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Chapter 2
Over Thirty Years of REU Programs in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Alabama John B. Vincent* and Stephen A. Woski Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Alabama, 250 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0336, United States *E-mail:
[email protected].
The Department of Chemistry at The University of Alabama has run nine consecutive NSF-sponsored REU programs from 1987-2017. We have hosted to date 373 undergraduate students primarily from the Southeast with limited access to research opportunities. These include 51% women and 22% from underrepresented groups. The large majority of these participants (~82%) have attended or plan to attend graduate programs in STEM fields, while the rest work in industry, education, or the health field. The success rate of our students entering graduate school and the average of one presentation/publication produced per student are hallmarks of this effective program.
© 2018 American Chemical Society Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
Introduction A long-standing goal of the Department of Chemistry at The University of Alabama is to provide research opportunities for students with limited access to research opportunities, particularly those at institutions in the southeastern United States. Toward this goal, the department has hosted participants in National Science Foundation-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Programs for the summers of 1987-2017. Despite running continuously for over 30 years, the program has remained remarkably similar in basic design from the first NSF REU proposal submitted by Prof. Lowell D. Kispert. Despite new facilities and turnover in the Chemistry faculty over these decades, the only substantial changes have been a change in emphasis from the five areas of chemistry (analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical) to the interdisciplinary research foci of the department (Biological Chemistry, Materials and Energy Chemistry, and Environmental Chemistry) and a modernization of the assessment procedures. In this review, we will describe the history, outline the design and structure, and highlight the results of the program. We hope that what has been learned can inform others developing REU programs.
Design of the REU Program Nature of REU Student Activities All individual projects involve state-of-the-art research on real and significant problems in the interdisciplinary fields of environmental, materials/energy or biological chemistry. The chosen projects are not just training exercises but provide opportunities for new discoveries in these fields. Care must be taken to offer projects that are not overly sophisticated for inexperienced undergraduates working in only a 10-week program. Many of the proposed projects are outgrowths of previous projects on which undergraduates have worked successfully in the chemistry department. The faculty supervisors know that students are to be treated as research partners, not as technicians or dishwashers. Our faculty members have substantial experience with undergraduate researchers and are committed to this vision of the REU program. Other researchers at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral level may work on related problems and, thus, can constitute an important resource for the summer students. (Normally, these postdocs and graduate students would have previous experience working with undergraduate research students.) Because the students bear primary responsibility for performing the research and reporting results in a research report and an oral presentation, an overt and well-defined relationship exists between results and student competence. The goal of increased competence is served by giving the student as much responsibility as he/she can handle. Throughout the program, students are exposed to the entire process of research. Early on, students receive guidance on the use of a scientific library (UA’s Rodgers Science & Engineering Library) as well as online resources such as SciFinder. Next, they receive training in safe laboratory practices, in how to keep 18 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
a scientific notebook, and in the use of research instrumentation. The systematic accelerated exposure to such fundamentals is crucial for the development of the students’ research competence as they practice and build upon these. Students, even those with equivalent academic credentials, vary widely in their ability to do independent work. Thus, setting a general goal for expectations is difficult. All of the participating faculty members are experienced research directors at both the graduate and undergraduate levels; each intends to encourage and foster the development of independence. First, each of the projects is designed for undergraduates with sophomore- or junior-level background in chemistry. Secondly, each student works on a well-defined short-term problem, clearly distinguished from any other efforts in the same research group. In this way the students will not be dominated by more experienced teammates within a group effort. Moreover, an appreciation of the goals of the REU program exists among our faculty; projects are designed to introduce students to the numerous skills and thought processes required in chemical research. Students are encouraged to take the initiative and use the literature to address problems that arise. Therefore, students are treated as serious, independent researchers providing individual contributions to science. That some of the summer work is published with undergraduate coauthors supports this statement. Apart from these general sentiments, specific measures can be