REU Site: Materials for Society

Non-Technical Summary

Materials science is the enabling technology behind everything from modern electronics to fashion, safe and recyclable packaging, faster and fuel-efficient vehicles, novel energy generation and storage, aerospace propulsion systems, affordable housing, medical engineering, sensors, nanotechnology, and micromachines. One of the most exciting directions in science and policy-making is sustainability, with its emphasis on energy conservation, storage, and renewable production. The objective of this Research Experience for Undergraduates program at Boise State University is to provide an intensive research-team experience with state-of-the-art facilities while exploring activities within the theme 'materials for society'. The activities expose a diverse group of individuals, including Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanic students, and women to the research environment and help them develop as professionals. Inclusion of mentors from various disciplines enables students to develop skills needed to excel in both academic and industrial research environments, where interdisciplinary teams are standard. Students ultimately present their results at the annual summer research conference. The Site incorporates a Research Experience for Teachers component as well, aiding the integration of research with education and multiplying the benefit to both students and teachers. These research and educational activities are supported by the National Science Foundation, Cross-Cutting Activities program, Division of Materials Research.

Technical Summary

The objective of this 9 week REU/ 8 week RET activity is to provide undergraduates and teachers an intensive research-team experience with state-of-the-art facilities while exploring activities within the theme 'materials for society'. The projects used to deliver this experience are highly interdisciplinary, allowing students to be exposed to the forefront of science and engineering. The activities can be broadly categorized as: energy generation (e.g., solar cells, magnetic shape-memory alloys, thermoelectrics), energy storage (e.g., sodium-ion batteries, building systems), energy conservation (e.g., carbon nanoelectronics), or other societal challenges associated with materials processing/modeling/characterization. Participants have their own individualized projects but are also integrated within an interdisciplinary summer research community, training them to both communicate effectively across disciplines and more clearly understand the concepts central to their own work. Students also participate in a number of supplemental workshops on library resources, intellectual property, ethics, collaboration, and graduate school; and ultimately present their results at the annual summer research conference. A comprehensive assessment program is in place to gauge the learning and growth of participants as well as their confidence, satisfaction with the REU experience, and the factors which influence their perceptions of the lab environment and research generally. These research and educational activities are supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research.