Project Objectives: The objectives of the Rutgers University Renewal REU Site: Green Energy Technology for Undergraduates Program (GET-UP) are to provide: 1) an enriching research experience, engineering training and professional development to three cohorts of ten undergraduate students during a 10-week period over the summer; 2) opportunities for cross disciplinary exploration through seminars in Engineering Ethics and Energy and Environmental Policy, tours to facilities that generate power or produce ?green? devices, and Industrial Spotlights where engineers and scientists from local companies present on ongoing product and system research and development; 3) opportunities for student-faculty interaction and student-student communication; and 4) support for students during the academic year through continual education, e-mentoring and funding for publication of papers and travel to conferences focused on energy related topics. GET UP leveraged Rutgers? existing infrastructure in K-12 programing and green energy technology research centers and undergraduate programs. Students were provided stipends for participation in the GET UP program. Due to the COVID pandemic, students who engaged in the program during the COVID year participated remotely.

Targeted participants: This program was designed to engage undergraduate students who are actively pursuing a bachelor?s degree in a science or engineering field who may not have an opportunity to engage in undergraduate research, such as (but not limited to) underrepresented groups in science and engineering African American/Black, LatinX, and Native American and women, students from two-year colleges, first-generation college, and economically disadvantaged students. This program leveraged existing relationships with the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, LaGuardia and Queensborough Community Colleges, the MeyerHoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland ? Baltimore County, and the College of New Jersey for recruitment of students.

Intellectual Merit: The intellectual focus of GET-UP centered around the research thrusts: nanotechnology and materials, renewable and sustainable fuels, and devices and energy management systems and civil structures for energy generation, conversion, and storage. During the COVID pandemic new methods for remote communication and research were developed and used to enhance communication between GET UP fellows and research group and peers. Three new components were added to enhance GET UP fellows? self-efficacy in STEM: an industrial advisory board, and a workshop on gender implicit bias for programmatic transformation and inclusion of multi-level mentoring.

Broader Impact and Project Outcomes: This program facilitated an educational pipeline from K-12 to undergraduate students, and further to graduate education in energy research and STEM fields at Rutgers. It also built upon existing long-term collaborative relationship between local community colleges and minority serving institutions and fostered the creation of other research collaborations. These partnerships infused Green and Sustainable Energy-Based Science and Engineering and Environmental Policy and Economics into these colleges via participation of their students.

GET UP engaged 43 undergraduate students from 24 different universities in an intensive research and professional development program over the duration of the NSF project. The REU GET UP Fellows represented a broad and diverse group of participants, i.e., 59% from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, 42% women, 65% first-generation college, and 40% low income. These students ranged from 1^st to 4^th year undergraduate students. Of the student participants, 100% of those eligible for graduation completed their BS degree in engineering or science, where 50% are presently in graduate school in a STEM field, and the remaining GET UP alumni have jobs in the STEM field. The number of students participating in the program who indicated that their confidence in their STEM skills and ability to conduct research increased by 8% from the previous GET UP REU. We believe this increase in confidence was due to special seminars dedicated to addressing imposter syndrome and strategies for having difficult conversations with mentors. Due to the COVID pandemic additional tools, curriculum, and strategies for remote communication between GET UP fellows and the research lab members and mentors were developed. Research findings were presented by all GET UP fellows in a seminar (mid-summer) and poster symposium (end of the summer) at the end of the summer. These activities were open to the university and community. Finally, research findings were disseminated with GET UP fellows as co-authors in conference presentations, conference proceedings, and peer-reviewed and journal articles.

Last Modified: 08/25/2023
Modified by: Kimberly Cook-Chennault