REU Projects

ABOUT THE PROJECTS

Research experiences are highly individual. To a large extent, they are shaped by the participant's background, the intellectual and research environment, the nature of the projects undertaken, and the methodology deployed. The project's format, scope, etc., can not possibly fit into one mold. These REU pages are structured in such a manner as to offer the participating undergraduates the flexibility to select a project that is a suitable match to their individual backgrounds and interests. Each year, we anticipate offering 8-13 projects with each project involving 1-2 students. We also hope to attract 2-4 students annually who will stay for a research experience spanning two summers. In any given year, we anticipate supporting 15 REU scholars.

Links to descriptions of projects that form the backbone of the REU technical program are provided in the dropdown list at the top of the page.

The representative projects span the broad area of bioengineering, covering applied molecular biology, bioprocessing, cell-particle interactions, biophysical properties, environmental biotechnology, biosensors, and biomaterials. The following is a representative, not exclusive, list of projects. Each project is carefully constructed to allow the students to complete a discrete body of work by the end of the program. Importantly, many projects are interdisciplinary; faculty from other departments on campus are listed along with a primary mentor from our department.