Broader Impacts. The previous REU supported a total of 30 undergraduates (30 from outside KSU) 14 were female, 6 were Hispanic, 3 were Black, 2 were Native Americans, 2 were multiracial, and 1 was from a community college. Of the 20 undergraduates who have graduated: 11 (55%) have gone onto graduate school, 7 are currently employed in industry or the medical sector, and the remaining 2 are applying/attending either medical or dental programs. For the remaining 10 undergraduates: 2 are still working towards their B.S. degrees (not graduating in the current academic calendar), 1 will earned their associate degree in Dec 2023 (and is currently applying to B.S. programs), and of the remaining 8 undergraduate 7 of them are currently applying to graduate programs. In total, 18 of the 30 (60%) REU participants over the 2019-2022 K-State program are either currently in a graduate program or activity applying for them.Over the last 3 years our applications to the program have averaged ~200. About 20% of our students came from small Kansas or Missouri Colleges and the rest from all over the country. 

Intellectual Merit. Eleven of the students from the program have attended 5 National ACS Meetings to present posters of their research and 14 have presented their research at ACS regional meetings. REU students have thus far been authors on 18 published papers.Over the last 3 years we have used a modified version of the Chemistry REU SALG instrument to access our program. The Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation (OEIE) at K-State served as the external examiner for this grant. The OEIE developed assessment instruments for our program. The assessments were administered at the beginning of the summer program to the students and at the end of the program to both the students and mentor faculty. The feedback in terms of the learning gains and student attitudes to both the research experience and social and educational activities were used to modify the program the following year.  The students have especially liked the nature of science discussions, the social networking amongst the REU programs on campus and the actual research experience. They also generally appreciate the short courses on topics such as glassblowing, X-ray crystallography and NMR because they have little exposure to those topics at their home institutions. 

Concluding Remarks.  In summary, we have had a very successful REU site for the past 4 years and the faculty is enthusiastic about continuing the program. We enjoy working closely with students in the classroom and laboratory, watching their faces brighten when they discover something new and exciting, and mentoring them as they grow into scientists. The strength of our program lies in the closeness between student and faculty, and excellent resources for personal and professional growth, interdisciplinary research programs in key fields of interest including biotechnology, nanotechnology, and material science. Additionally, the synergy between faculty and other departments and, the cooperation of the REU programs across our campus to provide both educational and social opportunities add to our ability to challenge and uplift this millennial generation. REU students are a positive addition to our department, and we hope to be able to continue to host them for many years to come.

Last Modified: 11/15/2023
Modified by: Ryan J Rafferty