(MSE)研究和教育中心，该中心不仅非常全面，而且在招收、激励、指导和毕业拥有MSE高级学位的学生方面非常有效。在我们之前的两个由NSF资助的REU网站中，有65名学生参与其中，其中96%是代表不足的少数族裔学生，超过60%是女性。这些学生中有78%来自四年制和社区学院。来自我们第一个REU的四名非裔美国REU参与者已经获得了MSE的博士学位。在上一个资助周期中，REU的几个参与者已经参加了研究生课程、医学院，或者从社区大学过渡到四年制大学，其余的大多数人计划继续研究生学习。他们的参与产生了期刊和会议出版物，以及口头和海报演示。通过这个REU网站，塔斯基吉大学将继续让阿拉巴马州和邻近各州的四年制和社区学院的本科生接触到研究环境。为学生选择的研究项目是纳米生物材料科学与工程，这是一个国家高度关注的领域，对工程、科学和医学的技术发展至关重要。REU学生参与这些新兴研究领域和现有的校园多学科研究和教育中心，将使他们能够发展在学术界和STEM职业生涯中脱颖而出所需的技能。该REU网站的一些亮点包括：少数族裔博士生的参与式指导，与TU和MSE多所学院的院长作为研讨会演讲者的互动，研讨会，暑期演讲，以及实地考察，这些将给学生广泛的欣赏和在STEM学科继续研究生学习的动力。这个REU网站是由数学和物理科学局多学科活动办公室和材料研究部以及国家科学基金会历史黑人学院和大学本科生项目慷慨支持的。技术总结塔斯基吉大学本科生研究体验网站的重点是在跨学科研究人员及其博士生的指导下，每年夏天在纳米生物材料科学和工程领域对本科生进行为期10周的培训。研究活动将集中在广泛的重要领域，包括从农业和家禽废弃物中合成用于生物医学和抗菌性能的纳米颗粒，琼脂糖基水凝胶膜的载药量和细胞粘附性，用于前列腺癌诊断的蛋白质包覆金纳米颗粒(GNPs)的合成，用于骨再生的静电旋转和强制固定技术制备纳米复合支架，以及通过实验和模拟的纳米生物复合材料的结构-性能关系。以少数族裔博士生为导师的REU学生参与这些具有挑战性和意义的研究领域，将对他们继续研究生学习和从事以STEM为基础的职业的决定产生重大影响。REU的学生还将参加一些独特的活动，包括两个学分的研究入门课程和准备研究生入学考试(GRE)。学生将通过这些活动学习批判性思维、定性推理、数学、分析和研究技能，这些技能将是他们向研究生学习和STEM职业生涯过渡不可或缺的技能。现场活动还将支持学生的专业发展，包括由榜样主持的专业研讨会、到当地工业现场的实地考察、夏季演示和研讨会。最后，将实施一项全面的评估计划，以评估该项目对学生的影响，包括对研究的兴趣、教育进展和长期专业发展。这个REU网站是由数学和物理科学局多学科活动办公室和材料研究部以及国家科学基金会历史黑人学院和大学本科生项目慷慨支持的。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY Tuskegee University (TU) has, over the years developed a center of research and education in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal agencies, which is not only very comprehensive but also very effective in recruiting, motivating, mentoring and graduating students with advanced degrees in MSE. In our previous two NSF funded REU sites, 65 students have participated of which 96% were underrepresented minority students and more than 60% were females. 78% of these students were from four-year and community colleges. Four African American REU participants from our first REU have received PhDs in MSE. Several of the REU participants in the last funding cycle have joined graduate programs, medical school, or transitioned from community college to 4-year colleges, and the majority of the remainder plan on pursuing graduate studies. Their participation has resulted in journal and conference publications, and oral and poster presentations. Through this REU Site, Tuskegee University will continue to expose undergraduates from four-year and community colleges in Alabama and neighboring states to the research environment. The research projects chosen for students are in Nano-Bio Materials Science and Engineering, an area of high national interest that is vital for technological developments in engineering, science, and medicine. Involvement of REU students in these emerging research areas and existing on-campus multidisciplinary research and education centers will enable them to develop skills needed to excel in academia and STEM careers. Some of the highlights of this REU site include: participant mentoring by minority Ph.D. students, interactions with deans of various colleges at TU and MSE minority Ph.D. alumni as seminar speakers, workshops, summer presentations, and field trips that will give students a broad appreciation and an incentive for pursuing graduate studies in STEM disciplines. This REU Site is made possible by generous support from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Office of Multidisciplinary Activities and Division of Materials Research, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program at the National Science Foundation. TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe Tuskegee University Research Experience for Undergraduates site is focused on training undergraduate minority students for a 10-week period each summer in the fields of Nano-Bio Materials Science and Engineering under the mentorship of interdisciplinary research faculty and their Ph.D. students. Research activities will be focused on a wide range of important areas including synthesis of nanoparticles from agriculture and poultry waste for biomedical applications and antimicrobial properties, drug loading and cell adhesion properties of agarose-based hydrogel films, synthesis of protein coated gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for prostate cancer diagnosis, fabrication of nanocomposite scaffolds using electrospinning and forcespinning techniques for bone regeneration applications, and structure-property relationship of nano-bio composites through experiments and simulations. Involvement of REU students in these challenging and meaningful research areas with minority Ph.D. students as mentors will have a significant impact on their decision to pursue graduate studies and STEM based careers. REU students will also participate in several unique activities including a 2-credit hour Introduction to Research course and preparation for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students will learn critical thinking, qualitative reasoning, mathematical, analytical and research skills through these activities that will be integral in their transition toward graduate studies and STEM careers. Site activities will also support student professional development including professional seminars by role models, field trips to local industrial sites, summer presentations and workshops. Finally, a comprehensive assessment plan will be implemented to assess the impact of the project on students including interest in research, progress in education, and long-term professional development. This REU Site is made possible by generous support from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Office of Multidisciplinary Activities and Division of Materials Research, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program at the National Science Foundation.