REU Site: Mountains and Minds: Next Generation Chemistry for Materials and Catalysts

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This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to Montana State University, located in Bozeman, MT, supports the training of 10 undergraduate students for 10 weeks during the summer of 2019-2021. This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program. The program engages participants in research projects centered around the field of catalysis and materials chemistry. Students receive training in state-of-the-art research techniques and instrumentation. Alongside research, participants also take part in activities designed to build strong science communication skills for the general public as well as the scientific community. Participants also receive professional development training, regularly interact with faculty and graduate student mentors, and engage in outreach activities. This combination of programming prepares a diverse cohort for research and a professional career in STEM fields. This site's recruitment effort places an emphasis on recruitment of Native Americans and students from primarily undergraduate institutions and tribal colleges in the Northwest, Rocky Mountains, and Great Plains regions. Undergraduate researchers engage in projects related to bio-inspired materials, protein-based catalysts, bacterial catalysts for polymer degradation, polymer characterization,. Projects also include research on nanomaterial synthesis, energy storage and conversion materials, catalytic activation of small molecules, switchable catalysis, carbohydrate-functionalized macromolecules, gas-surface interactions, and electrochemical devices such as batteries and fuel cells. Each of these research topics is a focus of current faculty-led research programs at Montana State University. Professional development, with an emphasis on science communication skills, equips the undergraduate participants for graduate research and chemistry careers.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.