REU Site: CAS: Green Chemistry at North Dakota State University

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to North Dakota State University, located in Fargo, ND, supports 10 undergraduate students for a 10-weeks of research training and professional development during the summers of 2021-2023. This interdisciplinary program is focused on helping students develop an interest and appreciation for Green Chemistry, with research projects geared toward sustainability and the circular economy in chemistry and polymer science.

Additionally, participants take part in an organized set of activities to prepare them for their future careers, including workshops on conducting research, professional development, student research presentations, seminars on Green Chemistry, team building activities, and creation of infographics. The summer program is designed to provide state-of-the-art training in collaborative research environments to garner an excitement for research.

Alongside faculty mentors, students work on research projects connected to Green Chemistry within a broad set of research fields, including biomass transformation, design of catalysts, computational chemistry, polymer science, life cycle analysis, and chemistry education research. Complemented with a series of professional development activities and seminars, these undertakings provide holistic training for students in a highly interdisciplinary area.

The site emphasizes the recruitment of students from institutions with limited research opportunities, especially students from underrepresented groups and non-ACS accredited programs. This training will enhance their preparedness to meet career challenges and be responsible stewards of the Earth.

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.