taken to enhance the student’s capacity for independent work. Thus, prior to the arrival of participants, the PI discusses the goals of the program with each participating faculty member on an individual basis. The development of independence is of considerable importance, and supervisors are urged to keep this in mind. Supervising faculty are asked to hold frequent scheduled meetings with the student participant throughout the summer to maintain awareness of the student’s progress and to help overcome potential difficulties. Halfway through the program and again at the end, faculty supervisors will provide informal reports covering two items: steps taken by the supervisor to foster independence and progress made by the student towards this goal. This procedure provides formal accountability that serves to remind the supervisor of the importance of this goal and stimulate thought and action. Before students arrive, they are asked to write a paragraph on their expectations for the summer. They discuss their expectations with the PI during the first week of the program; the PI meets again with the students in the last two weeks of the program to discuss whether their expectations (which might be revised after the first meeting) were met. Very early in the program (third or fourth week) students are asked to present a 3- to 5-minute update of their research progress and any problems encountered to the REU group and the faculty of the REU program committee. (The program committee is consists of the PI, co-PI, and about four other faculty members with years of experience mentoring REU students). Students are encouraged to ask questions about one another’s projects. The program committee guides the discussion, if necessary, by asking questions. If a student responds with too many replies such as “well, that’s what the post-doc told me to do,” this indicates a poor development of independence. In these cases, the PI will contact the supervisor to discuss the situation. As a matter of interest, the procedures outlined in this paragraph have 19 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
been strongly endorsed by REU participants. Finally, during the last week of the program, each student presents a 20-minute seminar for an audience composed of the REU advisors, other interested parties, and all REU participants. Each is required to submit a ≥10 page report on his/her accomplishments and to submit a draft abstract on their summer research in ACS meeting format. The presentation, report and abstract are prepared with the advice of the supervisor but primarily are the student’s work. This requirement serves to promote independent thinking and is often the step which causes the experiences to “crystallize” for the student by causing them to think in depth about their project. This final report also serves as a starting point for the post-participation activities. Students are encouraged to construct a poster to be displayed at their home institution. Ideally, they will also interact with their advisor to prepare a poster to present at a regional or national scientific meeting; this frequently occurs after the 10-week program concludes.
Management of the REU Program On Campus The REU program is overseen by the PI with assistance from the Co-PI and input from the program committee. The department has a secretary whose assigned duties are devoted to supporting the department’s undergraduate program; the job description explicitly includes providing support to the REU program. Participants receive official “visiting scholar/student” status from The University of Alabama. Thid ensures they are covered by University insurance for job-related accidents and illnesses. Health issues occurring outside the laboratory are covered by their parents’ group policies. Campus ID cards are issued to allow access to University facilities such as the libraries and recreation centers (although a fee is required for some of the latter). The participants are housed in shared air-conditioned, furnished 3-bedroom apartments with utilities provided. This University facility is a short walk from the Chemistry Department and Science Library. Each apartment includes a full kitchen, large living room, and laundry. Each bedroom is wired for internet access, and the apartment (as well as the whole campus) has wireless internet access. Residence in neighboring quarters fosters group spirit and enhances the learning experience because students are able to share with each other the trials and tribulations of their research work. In recent years, we have been able to house the students in one or two adjacent apartment buildings, each with a capacity of only 18 students. Participants of the same sex are randomly assigned to the 3-bedroom apartments.
20 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
General Chronology See Table 1 for the general chronology.
Table 1. General chronology January
Mailing of program announcements and application materials to 350 predominantly undergraduate institutions in the central, eastern and southeastern U. S. that have limited opportunities and resources to carry out research.
February 28
Deadline for applications. Telephone calls to pull in late materials such as letters of recommendation.
March 1
Begin selection and notification of participants.
Late March
Preparatory phase; finalize housing.
Mid April
Correspondence - program details: project,stipend, housing, etc.
Late April
Correspondence - e-mail: discussion of project with faculty advisor.
Early May
Correspondence - program schedule, relevant literature, etc.
Beginning of June
Research Phase - program commences.
Early August
Last day on-site activities (end of 10 weeks), reports due.
Late August
Conclusion phase - follow-up activities.
