REU Site: Technical Experience in Advancing Modeling Sciences (TEAMS)

该项目更广泛的意义：拟议的研究地点将招收科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域的本科生。主办机构南达科他州矿业与技术学院(南达科他州矿业与技术学院)毗邻一些部落学院和大学，这为南达科他州矿业与技术学院提供了向美洲印第安人学生介绍研究并为他们提供完成STEM领域学位的资源的独特机会。该网站的标题是“高级建模科学(团队)的技术经验”。顾名思义，研究项目将涉及多个领域的建模，包括材料、国防、可再生能源和三维打印。这些项目将与实验并行进行，以使参与者最好地接触研究领域，并最好地将他们的发现与感兴趣的问题联系起来。例如，一个建模项目将调查为什么生物燃料生产中的净化材料(即从玉米中提取乙醇)会堵塞。通过了解分子水平上发生的事情，以及材料如何与废物副产品相互作用，这些模型可以影响这些应用的新材料的设计。此外，建模项目本质上是协作的，因此该网站还将教会学生如何在协作(即团队)环境中工作。许多技能将融入有效的协作关系中，因此将举办研讨会、研讨会和活动，以帮助参与者发展这些协作技能。一些例子包括团队合作建设、写作研讨会和大型数据集分析。最终目标是为团队REU参与者提供工具和经验，以增加他们在追求STEM职业生涯中的成功。项目描述：拟议研究的目的是为本科生提供一个研究体验(REU)网站，标题为“高级建模科学(Teams)的技术经验”。团队REU网站旨在为本科生提供机会，为协作建模研究项目做出重大贡献。具体地说，团队REU网站的目标如下：(I)提供许多建模媒介的研究机会，包括分子动力学、传输现象和固体力学，(Ii)培养学生对团队多样性和研究中合作努力的欣赏，(Iii)增强学生的团队合作、沟通、批判性思维和专业技能，(Iv)让学生了解在许多领域建模的重要性，(V)将学生从工程预科课程过渡到四年制学位课程，(Vi)引导学生攻读研究生课程，和(7)增加任职人数偏低群体的机会。为实现这些目标，计划开展若干活动。一些例子包括发展团队合作技能，让学生接触REU网站外的建模工作，以及提高沟通能力的写作研讨会。发展这些技能的原因是因为它们对模型研究都很重要。例如，建模研究通常是协作的。因此，项目需要研究人员在团队环境中工作，并将他们各自的观点和专业知识传达给他们的合作伙伴。其他目标包括为四年制或研究生课程的参与者做好准备，以及加强像美国印第安人这样代表不足的群体的参与。设计了一个范例研讨会，指导学生如何确定并申请符合他们兴趣的研究生课程。在研究机会方面，一些建模项目被设计为在一年内由本科生完成。这些项目与目前的试验工作不谋而合，并将补充这些工作。

BROADER SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT:The proposed research site will recruit undergraduate students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The vicinity of the host institution, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT), to a number of Tribal Colleges and Universities affords SDSMT a unique opportunity to introduce research to American Indians students and provide them with the resources to complete degrees in the STEM fields. The site is entitled "Technical Experience in Advancing Modeling Sciences (TEAMS)." As the name implies, the research projects will involve modeling in a number of areas including materials, defense, renewable energy, and three-dimensional printing. The projects will be performed in parallel with experiments to best expose the participants to the research area and to best connect their findings to problems of interest. For example, one modeling project will investigate why purification materials in biofuel production (i.e., ethanol from corn) clog up. By understanding what occurs at the molecular level, and how the material interacts with the waste byproducts, the models can influence the design of new materials for these applications. Also, modeling projects are inherently collaborative, so the site will also teach students how to work in collaborative (i.e., team) environments. A number of skills feed into effective collaborative relationships, so workshops, seminars, and activities will be conducted to assist participants in developing these collaborative skills. Some examples include teamwork building, writing workshops, and large data set analysis. The ultimate goal is to provide the TEAMS REU participants the tools and experiences to increase their success as they pursue STEM careers.PROJECT DESCRIPTION:The purpose of the proposed research is to host a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site entitled "Technical Experience in Advancing Modeling Sciences (TEAMS)." The TEAMS REU site aims to provide undergraduates with the opportunity to make a significant contribution to collaborative modeling research projects. Specifically, the goals of the TEAMS REU site are as follows: (i) provide research opportunities in a number of modeling mediums including molecular dynamics, transport phenomenon, and solid mechanics, (ii) develop students' appreciation of team diversity and collaborative efforts in research, (iii) enhance students' teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and professional skills, (iv) expose students to the importance of modeling in a number of fields, (v) transition students from pre-engineering programs into four-year degree programs, (vi) guide students to pursue graduate programs, and (vii) increase the opportunities for underrepresented groups.A number of activities are planned to meet these objectives. Some examples include developing teamwork skills, exposing students to modeling work outside the REU site, and writing workshops to enhance communication ability. The reason for developing these skills is because they are all important to modeling research. For example, modeling research is typically collaborative. As such, projects require researchers to work in a team setting and communicate their respective perspectives and expertise to their collaborative partners. Other objectives involve preparing participants for four-year or graduate programs and enhancing participation of underrepresented groups like American Indians. An example seminar is designed to guide students on how to identify and apply fora graduate program meeting their interests. With regards to research opportunities, a number of modeling projects have been designed to be completed by undergraduates within a year's time. These projects coincide with current experimental efforts and will complement those efforts.