REU Site: Smart Polymer Composite Materials and Structures

这个本科生研究经验（REU）网站奖授予位于路易斯安那州巴吞鲁日的路易斯安那州立大学，在2024-2026年夏季为10名学生提供为期10周的培训。在这个项目中，由化学系和刺激竞争性研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）资助，参与者将从事化学、机械工程、化学工程和计算机科学方面的跨学科研究项目。学生将由教师指导，并通过与研究生和博士后密切合作获得实践经验。参与者还将接受专业发展和道德培训，重点是研究和科学交流技能以及研究生院的申请。通过独立的研究项目、研讨会和系列研讨会，包括研究伦理和海报设计等主题，该网站努力扩大参与范围，为研究生院和未来的STEM职业做好准备。社会和文化交流活动也将举行，以促进包容性和网络机会，为多样化的未来STEM领导者群体。具有传感、驱动、自适应、愈合和回收等多功能的智能聚合物复合材料和结构在多个高科技领域具有巨大的应用潜力。该项目的目标是在材料和结构的界面上为不同的本科生提供卓越的研究经验，并为学生的高级学习和研究职业做好准备。因此，该项目的目标有三个方面：(i)在智能材料和结构的新研究范式中吸引和留住高质量和多样化的学生；（ii）激励和增加注册研究生课程的学生人数；（三）通过不同背景的学生和教师之间的意识和文化互动来促进包容性。它在于教师导师在智能聚合物复合材料和结构四个学科方面提供的科学培训。在教师导师的指导下，REU的参与者将在这些研究领域提升他们的科学知识和技术技能。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to Louisiana State University, located in Baton Rouge, LA, supports the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2024-2026. In this program, funded by the Division of Chemistry and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), participants will pursue interdisciplinary research projects in chemistry, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and computer science. Students will be mentored by faculty and gain hands-on experience by working closely with graduate students and postdocs. Participants will also receive professional development and ethics training, focusing on research and scientific communication skills and application for graduate school. Through independent research projects, workshops, and a seminar series on topics including research ethics and poster design, this site strives to broaden participation and prepare students for graduate school and future STEM careers. Social and cultural exchange events will also be held to promote inclusivity and networking opportunities for a diverse group of future STEM leaders.Smart polymer composite materials and structures with multifunctionalities such as sensing, actuating, adapting, healing, and recycling capabilities have a great potential for applications in several high-tech sectors. The goals of this project are to provide exceptional research experiences for diverse undergraduates at the interface of materials and structures and to prepare students for advanced study and research careers. Thus, the objectives of this project are three-fold: (i) attract and retain high-quality and diverse students in this new research paradigm of smart materials and structures; (ii) motivate and increase the number of students who enroll in graduate programs; and (iii) promote inclusivity through awareness and cultural interactions between students and faculty with diverse backgrounds. It lies in the scientific training provided by the faculty mentors in smart polymer composite materials and structures across four disciplines. Under the guidance of the faculty mentors, REU participants will advance their scientific knowledge and technical skills in these research areas.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.