REU Site: Synthesis, Assembly and Characterization of Soft Matter Systems

非技术描述：克利夫兰州立大学（CSU）将举办一个本科生研究经验（REU）网站，涉及即将毕业的二年级和三年级物理和工程专业学生，特别是从代表性不足的群体中招募，从事软物质科学和工程领域的跨学科研究项目。软物质是包括液晶、胶体、聚合物、表面活性剂和生物物质在内的一组材料，它们在温度和其他环境条件的轻微变化下会发生结构重组。科学家和工程师利用软物质的独特特性，将其应用于从药物输送到有机太阳能电池到微流体装置的各种应用中。REU网站的基础是通过有意义的研究经验进行有意的教师指导，这被证明可以提高学生对STEM职业的坚持，并鼓励他们攻读物理和工程专业的研究生课程。这通过保留有才能的学者从事研究事业来促进科学的进步。REU的学生受益于科罗拉多州立大学对本科研究和“参与式学习”的关注，由经验丰富的教师指导，并参与科罗拉多州立大学完善的专业发展机会。学生的科学发展由软物质科学/表征研讨会和每周队列活动（科学讨论会，区域研究中心访问，专业发展研讨会）支持。通过学生在科罗拉多州立大学的演讲，在地区夏季本科生研究会议上的海报展示，以及项目报告的框架写作，技术沟通技巧得到了发展。REU还资助学生旅行，在REU结束后在地区/国家会议上展示他们的研究，为科学交流和网络提供进一步的机会。最后，通过在当地学校外展、学生咖啡时间和周末社交活动等队列建设活动，在REU队列中发展长期的科学关系。技术描述：该REU的科学重点是软物质，这是凝聚态物质的一子领域，涵盖了各种各样的材料，从可用于运输和指导其他材料组装的聚合物凝胶，到可用于电子或机械应用的聚合物，再到研究生物材料，以更好地模仿自然的复杂性，并开发新的愈合途径。REU的参与者在三个主要领域进行原创研究项目：1)了解聚合物，蛋白质，凝胶和微乳液的基本性质和相变，以利用环境敏感纳米颗粒和凝胶的力量；2)驱动各向异性软物质的自组装，开发其从电子学到仿生学的应用特性；3)努力更好地理解和改进液体软物质系统的混合，利用液体流动来探索生物和物理现象。REU的学生为前沿软物质研究做出了重大贡献，其潜在应用范围从药物输送到有机太阳能电池到微流体装置。学生的研究经历由科学和专业发展研讨会、口头/海报展示、最终报告准备以及通过社会活动建立教师和同行的专业网络来支持。最终，软物质REU的经验将帮助即将崛起的二年级和三年级学生，从物理和工程领域的代表性不足的人群中大量招募，坚持并在STEM职业中取得成功。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。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Cleveland State University (CSU) will host a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)-site involving rising sophomore and junior physics and engineering majors, recruited particularly from underrepresented groups, in interdisciplinary research projects within soft matter science and engineering. Soft matter is a group of materials including liquid crystals, colloids, polymers, surfactants, and biological matter, which structurally reorganize in response to even slight changes in temperature and other environmental conditions. Scientists and engineers harness the unique properties of soft matter in applications ranging from drug delivery to organic solar cells to microfluidic devices. Fundamental to the REU site is intentional faculty mentoring through meaningful research experiences, which is shown to improve students’ persistence in STEM careers and encourage them to pursue graduate studies in physics and engineering. This promotes the progress of science through the retention of talented scholars in research careers. REU students, benefitting from CSU’s focus on undergraduate research and “engaged learning”, are mentored by experienced faculty and participate in well-established CSU professional development opportunities. Students’ scientific development is supported by soft matter science/characterization seminars and weekly cohort events (science colloquia, regional research centers visits, professional development seminars). Technical communication skills are developed with student presentations at CSU, a poster presentation at the regional summer undergraduate research conference, and scaffolded writing of project reports. The REU also funds student travel to present their research at a regional/national conference after the REU, providing further opportunities for scientific communication and networking. Finally, long-term scientific relationships are developed within REU cohorts through cohort building activities including outreach at a local school, student coffee hours, and weekend social activities. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The scientific focus of this REU is soft matter, a subfield of condensed matter that encompasses a large variety of materials, from polymeric gels that can be used for transport and for directing assembly of other materials, to polymers that can be used for electronic or mechanical applications, to biological materials studied to better mimic nature’s complexity and develop new pathways towards healing. REU participants conduct original research projects within three main foci: 1) Understanding fundamental properties and phase transitions of polymers, proteins, gels, and microemulsions to harness the power of environmentally sensitive nanoparticles and gels; 2) Driving self-assembly of anisotropic soft matter to exploit its properties for applications from electronics to biomimetics; and 3) Striving to better understand and to improve mixing in liquid soft matter systems and use liquid flow to probe biological and physical phenomena. The REU students contribute significantly to cutting-edge soft matter research with potential applications ranging from drug delivery to organic solar cells to microfluidic devices. The student’s research experience is supported by scientific and professional development seminars, oral/poster presentations, final report preparation, and development of a professional network of faculty and peers through social activities. Ultimately, the soft matter REU experience will help rising sophomores and juniors, heavily recruited from underrepresented populations in physics and engineering, to persist and succeed in STEM careers.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.