ChemE REU Renewed by the NSF

Thanks to a $405,000 award from the National Science Foundation, a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering will continue to prepare the next generation of scientists for careers in academia, research, and industry. 

The 10-week summer program, “Particle-based Functional Materials for Energy, Sustainability, and Biomedicine,” offers computational and experimental studies of materials that fulfill a specific function either because of their particulate nature or due to the influence of particles on structure. This research includes innovations like material self-healing, controlled delivery of therapeutics, "smart" catalysis and particle separations. The renewed REU will continue to be led by Professors Joseph McCarthy and Taryn Bayles.

“Joseph and Taryn have been doing an amazing job giving a diverse array of young students from all over the country the opportunity to learn research for the very first time,” said Steven Little, the William Kepler Whiteford Endowed Professor and Chair of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering. “We are very proud that these students can continue to experience this impactful program here at Pitt.”

NSF REUs give undergraduates the opportunity to work on a specific project with graduate students and faculty. The program also includes weekly seminars, an ethics forum, and a research symposium at the end of the 10 weeks. This REU also focuses on recruiting students from underrepresented backgrounds and/or from institutions that do not grant graduate degrees.

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