REU Site: Integrating Research in Sustainable Energy and the Environment across Disciplines (IR-SEED)

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:

The REU Site at TAMUK supported by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers seeks to provide an impactful summer research experience in the emerging field of sustainable energy and expand research opportunities for underrepresented students. This will enable them to understand their own levels of aptitude and interest in a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and give them the tools to prepare for the next stage in their education and career development. The intellectual merit of the REU Site lies in constructing a new and critically needed pipeline for the next generation of sustainable energy researchers, equipped to address the broad theme of sustainable energy research and social and environmental issues, which is a theme of local significance and global implications. The research, educational, and career mentorship provided by the program is envisioned to stimulate the students to look at their academic work in a new light and to provide a spark for possible careers in academic research or industrial innovation. Participating students will tackle various topics of energy research, interact with faculty mentors and students from different engineering departments, and develop a holistic perspective of energy research. The site is designed to guide students to work both independently and as members of a research team. Each student will be required to write a conference paper style report of their research for publication and deliver an oral and poster presentation of their summer research projects in the poster competition at the end of 10-week program. The REU site fits within an initiative in the College of Engineering at TAMUK to involve undergraduate students in research, and to boost the participation of US citizens, especially Hispanic, African-American, and women students into graduate school. The REU site builds on a vision of grooming budding researchers from underrepresented students to embrace the challenge of energy research and building future leaders who proactively contribute to the nation's energy self-reliance agenda.

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:

This REU Site hosted at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) and supported by the National Science Foundation's Division of Engineering Education and Centers is designed to develop and implement a model environment for multidisciplinary collaborative efforts where research and education are tightly integrated around the different facets of energy research. It features a 10-week interdisciplinary team approach to mentor students on energy research projects. The proposed sustainable energy research consists of the following major research areas: 1) Renewable energy 2) Traditional clean energy, and 3) Energy Policy, Environmental and Social Impacts. Specific objectives are to: 1) provide research opportunities in different aspects of sustainable energy research to undergraduate students, especially Hispanic, African-American, and women; 2) increase the number of underrepresented students who participate in graduate education; 3) use the REU site for building collaborative links among faculty and students from different departments within the college of engineering at TAMUK. Through participation in cutting-edge research with faculty mentors working at the forefront of their respective disciplines, students will engage in complex scientific studies on sustainable energy research topics.

This program is structured to teach students how to formulate research questions as well as how to develop and modify research plans with the guidance of their research mentors. Students will learn to work independently and to collaborate with other group members as they conduct research in specific topics in energy research. Ten students from various engineering and science departments will be recruited through a nationwide search with special emphasis on Hispanic, African-American, and women students. Students will report and present their research results in multiple settings. In addition to the hands-on collaborative research experience, technical and social activities will be incorporated into the program to provide students with a solid foundation in analytical, writing, and presentation skills and to enhance interactions between REU students and faculty mentors.