NSF Award
1062621
This three year renewal REU Site program at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) will engage undergraduate students over ten weeks in research in a wide range of micro-manufacturing and additive manufacturing applications at MSOE's Centers for Excellence. Typical projects will mesh the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine with mechanical, manufacturing, biomedical, electrical, computer and architectural engineering disciplines. <br/><br/>The overall objectives of the REU Site program are to: 1) provide integrated research opportunities for technically diverse groups of undergraduate students to experience the growing technological trends and opportunities in additive manufacturing (AM) leading to newly created, complex and miniature structures and models; 2) develop interdisciplinary approaches through research and development in AM with applications to biomedical, cellular, biomolecular, mechanical and other related science and engineering fields; 3) continue to foster diversity by recruiting of minorities, women, and students with disabilities; enabling them to become professional graduates with exceptional capabilities; 4) provide participants with service learning opportunities with high school students and teachers that will be on the MSOE campus in summer leading to sustained K-12 outreach; and 5) contribute real-world results and publications from their research projects in conjunction with faculty and industry collaborators.<br/><br/>In addition to their research projects, the students will participate in interdisciplinary group sessions and seminars,facility tours including a visit to a graduate school, powerpoint presentations, posters, and writing of research papers. At the end of the summer, students will present their research through final oral presentations and poster presentations before a wide MSOE audience and family and friends. <br/><br/>Recruitment efforts will be targeted to first-generation and traditionally underrepresented students nationwide, especially from second tier non Ph.D. granting institutions. Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority institutions will specifically be targeted to ensure 25% minority participation. Undergraduate students who participate in this REU program will be motivated to pursue graduate education. <br/><br/>With many high school teachers and students interacting on MSOE campus through K-12 outreach by the Project Lead the Way and the Center for Biomolecular Modeling activities, REU participants will have the unique opportunity to extend their research to include service to the K-12 schools while in the program. The participants will be able to make a case for their research serving the community at-large. They will also explore how their research can be shared with school children to make an impact on childrens pursuit of science and technology. <br/><br/>The REU final research papers and the DVD of final oral presentations will be made available to the MSOE library and the MSOE Rapid Prototyping library for all MSOE students and faculty to use in their courses. Research papers will be available on the REU website. All the participants will present their research work at a national conference such as the National Conference on Undergraduate Research and publish their papers in its proceedings.
