NSF Award
2420123
This IRES project provides a diverse cohort of undergraduate students with opportunities to develop the necessary skills to navigate the complexities that may be associated with interdisciplinary scholarship and international research and engagement by conducting research on ice nucleation in Austria. Through the mentorship of PI Schmale, a biologist, and the international collaborator Grothe, a chemist, students conduct field and laboratory research related to ice nucleation at the interfaces of water, soil, vegetation, and the atmosphere. The IRES project includes pre-departure educational activities and peer mentoring at Virginia Tech to help students succeed in their research pursuits abroad, followed by a 7-week field and laboratory research program in Austria. Upon completion of the research in Austria, the cohort returns to Virginia Tech for a few weeks of post-trip activities, including presentation of data at conferences and assessments. The Virginia Tech Office of Undergraduate Research provides assessment services and support. Recruitment for this IRES project is through established pipelines, including two HBCUs (Morehouse College, GA and Morgan State, MD) and Hampden-Sydney College, VA.<br/><br/>There has been a resurgence in ice nucleation research within the last decade, largely because of the pressing need to understand the impact of aerosols on precipitation and climate. There are several important commercial applications for ice nucleation research, including the production of artificial snow, the freezing and preservation of water-containing food products, the freeze protection of infrastructure, and the potential modulation of weather. Many of these fields need new research to fill important gaps in fundamental knowledge of ice nucleation processes and their impacts. This IRES project provides undergraduate research opportunities in Austria for about 15 students over three years. Dr. Hinrich Grothe, Professor, Technical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria serves as a non-NSF funded collaborator and hosts the students for summer undergraduate research in his laboratories. Dr. Grothe’s unique laboratory facilities include an FTIR and EPR spectroscopy lab, a chemistry lab, a fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy lab, and a cryo-microscopy lab. Participating students frame questions and conduct research concerning ice nucleation at the interfaces of water, soil, vegetation, and the atmosphere. Content mastery of disciplinary and interdisciplinary materials related to ice nucleation is monitored with assessments administered throughout the program. This IRES project provides insights into the attitudes of students towards interdisciplinary research and explores how conceptions of collaboration and career path are affected by their participation in this unique international research experience.<br/><br/>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.
