REU Site: Smart Polymer Composite Materials and Structures

路易斯安那州立大学的李国强教授、格洛丽亚·托马斯教授及其同事主持了REU网站：智能聚合物复合材料和结构。该项目由刺激竞争性研究的实验计划（EPSCoR）和化学部门的REU站点计划资助。这是一个跨科学和工程的跨学科项目。该项目的目标是在材料和结构的界面上为不同的本科生提供卓越的研究经验，并为参与者的高级学习和研究职业做好准备。REU网站的目标有三个方面：(i)吸引和留住高质量和多样化的学生在智能材料和结构的这种新的研究范式；（ii）激励和增加注册研究生课程的学生人数；（三）通过不同背景的学生和教师之间的意识和文化互动来促进包容性。招聘计划利用了与传统黑人学院和大学（HBCUs）以及社区学院建立的关系，所有参与者中至少有一半来自代表性不足的民族和种族群体。这个REU网站的重点是智能聚合物复合材料和结构，这些材料和结构集成了多种功能，除了经典任务（如承重任务）之外，还具有传感、驱动、愈合和适应能力。代表性的研究项目包括聚合人造肌肉、在使用条件下（如冰冻温度和拉应力）的自修复、用于耐腐蚀涂层的应力传感聚合物、以及用于纤维增强聚合物复合结构的韧性和自修复粘合剂。这种智能复合材料和结构正在改变结构设计的范式，是对路易斯安那州乃至全国经济发展具有重要意义的研究领域。学生参与者接受由化学、机械工程和土木工程学科的教师导师提供的科学培训。学生提高他们的技术知识和技能，并为研究生学习和未来的研究事业做好准备。他们也从这个项目中脱颖而出，更好地准备与来自不同背景的个人合作。这有助于促进科学和工程领域的包容性。

Professors Guogiang Li, Gloria Thomas, and colleagues at Louisiana State University host the REU site: Smart Polymer Composite Materials and Structures. This project is funded by the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and the REU Sites Program of the Division of Chemistry. This is an interdisciplinary project that spans across science and engineering. The goals for this project are to provide exceptional research experiences for diverse undergraduates at the interface of materials and structures and to prepare participants for advanced study and research careers. The objectives of the REU site are three-fold: (i) attract and retain high-quality and diverse students in this new research paradigm of smart materials and structures; (ii) motivate and increase the number of students who enroll in graduate programs; and (iii) promote inclusivity through awareness and cultural interactions between students and faculty with various backgrounds. The recruitment plan leverages established relationships with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and community colleges, and at least half of all participants are from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups.The focus of this REU site is upon smart polymer composite materials and structures which have integrated multi-functionality, with capabilities including sensing, actuating, healing, and adapting in addition to classical tasks, such as load bearing tasks. Representative research projects include polymeric artificial muscles, self-healing under service conditions (e.g., freezing temperature and tensile stress), stress-sensing polymers for corrosion resistant coating, and ductile and self-healing adhesives for fiber reinforced polymer composite structures. Such smart composite materials and structures are changing the paradigm of structure design, and are research areas of great importance to the economic development of both Louisiana and the nation. Student participants receive scientific-training provided by faculty mentors from chemistry, mechanical engineering and civil engineering disciplines. Students advance their technological knowledge and skills, and they receive preparation for graduate study and future research careers. They also emerge from the program better prepared to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. This helps to promote inclusivity in science and engineering.