REU Site: Renewal of Summer Internships in Nanomaterials, Nanomechanics, and Leadership Training in Engineering

REU 网站：纳米材料、纳米力学和工程领导力培训暑期实习续期

• 批准号: 2046167
• 负责人: Uchechukwu Wejinya
• 金额: $ 40.25万
• 依托单位: University of Arkansas
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-05-15 至 2025-04-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2046167&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Renewal; Summer; Internships

This three-year REU site will provide 9 talented undergraduate students with research opportunities in labs that bridge the gap between science and engineering, and provide them with top-notch leadership training in engineering. Program recruitment will target a diverse group of participants from a broad spectrum of colleges throughout the nation, especially minority-serving and small colleges without strong research infrastructure and experience. Women participants will be provided custom-tailored leadership training specific to them. Eight faculty members and nine graduate students from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry/Biochemistry will serve as mentors. Research topics will be theoretical, computational and/or experimental, involving short, challenging, self-contained, cutting-edge problems in nanoscience and nanoengineering. The program includes seminars and workshops to expose interns to nanoscale engineering as well as professional development, emphasizing research, team building, leadership, and graduate studies. The complementary social program includes tours of regional research and industrial facilities, and group outings to local areas of interest in collaboration with the other UA REU programs. The interrelationships of the engineering process and its management within the life cycles of technology, innovation, products, and systems will be an essential part of the REU program. The basic functions of management relative to their implementation in technical organizations will be examined. Strategies for leading engineering teams and technical organizations will be explored, particularly as they affect individual and organizational productivity and creativity.This REU Site will build on the successes of the previously funded (EEC – 1359086) REU Site and will focus on nanomaterials, nanomechanics, and leadership training of undergraduate students. The project objectives are: 1) to engage undergraduate students with opportunities to conduct nanoscale science and engineering research; 2) to allow students to self-assess their interest in graduate school; 3) to increase the number of future professionals in nanoengineering; 4) to enable the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville (UAF) to become, and be recognized as a nationally top tier undergraduate and graduate program, and 5) to equip students to become future leaders and managers of technology driven organizations in the United States. Each year (of the three year project) a different group of nine undergraduate students will conduct research at the UAF campus as part of this ten-week summer internship program. Nine faculty members (including the PI) and graduate students from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry/Biochemistry will serve as mentors. Recruitment of summer interns will concentrate on five groups: 1) institutions where research opportunities in STEM are limited; 2) minority institutions; 3) women; 4) persons with disabilities, and 5) UAF programs. All participants will present their research findings both orally and in a written report, sometimes leading to scientific publications.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.

这个为期三年的 REU 基地将为 9 名才华横溢的本科生提供实验室研究机会，以弥合科学与工程之间的差距，并为他们提供一流的工程领导力培训。项目招募将针对来自全国各大学的不同参与者群体，特别是服务于少数族裔的大学和没有强大研究基础设施和经验的小型大学。女性参与者将获得专门针对她们的定制领导力培训。来自机械工程系、物理系和化学/生物化学系的八名教职人员和九名研究生将担任导师。研究主题将是理论、计算和/或实验，涉及纳米科学和纳米工程中简短的、具有挑战性的、独立的、前沿的问题。该计划包括研讨会和讲习班，让实习生接触纳米工程和专业发展，强调研究、团队建设、领导力和研究生学习。补充性的社交活动包括参观地区研究和工业设施，以及与其他 UA REU 项目合作前往当地感兴趣的地区进行团体郊游。技术、创新、产品和系统生命周期内工程过程及其管理的相互关系将是 REU 计划的重要组成部分。将审查与技术组织中的实施相关的管理基本职能。将探讨领先工程团队和技术组织的策略，特别是当它们影响个人和组织的生产力和创造力时。该 REU 站点将建立在先前资助的 (EEC – 1359086) REU 站点的成功基础上，并将重点关注纳米材料、纳米力学和本科生的领导力培训。 该项目的目标是：1）让本科生有机会进行纳米科学和工程研究； 2）让学生自我评估自己对研究生院的兴趣； 3）增加未来纳米工程专业人员的数量； 4) 使阿肯色大学费耶特维尔分校 (UAF) 的机械工程系成为并被公认为全国顶级本科生和研究生项目，5) 使学生成为美国技术驱动型组织的未来领导者和管理者。每年（在为期三年的项目中），由九名本科生组成的不同小组将在 UAF 校园进行研究，作为为期十周的暑期实习计划的一部分。来自机械工程系、物理系、化学/生物化学系的九名教员（包括PI）和研究生将担任导师。暑期实习生的招聘将集中在五个群体：1）STEM研究机会有限的机构； 2）少数民族机构； 3）女性； 4) 残疾人，以及 5) UAF 计划。所有参与者都将以口头和书面报告的形式展示他们的研究成果，有时会发表科学出版物。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。