REU Site: Developing a Clean Energy Future with Underserved Students

要解决世界面临的环境问题并实现显著的经济增长，就必须从化石燃料过渡到可持续能源。这需要培养新一代精通可再生能源科学和技术的科学家和工程师。本REU网站：伍斯特理工学院（WPI）与服务不足的学生一起开发清洁能源未来将支持每年10名学生在清洁能源科学和技术方面进行为期三年的培训，并向他们介绍可再生能源行业，非营利组织和政府部门，学术研究和STEM教育的未来职业。重点将放在招收传统上弱势群体的学生：种族和少数民族，妇女和低社会经济地位社区的学生。REU参与者将在生物质转化为燃料，太阳能和高带宽通信的节能设备方面进行独立的研究项目。他们将加入WPI能源研究小组的跨学科研究团队。 除了研究之外，REU还将通过每周的职业发展研讨会和公司访问，专注于参与者的专业发展。参与的学生还将担任导师的角色，并为伍斯特女孩公司的高中生开发可再生能源教学模块，一个赋予年轻女性在STEM职业生涯中取得成功的组织。这种经验将增加REU和女孩，公司。提高学生对清洁能源技术的更广泛社会影响及其在社区和整个社会带来积极变化的潜力的认识。这个REU网站将提供每年十名本科生在清洁能源各个方面的研究经验。拟议的项目解决了生物质转化、太阳能、能源效率和光子设备等领域的当前问题，以减少数据中心和通信的能源消耗。将在伙伴机构的帮助下招募一批不同的参与者，其中大多数来自传统上处于不利地位的群体：中央马萨诸塞州社区学院和美国各地为少数群体服务的几所大学。 除了研究机会，参与者将受益于导师和专业发展活动，旨在帮助他们探索研究，工业和STEM教育的职业生涯。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy is needed to address environmental problems facing the world and generate significant economic growth. It requires training a new generation of scientists and engineers well versed in renewable energy science and technology. This REU Site: Developing a Clean Energy Future with Underserved Students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will support training of ten students per year for three years in clean energy science and technology, and introduce them to future careers in the renewable energy industry, non-for-profits and government sector, academic research and STEM education. Strong emphasis will be placed on recruiting students from traditionally disadvantaged groups: racial and ethnic minorities, women, and students from low socioeconomic status communities. REU participants will pursue independent research projects in biomass conversion to fuels, solar energy, and energy efficient devices for high bandwidth communications. They will join interdisciplinary research teams in the WPI Energy Research Group. In addition to research, the REU will focus on professional development of the participants, through weekly career development seminars and company visits. Participating students will also take on mentorship roles and develop teaching modules on renewable energy for high school students from Worcester Girls Inc., an organization empowering young women for success in STEM careers. This experience will increase both REU and Girls, Inc. students' awareness of the broader societal impacts of clean energy technology and of their potential for bringing about positive change in their communities and society overall. This REU Site will provide ten undergraduate students per year research experiences in various aspects clean energy. The proposed projects address current problems in areas such as biomass conversion, solar energy, energy efficiency and photonic devices for reducing the energy consumption by data centers and communications. A diverse cohort of participants with majority coming from traditionally disadvantaged groups will be recruited with the help of partner institutions: Central Massachusetts community colleges and several minority-serving universities across the United States. In addition to research opportunities, participants will benefit from mentorship and professional development activities aimed at helping them explore careers in research, industry and STEM education.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.