REU Site: Collaborative Research: Research Opportunities in Rock Deformation

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Rock deformation, a sub-discipline of Earth science, uses geology and engineering methods to measure the strength of rocks. Information about rock strength can be applied to a wide range of problems in engineering, natural hazards, and material science, as well as geology. However, very few scientists specialize in the field of rock deformation; thus, many important research questions remain unexplored or underexplored, slowing advances in science and engineering. Geoscience departments at primarily undergraduate or primarily minority-serving institutions often do not have active rock deformation research programs and labs that deal with rock deformation are relatively rare. This REU site aims to increase access and exposure of a diverse population of students to career opportunities in this area. The project offers undergraduate students the unique opportunity to conduct summer research at one of eleven state-of-the-art, experimental rock deformation labs across the country. Experts in rock deformation will serve as mentors to a cohort of 10 students each summer. This REU site provides access and training, professional and career development activities, and robust workforce development for students from all backgrounds.The REU site will provide research and mentorship opportunities for undergraduate students in the field of experimental rock deformation. The long-term objective is to increase the number and diversity of students pursuing research or industry careers in rock deformation. Student participants will receive training in research methods and professional development topics that will provide a stable foundation for graduate school or related career paths. A large team of PIs and senior participants ensures that students who participate in the program will have a deep professional network to support their future endeavors. Students will be drawn from the full spectrum of higher education institutions. Strong emphases will be placed on recruiting students from diverse and under-represented backgrounds, and smaller colleges and universities that do not have research programs in rock deformation. The REU site will include three integrated sessions: a field session to introduce students to the geological study of deformed rocks, a laboratory session where students conduct experiments on specimens collected during the field session, and a conference session where students can present the results of their research projects. The REU site will adopt a distributed model, leveraging the combined lab capacity of the PIs and other senior participants to support 10 students per year.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.