Education Research is, indeed, the best learning experience and is the central focus of the program. All other considerations are aimed at making research an enjoyable and fruitful process. We expect that many of the participants, particularly those from smaller schools, will not be experienced with some of the indispensable (but also expensive) research instruments. Accordingly, we provide instruction in the use of the NMR spectrometers, FT-IR, EPR, and UV-VIS spectrophotometers, mass spectrometers, X-ray diffractometer, gas and liquid chromatographies, etc., as needed. These “hands-on” experiences are tailored to each participant’s needs and interests. The participants also learn the fundamental properties of spectroscopy and other instrumental methods. Thus, the participants gain an appreciation of the inner working of sophisticated, but “user-friendly”, instrumentation rather treating them as a “black box.” For those carrying out materials science projects, special instruction is provided in the use of techniques such as AFM, XPS, and Auger spectroscopy in the university’s Central Analytical Facility (CAF). The very nature of the experience requires that heavy use be made of the library during both the preparatory and active phases. Our science library, with 200,000 volumes and >15,000 serials, is located in the Rodgers Science and 21 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
Engineering Library, a short walk from Shelby Hall, home of the chemistry department. During the first week, the members of the REU program are given a tour and an introduction to the facility by the Science library faculty. Participants are instructed on searching of the chemical literature using SciFinder and other electronic resources. As formal visiting students, participants have access to a wide variety of University-provided software; a list provided on our Office of Information Technology’s website, although some restrictions can occur depending on the detailed terms of the University’s license agreements. Because of the diversity of student research projects, a seminar series supervised by the members of the program committee is a focus of the program. Participants attend weekly Monday faculty research seminars and weekly Wednesday noon hour ethics seminars. Each Friday, a one hour demonstration on the operation of specialized instrumentation is given. In addition, the students participate in group meetings that are conducted within individual research groups. In the third week of the program, 5-minute progress reports are given to the REU Program Committee and REU students. During the last week of the program, the students each give a twenty-minute seminar on their research results. This set of meetings address an important concern of the program – that the students build their own culture as undergraduate researchers and not become totally isolated within the graduate/postdoctoral research structure of the department.
Research Environment Research Facilities Each participant is provided bench and desk space equivalent to that available to our graduate and undergraduate researchers, as well as full library privileges and access to SciFinder. The departmental research facilities are essentially what one would expect of a Ph.D.-granting state university. The University of Alabama Department of Chemistry has >60,000 square feet dedicated to research in Shelby Hall. Over three-fourths of this $60 million state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research facility is occupied by the chemistry department. All tenure/tenure-track faculty have participated in the program.
University Commitment The University’s commitment can clearly be shown: for example, in summer 2006 it supported 4 (of the 8) students to keep the program running while our previous grant was in a no-cost extension. This support came from all levels of the University as the Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School, and Office of Academic Affairs each provided support for one student. Similarly, these units also promised to support a total of up to 6 REU students to guarantee continuity for summer 2010 if our REU proposal had not been successful. 22 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
The University also provides social activities to instill camaraderie amongst students from different backgrounds. For instance, during the first weekend of the program, students visit a local park(s) and a shopping mall and then end their day with a picnic at a faculty member’s house. During the second week of the program, the students are made the focus of the Dept. of Chemistry’s summer picnic, that often terminates with faculty/staff vs. REU volleyball games. Later during the summer, students tour the art museum of the Gulf States Paper Corporation, one of the finest private collections in the Southeast (the company provides the tours at no cost for our group). At the end of the first week of the program, a university photographer takes a REU group photo and a photo of each REU student in their research laboratory. The University issues a press release on the REU program (which is often featured in the University’s student paper and University and College of Arts and Sciences publications and often picked up by the local city newspaper). Additionally, the University sends a student photo with accompanying text to each REU student’s local hometown newspaper. The University fully supports the REU program by making available the research facilities and its faculty and staff at no direct cost to the program. The faculty advisors are also fully supportive