Welcome to KSU Chemistry's
REU Website
(REU: Research Experiences for Undergraduates)
Dependent upon NSF funding, this summer (2008) we will be looking for 10 qualified undergraduate students who would like to do a project in these research areas: Analytical Chemistry, (Bio)Materials Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Inorganic, Organic, Physical, and Theoretical Chemistry.
Applications can be sent by US Mail or electronically. They should be postmarked by February 8, 2008. Initial offers will be sent out on March 1, 2008 and will continue until all positions are filled.
Application Forms can be downloaded here: (.doc) or (.pdf)
Please send your application to:
Prof. Dr. Stefan H. Bossmann
Kansas State University
Department of Chemistry and Terry C. Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research
The Midwest Institute for Comparative Stem Cell Biology
213 CBC Building
Manhattan KS 66506-0401
USA
sbossman@ksu.edu
The REU program in the Department of Chemistry at Kansas State University (KSU) will enable ten undergraduate students to conduct summer research in chemistry. The students will receive a salary of $3,500 for 10 weeks. Students will be recruited from all across the U.S. with a particular focus on institutions that do not have strong research programs and from colleges that traditionally have a large percentage of underrepresented minorities. Preference will be given to students that are majoring in chemistry, or a related field, who have had at least one year (preferably two) of chemistry course work. The students will be housed in dormitories on campus, paid for in part by KSU. Laboratory, computational, writing, and presentation skills, along with modern techniques in chemical research will be taught to them through hands on laboratory research and a series of short courses and weekly seminars. The ultimate goal of this program is to kindle and reinforce the students’ interest in science and technology and provide them with the necessary tools to succeed in their chosen careers.
Prior to arrival, the REU participants will be allowed to choose their own research advisors, although efforts will be made to limit the number of REU students in any participating research group to one in order to maximize the attention given to each student. The faculty is divided into 6 groups (analytical, biological, inorganic, materials, organic and physical chemistry) with most of the faculty belonging to more than one group. The research project will be selected by the faculty mentor and will be carried out by the student in a ten-week period with the faculty member’s guidance. After three weeks into the program, the students will be asked to turn in a 3-5 page research proposal describing the proposed project and its potential impact. At the end of the summer, a final written report describing results obtained will be given to the program director and the student’s research advisor. In addition, each student will present a 20-minute talk on his/her activities in a REU research forum open to all faculty and students. Research and education will be fully integrated through a series of weekly seminars, short courses, field trips, and hands-on activities, as well as the arts component of this proposal. Social interactions will be fostered amongst our group of students and other undergraduate students participating in summer activities on campus through ice cream socials, a chemistry bowling night, group field trips, and pizza lunches.
Throughout the summer, seminars will be given on such topics as ethics, crystallography, NMR, microscopy, computational chemistry, searching the literature, and selecting a graduate/professional school. A field trip will be taken to local chemical industries and a K-State alumnus will give a seminar about careers in chemistry. Scientific interactions and collaborations will be fostered through synergistic activities coordinated with summer programs in Biology, Vet Med., Chemical Engineering and Physics. Students will be encouraged to present the summer’s results at a regional ACS meeting.
Selection. Beginning March 1, offers will be made to ten students. Selection criteria will include the student’s interest in chemistry, GPA, and letters of recommendation. Highest priority will be given to academically strong students that have a strong commitment to chemistry, have strong letters of recommendation, and come from institutions that have limited to non-existent undergraduate research opportunities. All REU funded participants will be from outside KSU. All attempts will be made to achieve a balance between genders and different areas of chemistry and to provide opportunities to those from underrepresented groups and community colleges.
Week 1:
First Day: Introductory Meeting (Given by Dr. Stefan H. Bossmann, Professor)
Safety in the Laboratory (Given by Brenda Luther, Chemistry Safety Officer)
Searching the Literature (Given by Beth Turtle, Science Librarian)
Week 2:
Scientific Ethics (Given by Dr. Daniel Higgins, Professor)
The Importance of Keeping a Good Notebook (Given by Dr. Chris Culbertson, Professor)
Week 3:
Resume Preparation and what to know about Professional Schools (Given by Dr. Christer Aakeröy, Professor)
Week 4:
How to Present a Scientific Talk
Week 5-8:
NMR Short Course (4 one-hour lectures and demonstrations, given by Mr. Alvaro Herrera, NMR specialist);
Crystallography Short Course (4 one-hour lectures and demonstrations, given by Dr. John Desper, Crystallographer);
Microscopy Short Course (4 one-hour lectures and demonstrations, team taught);
Computational Chemistry (lecture/laboratory given by Dr. Paul Smith, Professor);
Week 9:
Scientific Glassblowing (Given by Jim Hodgson, Scientific Glass Blower)
Week 10:
REU Research Forum
The Research Environment The Department of Chemistry at KSU has had a strong record of undergraduate participation in research through the NSF sponsored REU program (53 students over eight years) and through summer exchange programs with the United Kingdom, France, Mexico and Germany (> 28 since 1998, ~ 70 total). In addition, over 50 KSU undergraduate students (chemistry, biochemistry, biology, and chemical engineering majors) have also been involved in research in the department since 1998. The Chemistry Department has been home to a total of 14 Goldwater Scholars, one Rhodes Scholar and two Howard Hughes Scholars among our undergraduates. These international, REU, and KSU students have interacted with each other as well as with our graduate students and postdoctoral research associates to provide a unique learning and teaching environment that enriches many of the faculty’s research programs.
Comments: 0