REU Site: Chemistry Research for Medicine and Energy at the University of Rochester

This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site award to the University of Rochester, located in Rochester, NY, supports 10 undergraduate students for a 10-week residential research program during the summers of 2022-2024. The program, supported by the Division of Chemistry, immerses students in interdisciplinary chemical research and equips them with the professional skills to succeed in STEM careers.

The program is enriched by an array of activities related to research ethics, project development, professional networking, scientific communication, and outreach. Participants are recruited nationally, with an emphasis on students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM and may have limited access to research opportunities at their home institutions.

The goal of this program is to increase retention in STEM by providing students with scientific and professional skills, along with a strong support network of mentors and peers, that will endure beyond the summer research experience.

REU students will contribute to research that addresses fundamental challenges related to the synthesis and discovery of new drugs, energy, and sustainable chemistry. Research will be undertaken with faculty mentors whose research extends from catalysis development, nanoparticle synthesis, peptide self-assembly, natural product synthesis, ultrafast spectroscopy and quantum dynamics simulations.

The major broader impact of this project stems from equipping a cohort of 30 undergraduate students with both the hard and soft skills necessary for a successful career in science. Additionally, the site helps students establish a professional network to support their career by facilitating long-term mentoring between REU students and faculty mentors.

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.