by requesting no salaries for supervising from NSF, yet they are willing to allocate large amounts of time working with the participants. Frankly, after 30+ years of consecutive funding, the REU program is an engrained part of the annual routine of the faculty and staff of the Dept. of Chemistry and other participating entities on the UA campus. Staff from Environmental Health and Safety provide laboratory safety and fire safety training for our students. A Ph.D. faculty member from the science and engineering library provides training on the use of the library and SciFinder at no cost to the program. Staff from housing have made special arrangements for our students to check-in and check-out of the apartments. Student Recruitment and Selection Recruitment Participation is intended primarily for those students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, have completed either two or three years of college-level work (including two years of college chemistry), and have maintained a B-average or above in chemistry. Exceptional students who do not fulfill either of the last 2 requirements are also considered. Although harder to quantify, we also look for evidence of unusual ability and interest in laboratory research. Most applicants are expected to be chemistry majors; however, strong applications from other majors are considered where postgraduate study in the broadly defined chemical sciences is clearly a goal. Usually no more than one student funded by the NSF REU award in any year is from The University of Alabama. The others are sought by mailing flyers describing the program to ~350 institutions in states which either border or lie east of the Mississippi River where research programs are limited. The program is also advertised on a variety of web sites including the department’s webpage, the Chemistry Internet Resources for Research by Undergraduate Students [CIRRUS, 23 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
(http://cirrus.chem.plu.edu)], and the NSF website. Applications are available on the department’s web page. We particularly encourage applications from underrepresented students. Follow-up telephone calls are made to four-year institutions which both have a high population of students from underrepresented groups and a degree program in chemistry. We also follow up with students from such institutions to ensure that we receive complete applications. The department participates with groups that support underrepresented students such as the Women in STEM Experience (WiSE) symposia at UA and through a chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) in our department. Faculty members have attended the annual national meetings of NOBCChE and distribute applications and information on our REU program. Our efforts have been successful. During the past 11 years, our REU participants have been 58% women and 38% minorities Finally, both the University and the Chemistry Department are in full compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Dormitories, cafeterias, laboratories, and libraries have been rendered suitable for physically-challenged students. The Department of Chemistry meets all current safety and disability codes.
Outreach Based on our past experience, we have identified furthering ties to regional undergraduate institutions, including HCBU’s, as an area for strengthening our program. To achieve this, we budgeted travel money to permit 2 or 3 faculty mentors from REU participants’ colleges to come for a few days to work alongside their students selected for our REU program. The REU Advisory Committee chooses faculty based on student suggestions. These faculty are provided research space and have available the mentorship of the faculty at The University of Alabama. At the end of the summer project, the REU students can return to their colleges and continue their project during the school year, traveling to The University of Alabama to carry out measurements that might require specialized equipment. Their faculty can assist the students in preparing posters and papers for presentation of research results at regional ACS Meetings. This allows for a more extensive research experience for both the students selected and the faculty at the undergraduate schools where research opportunities are limited. Opportunities for continued interaction between UA faculty and the visiting faculty are also being explored. One visit, for example, led to a UA physical chemist working with a visiting faculty member from a small southeastern college to design and institute an undergraduate physical chemistry course where none had been offered previously. We have also publically disseminated results of our programs at national and regional meetings. A poster and an invited oral talk describing our program were presented at the 223rd National ACS meeting in 2002 (1, 2), and posters describing the program were presented at the 56th Southeast Regional ACS meeting in 2004, the 229th National ACS meeting in 2005, and the 239th National ACS meeting in 2010 (3–5). Prof. Vincent gave an invited presentation on the ethics component 24 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
of the program at the 14th annual meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics in 2005 (6) and an invited presentation on the program at the 245th National ACS meeting in 2012 (7). Prof. Vincent has rotated off the NSF Chemistry REU Leadership Group after serving over 3 years and gave a presentation at the organization’s meeting for chemistry REU PI’s in July 2012 (San Antonio, Texas) on tips for writing REU renewal proposals.
