REU Site: Synthesis, Assembly and Characterization of Soft Matter Systems

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NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Cleveland State University (CSU) will host a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)-site involving rising sophomore and junior physics and engineering majors, recruited particularly from underrepresented groups, in interdisciplinary research projects within soft matter science and engineering. Soft matter is a group of materials including liquid crystals, colloids, polymers, surfactants, and biological matter, which structurally reorganize in response to even slight changes in temperature and other environmental conditions. Scientists and engineers harness the unique properties of soft matter in applications ranging from drug delivery to organic solar cells to microfluidic devices. Fundamental to the REU site is intentional faculty mentoring through meaningful research experiences, which is shown to improve students’ persistence in STEM careers and encourage them to pursue graduate studies in physics and engineering. This promotes the progress of science through the retention of talented scholars in research careers. REU students, benefitting from CSU’s focus on undergraduate research and “engaged learning”, are mentored by experienced faculty and participate in well-established CSU professional development opportunities. Students’ scientific development is supported by soft matter science/characterization seminars and weekly cohort events (science colloquia, regional research centers visits, professional development seminars). Technical communication skills are developed with student presentations at CSU, a poster presentation at the regional summer undergraduate research conference, and scaffolded writing of project reports. The REU also funds student travel to present their research at a regional/national conference after the REU, providing further opportunities for scientific communication and networking. Finally, long-term scientific relationships are developed within REU cohorts through cohort building activities including outreach at a local school, student coffee hours, and weekend social activities. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The scientific focus of this REU is soft matter, a subfield of condensed matter that encompasses a large variety of materials, from polymeric gels that can be used for transport and for directing assembly of other materials, to polymers that can be used for electronic or mechanical applications, to biological materials studied to better mimic nature’s complexity and develop new pathways towards healing. REU participants conduct original research projects within three main foci: 1) Understanding fundamental properties and phase transitions of polymers, proteins, gels, and microemulsions to harness the power of environmentally sensitive nanoparticles and gels; 2) Driving self-assembly of anisotropic soft matter to exploit its properties for applications from electronics to biomimetics; and 3) Striving to better understand and to improve mixing in liquid soft matter systems and use liquid flow to probe biological and physical phenomena. The REU students contribute significantly to cutting-edge soft matter research with potential applications ranging from drug delivery to organic solar cells to microfluidic devices. The student’s research experience is supported by scientific and professional development seminars, oral/poster presentations, final report preparation, and development of a professional network of faculty and peers through social activities. Ultimately, the soft matter REU experience will help rising sophomores and juniors, heavily recruited from underrepresented populations in physics and engineering, to persist and succeed in STEM 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.