REU Site: Multifunctional Materials

This three-year renewal Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Multifunctional Materials hosted by Texas A&M University (TAMU) offers research experiences on various aspects of multifunctional materials, or (materials that combine two or more important properties, such as strength and electrical energy storage capacity). Nine students will be recruited and selected each year.

The site serves two primary goals: (i) inspire early-stage undergraduate students (sophomores) to consider materials science and engineering as a career, and (ii) support the academic and professional growth of junior and senior students, with an emphasis on students from institutions without a materials major. The REU site will build on and advance knowledge in multifunctional materials, and support the growing demand for a skilled MSEN workforce.

Advances in multifunctional materials are critical to addressing the country's most challenging problems in information technology, energy, and health. The research project will help to recruit more students into materials science and engineering, an area where an increased workforce is urgently needed.

This three-year renewal Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Multifunctional Materials hosted by Texas A&M University (TAMU) offers research experiences on various aspects of multifunctional materials, or (materials that combine two or more important properties, such as strength and electrical energy storage capacity). The objectives of this REU site are: 1.

Recruit nine undergraduates each year majoring in STEM disciplines, including chemistry and physics, from a diverse pool of applications with a focus on predominantly undergraduate (PUI) institutions in Texas and the Southwest and build on existing connections with faculty at those institutions. 2. Engage undergraduate students in high-impact learning experiences through multifunctional materials research, facilitating their intellectual growth by building their understanding of hypothesis-driven research process, while also nurturing their professional development through enrichment activities, mentorship, and networking opportunities to shape well-rounded graduates interested in pursuing careers in MSEN. 3.

Maintain engagement with participants at their home institutions throughout the academic year, stimulating their interest in pursuing careers in materials science and guiding them toward internships in industry or national labs or international REU programs in materials the following summer. 4. Conduct a rigorous assessment and student tracking process to evaluate the impact of the site on participants' future education and careers and the effectiveness of research and enrichment activities, helping to improve future REUs.

The research activities will include multiscale experiments, modeling, and data-driven discovery of multifunctional materials (i.e., 4D printing of phase-transforming materials to achieve multifunctionality, 2-D electronics and optoelectronic materials, reconfigurable polymer networks, alternative energy storage materials, and MXenes). Students will learn research methods and lab skills for multifunctional materials and enhance technical communication.

The students will collaborate with a faculty research mentor along with a trained graduate student mentor. They also will participate in a professional development program that includes training in communications and research methods skills, graduate school information sessions, and field trips and tours and a culminating poster symposium.

This Site is supported in part by funds provided to the National Science Foundation by the Semiconductor Research Corporation.

This project is supported in part by the HSI Program, which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs.

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.