REU Site: Summer Bridge Program in Experimental Physics

该奖项支持亚利桑那大学实验物理学的夏桥计划。本科生参加正在进行的实验物理研究项目的机会是在夏季REU计划中构建的。学生可以从各种各样的前沿物理活动中选择，在物理学，天文学，光学科学，月球和行星研究以及大气科学部门的高级教师的指导下。参与者的主要来源是在附近的皮马社区学院完成科学或工程一年级或二年级课程的学生，准备转入4年制学位课程。来自物理系的研究生助教担任参与者的导师。特殊的方向和技能活动是单独定制的，使学生能够为研究项目做出重大贡献。该计划促进教学，培训和学习作为给学生的研究经验的一个组成部分。准备活动和研究活动的结合提供了知识和技能的基础，使这些学生能够为研究做出重要贡献，同时为继续接受技术教育做好更好的准备。也有一个教育的好处，我们的研究生导师，谁是直接参与该计划的教育和培训过程。当地社区学院的地理位置和典型的学生构成提供了相当大的少数民族人口，这增强了该网站促进代表性不足的群体参与的能力。以前的参与者被用作嘉宾演讲者，也作为这些学生分组的榜样。该网站的许多参与者是他们家庭中接受高等教育的第一代，他们的研究经验为当地社区提供了一个重要的桥梁，以促进科学的理解。

This award supports the Summer Bridge Program in Experimental Physics at the University of Arizona. Opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in ongoing research projects in experimental physics are structured in a summer REU program. Students may choose from a wide variety of forefront physics activities, under the direction of senior faculty members from the Departments of Physics, Astronomy, Optical Sciences, Lunar and Planetary Studies, and Atmospheric Sciences. The primary source of participants is students who have completed the equivalent of the first or second year curriculum in science or engineering at nearby Pima Community College, in preparation for transfer to a 4-year degree program. Graduate Teaching Assistants from the physics department serve as mentors for the participants. Special orientation and skills activities are individually tailored to enable the students to make signicant contributions to the research projects. This program promotes teaching, training, and learning as an integral part of the research experience given to the students. The combination of preparatory activities and research activities provide a base of knowledge and skills which enable these students to make nontrivial contributions to the research while becoming better prepared for the continuation of their technical education. There is also an education benefit to our graduate student mentors, who are directly involved in the educational and training process of this program. The geographical location and typical student makeup of the local community college provides a sizable minority population, which enhances the site's abilities to promote participation by underrepresented groups. Former participants are used as guest speakers and also serve as role models for these same subgroups of students. Many of the site's participants are in the first generation of their families in post-secondary education, and their research experiences provide an important bridge to the local community for the advancement of scientific understanding.