REU Site: Physics at Kansas State University, Interactions of Matter, Light and Learning

该奖项支持堪萨斯州立大学物理学本科生（REU）研究经验。该网站每年吸引12名学生参与研究项目，其中包括激光与原子和纳米级物质的相互作用以及中微子和基本粒子碰撞的调查和物理教育研究。一个广泛的项目可从教师导师，涉及在国家的最先进的研究本科生。以前的学生报告说，他们对职业，研究生工作和/或专业学校的决定更明智。无论他们选择继续在物理学或相关技术领域，或选择转移到一个不同的领域，聪明的学生在他们的职业生涯早期做出正确的选择是符合国家利益的。学生将做研究如何原子和分子在强烈和超快的光学和X射线脉冲，如何高性能计算可以用来预测分子的性质和动力学，纳米粒子在溶液中的性质，和蛋白质自组装与简化模型，并将有助于建立下一代硬件的高能粒子探测，改善中微子振荡的测量，并帮助教师使用基于研究的评估工具。这种经验将通过一系列讲座来补充，这些讲座提供了这些学生开展项目所需的背景。参与者将获得向各种同事解释他们的研究工作的经验。社会活动，无论是有组织的和自发的，将丰富这个本科生的研究经验。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

This award supports the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site in Physics at Kansas State University. The site engages twelve students per year in research projects, which include the interaction of laser light with matter at atomic and nanoscale as well as investigations of neutrinos and elementary particle collisions and physics education research. A wide range of projects are available from faculty mentors that involve the undergraduates in state-of-the-art research. Previous student have reported being better informed decisions about careers, graduate work and/or professional school. Whether they choose to continue in physics or a related technical field, or choose to move to a different area, bright students making good choices early in their careers is in the national interest.Students will do research on how atoms and molecules behave in intense and ultra-fast optical and x-ray pulses, how high-performance computation can be used to predict molecular properties and dynamics, the properties of nanoparticles in solution, and protein self-assembly with simplified models, and will help build next-generation hardware for high-energy particle detection, improve measurements of neutrino oscillations, and help faculty use research-based assessment tools. This experience will be supplemented by a series of lectures that provide the background these students need to carry out their projects. The participants will gain experience in explaining their research work to a variety of colleagues. Social activities, both organized and spontaneous, will enrich this undergraduate research experience.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.