REU Site: Advanced Materials Synthesis at the University of Virginia

非技术描述：这个REU网站为大西洋中部地区的本科生提供了从事先进材料合成研究的独特机会。REU的学生大量来自历史上的黑人学院和两年制社区学院，包括在科学和工程领域代表性不足的所有人口；因此，这些学生在性别、种族、民族、第一代、社会经济地位、残疾、年龄和性取向方面都是不同的。他们在跨学科的研究团队中工作，并在为期十周的暑期计划中接受材料科学和工程、最先进的研究方法、科学交流、负责任的行为和职业发展方面的培训。整个REU整合了导师活动、研讨会和研讨会，为学生在工业、国家实验室和学术界的成功职业生涯做好准备，并建立一条科学家和工程师的管道，以应对21世纪的重大挑战。该REU促进了基础研究，以支持添加剂制造和印刷、纳米材料合成、材料开发和发现以及电化学过程中的应用。因此，REU的学生对支持与先进制造、运输、水过滤、能量储存、催化和药物输送相关的具有社会重要性的材料和技术的发展做出了有意义的贡献。技术细节：参与者整个夏天都在一个研究小组中，与12名参与其中的教师导师一起工作。实习生参与身临其境的体验，主题分为四个焦点之一：(1)添加剂制造和印刷；(2)纳米材料合成；(3)材料开发和发现；(4)电化学过程。个别研究支持与先进制造、运输、水过滤、能量储存、催化和药物输送相关的材料和技术的开发，这些都是当前社会关注的问题，在这些领域取得的进步将产生真正和持久的影响。学生学习先进的合成和表征技术，并发展获得高质量数据、提供有意义的数据分析以及与同行交流工作的技能。先进材料合成REU体验通过包括广泛的导师培训、评估和反馈，对学生的职业准备变得更加具有变革性。REU的影响是通过嵌入式数据收集进行评估和支持的，这些数据收集了参与研究如何影响实习生的学习和整体专业发展，而不仅仅是对科学和工程方面的坚持不懈的衡量标准。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: This REU site offers unique opportunities for undergraduate students in the mid-Atlantic region to engage in research in advanced materials synthesis. The REU students, recruited heavily from historically black colleges and universities and two-year community colleges, include all populations that are underrepresented in science and engineering fields; thus, the students are diverse in gender, race, ethnicity, first-generation, socioeconomic status, disability, age, and sexual orientation. They work in interdisciplinary research teams and receive training in materials science and engineering, state-of-the-art research methods, science communication, responsible conduct, and career development during the ten-week summer program. Integrated throughout the REU are mentorship activities, workshops, and seminars that prepare students for successful careers in industry, national laboratories, and academia, and build a pipeline of scientist and engineers to address grand challenges of the 21st century. This REU advances fundamental research to support applications in additive manufacturing and printing, nanomaterial synthesis, materials development and discovery, and electrochemical processes. Hence, the REU students meaningfully contribute to studies supporting the development of societally-important materials and technologies relevant to advanced manufacturing, transportation, water filtration, energy storage, catalysis, and drug delivery.TECHNICAL DETAILS: The participants spend the summer embedded in a research group working with one of 12 participating faculty mentors. Interns participate in immersive experiences, with topics falling into one of four foci: (1) Additive Manufacturing and Printing ; (2) Nanomaterials Synthesis; (3) Materials Development and Discovery; (4) Electrochemical Processes. The individual studies support the development of materials and technologies relevant to advanced manufacturing, transportation, water filtration, energy storage, catalysis, and drug delivery, which are current concern to society and where advances will have real and lasting impacts. The students learn advanced synthesis and characterization techniques and develop skills for obtaining quality data, providing meaningful analysis of the data, and communicating their work to their peers. The Advanced Materials Synthesis REU experience becomes even more transformational for students’ career preparation by including extensive mentorship training, evaluation and feedback. The REU impact is assessed and supported by embedded data collection on how participation in research affects interns’ learning and overall professional development, beyond simple measures of persistence in science and engineering.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.