REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Advanced Infrastructural Materials

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The American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 Infrastructure Report Card gave a poor grade of D+ on the current condition of the US infrastructure. Deteriorating infrastructure is greatly impeding the nation's ability to compete in the thriving global economy, and significant upgrading is necessary to ensure our country remains globally competitive. Upgrading the nation's infrastructure requires advancement in infrastructure materials and technologies and well-trained engineers with expertise in advanced infrastructure materials. To fulfill this need, the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will provide undergraduate students with hands-on research and training opportunities in advanced infrastructure materials to encourage students to pursue careers and graduate degrees in this field. The REU site aims at supporting workforce development of materials engineers and promoting diversity in the engineering community.Ten undergraduate researchers, mainly comprised of underrepresented minority and female students, will be hosted at the REU Site every summer for three years. Each year, the undergraduate researchers will participate in a 10-week hands-on interdisciplinary research program and work under the supervision of faculty advisors on a variety of research projects related to advanced infrastructure materials. The research projects range from fundamental materials research to innovative structural systems composed of advanced materials. An educational field trip, workshops and seminars (on Grand Challenges of US Infrastructure, Research Methods and Research Ethics, Technical Writing and Presentation Skills, Graduate School Life and Application Process, and Careers in STEM) will be organized to: 1) train students in research and technical communication skills; 2) cultivate their interest in pursuing advanced degrees and career in engineering field; 3) give them a direct insight into the challenges our infrastructure is facing; and 4) offer them a unique experience of southern Louisiana infrastructure problems, culture and landscape. A diverse group of highly educated researchers and engineers with expertise in advanced infrastructural materials will be created through this REU Site, contributing towards enhancement of the US infrastructure and a more diverse engineering community.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.