American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Information
Undergrads experience nanomaterials research
Jeffrey Shield, professor and chair of mechanical engineering at UNL, said a $360,000 NSF grant will fund a Research Experiences for Undergraduates, or REU, program in functional nanomaterials and nanoscience.
The program targets undergraduate students from colleges and universities that lack a strong research emphasis, particularly those in the upper Midwest, and students from underrepresented groups.
Sponsored by UNL's Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, the REU taps UNL's wide faculty expertise in these areas. This program offers a 10-week summer research program for 10 undergraduates a year. Visiting students work closely with faculty mentors in chemistry, engineering and physics.
Research projects focus on the synthesis and study of nanoclusters, nanoparticles and nanowires that have potential applications in biomedicine and solar energy conversion, as sensors and catalysts.
“Students will create new materials via a variety of synthesis/fabrication techniques,” Shield said. The program is designed to expose students to multidisciplinary research, the impacts of science and technology on society and provide a sense of how a broad education is important for a scientific career. Students tackle their own research projects and participate in activities to improve their professional skills.
Faculty participation is key to success, Shield said. “Without the faculty mentors' willingness to invest their time and resources in working with these students, this program would not be possible.”
