Brandon Bell
Contributing Writer
The College of Wooster has received a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund undergraduate research in chemistry and physics during the summer for the next three years.
The grant re-establishes a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) unit that had been hosted on campus from 1994 to 2011. The REU program will take place over 10 weeks and involve research in areas such as nanowires, nonlinear dynamics, quantum optics and celestial mechanics.
In the past, the program has attracted students from 43 different colleges and universities in 21 states around the nation. Participating students conducted original research in self-designed projects with the guidance of faculty. In addition to experience in scientific research and writing formal reports, the program also offered software tutorials in programs like LaTeX, a typesetting program for a scientific and mathematical papers. At the end of the experience, students present their projected to the public in an open poster presentation session.
John Lindner, professor of physics and the Moore Professor of astronomy, is the investigator for the grant. He plans for the newly-funded REU program to keep many of the same elements it had in previous years. Lindner is confident that the program will continue to leave students with a strong set of skills for future research and academic work. Lindner’s hope for the program is that students will develop into “practicing scientists” who confront new problems in interesting and unexpected ways.
“[Students] will be cut loose on a problem no one has ever solved,” he said. “Not even their advisors know what will happen. Many will use this experience to springboard to other research experiences elsewhere … and they will use their enhanced skill sets to great effect in their classwork beginning next year.”
He also believes the program will maintain its national and international appeal.
“This year we expect four or five non-Wooster students and six or seven Wooster students,” Lindner said. “Thanks to College matching and other funds, this will include some international students.”
While this summer’s program will resemble the program from past years, there will be some new elements as well. The program has traditionally involved high numbers of students who have completed only one year of their college careers, but the program hopes that this will be expanded to other students who have not received the same research opportunities.
“For the first time, we’re partnering with nearby community colleges with hopes of getting some of their students involved in our research,” said Lindner. “We’re also excited to be able to offer our largest stipend ever [for students].”
More information about the REU program can be found online at Wooster.edu/news/releases/2016/february/physics-reu/index.php. Applications for the program are also being accepted online and are due on Monday, Feb. 29.