REU/RET Physics Site at the University of Oklahoma

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This award supports the renewal of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) site in physics and astronomy at the University of Oklahoma. Eight undergraduate students and two high school teachers per year will be involved in summer research projects in astrophysics, atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics, or high energy physics. Teachers will participate in research and will also develop and build small-scale experiments, demonstrations, and curriculum that can be transported or replicated in the classroom. The goal of the site is to bridge the gap from student (or teacher) to scientist through substantive, consequential research mentored daily by a faculty member. The program will help to improve STEM education, develop a better infrastructure for research and education, and develop the STEM workforce that is needed for the Nation. Students and teachers will be exposed to a broad range of science, from particle physics to cosmology, and from abstract theoretical to concrete applied physics. In addition, a key component of the program consists of a semiweekly seminar series covering the differences between physics research and physics classes, career options for physicists both in academics and industry, insight into life in physics research, career development, and insight on applying and preparing for graduate school. The students themselves presenting their own work will give the final seminars. Finally, the site will offer a series of voluntary courses and seminars that expose the students to research tools. Teachers will participate in the seminar series, in research, and in the development of classroom-ready experiments. This award is supported by a combination of the Division of Physics and the Division of Materials Research within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.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.