REU Site: Automotive and Energy Research and Industrial Mentorship (AERIM) Program at Oakland University

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The goal of the Automotive and Energy Research and Industrial Mentorship (AERIM) REU Site at Oakland University, is to contribute to the development of a diverse, internationally competitive, and globally-engaged science and engineering workforce, an NSF priority. This program will engage a diverse cohort of undergraduate students in research and industrial mentorship experiences focused on automotive and energy-related research as well as provide opportunities to interact with professionals from several automotive manufacturers. Both the automotive and energy industries are primary drivers of the U.S. economy, manufacturing in particular, and would benefit from the development of a highly skilled and innovative workforce. The REU students will also benefit from participation in organized STEM outreach activities in partnership with the Michigan Science Center in Detroit. The AERIM REU Site will engage 30 undergraduate students, particularly women and under-represented minorities, in 10-week research experiences during the summers of 2019-2021. The program is designed to excite and motivate the students to pursue graduate studies and careers in science and engineering. Working with industrial and academic mentors, student teams will work on timely, automotive and energy-related research topics in mechanical engineering with a special emphasis on technologies that aim to improve performance and efficiencies of lithium-ion batteries, internal combustion engines, automotive materials, and alternative propulsion and energy systems. The research topics are of particular importance to the automotive and energy industries and will be relevant and appropriate for undergraduates. The specific topics of lightweight automotive materials, effects of fuel dilution in engine oil, lithium-ion batteries, flame propagation, and piston heat transfer are of particular importance to the automotive industry and will be appropriate for undergraduates. Students will be introduced to current problems, modern analytical, experimental and numerical methods, and will contribute to timely on-going research programs in academic and industrial research settings. Key features of this program include: a three-tier mentorship program that involves faculty, industrial mentors and graduate students; an ongoing commitment from several automotive manufacturers (e.g., GM, FCA, Ford) that includes mentorship by individuals with extensive industrial experience and access to laboratory and industrial facilities; a service learning outreach activity in partnership with the Michigan Science Center in Detroit; and learning, networking and peer support opportunities through coordinated professional activities inside and outside the university.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.