Selection of Participants, Matching Participants to Projects, and Preparing Students for Projects Applicants are asked to submit a list of grades for courses in chemistry, mathematics, physics, and other sciences and two letters of reference, one of which must come from an instructor in a laboratory course. Applicants are also asked to indicate preferences as to research project titles, but these are not used in the selection of participants. In addition, applicants are asked to write a brief, one-page letter about their career goals and how participation in our REU program is expected to help them attain those goals. We do not ask applicants about their gender or race/ethnicity. The REU program committee reviews applications. The PI and Co-PI compile a final ranking from which participants are chosen. Successful applicants are contacted by telephone or e-mail and by letter and urged to commit themselves to the program within two weeks. A list of research topics (without the names of faculty members) is provided in the recruitment materials and in the application form, and participants are asked to rank choices. Applications are circulated amongst participating faculty who also expressed preferences. The PI and the program committee work out the pairings. While student choice is a leading criterion, constraints exist as indicated below. No faculty supervisor generally directs more than one student. Student choices must be consistent with background and training. Both supervisor and student are offered a veto if the proposed pairing is not satisfactory. After completion of the matching, each participant receives an information packet from the PI that includes the name of the research advisor, administrative details, and such paperwork as may be required (housing, tentative schedule, etc.). Shortly thereafter, each supervisor corresponds with the student indicating both the goals of the project and specifically what is expected of the student. In addition, library work is suggested in an effort to provide the student with a good foundation in the chemistry fundamental to the project. Evaluation Measures To Gauge Success A key gauge of success is the enthusiasm and support that REU participants exhibit in exit interviews and in discussions with their college instructors and colleagues after the student returns. This enthusiasm is further measured by the number of applicants we receive in subsequent years based on the 25 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
recommendations of faculty because of the maturity gained, knowledge acquired, and confidence built in their students in our program. In subsequent years, surveys indicate which professional or industrial positions they occupy and whether the REU program was of any help in preparing them for their current position. Since our program has been in existence for >30 years, follow-up surveys have enabled us to determine who completed a Ph.D. degree and whether they are satisfactorily employed. It is at this point in life, one can ask -- “well, did it do any good?” We find that many go on and on with “yes! This program was the spark that made a deciding difference”. We can also measure success by the number of papers and presentations that the program generates because of research started or completed during the program.
Mechanisms for Assessment by Participants – Students, Staff, and Faculty Before the start of the REU program, the participating students are asked to write a short paragraph on their expectations for summer. On the first day of the program, the PI meets with the participants to discuss the expectations of the students. The students are invited to send any feedback at any time on the program to the PI. The final Wednesday afternoon session of each summer is reserved for a meeting of the PI and REU participants (as a group) to discuss how well the participants’ expectations were met; the students are encouraged to discuss any aspect the program as well. Participants are also invited to individually make any comments to the PI. During the week after the conclusion of the program, the participants are asked to fill out an exit interview form assessing the positive and negative features of the program and how it helped them toward achieving their goals. While students are specifically asked to rate the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday seminar presenters to make certain that these presentations meet our expectations, most of the questions are more open-ended. We have had success over the years using open-ended questions, rather than using a standardized assessment tool. Each faculty supervisor is asked for written comments on the student and the project attempted. All other participating faculty and staff are also asked to supply comments on the program. The accumulated data is examined and discussed by the PI, co-PI, and program committee. Recommended changes or improvements can be incorporated in the program the following year. Despite our more than three decades of experience, we continue to make every effort to improve the quality of the research experience that we can deliver to students. For instance at the welcome session, the PI summarizes unusual issues that have arisen during previous years and indicates how students might resolve them. Thus, the PI works to develop a relationship with the REU students where they communicate issues at any time; this includes giving the students the PI’s cell phone number and informing them they can call at any time.
26 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
Follow-Through Procedures To Promote Continuation of Students Interest and Involvement in Research After the research phase is complete, the PI initiates several follow-up activities including a letter to the chair of each participant’s home department. This letter focuses on the overall participation of each student in the program. It points out that at the end of the program the student will return to the home institution with a copy of their written report, PowerPoint presentation, and potentially a poster from their research projects. The home department is asked to schedule a time when the REU participant can present their work to their peers. It is also suggested that in their junior/senior year(s) students can continue their summer research projects in collaboration with their supervisor at University of Alabama. If this is not possible, then some more modest but similar activity will be suggested. Participants are strongly urged to submit abstracts to ACS national or regional undergraduate research symposia when feasible; travel money is budgeted for such activities. Faculty ensure that a refined form of the research presentation, suitable for these symposia, is prepared. When warranted, papers are given at other or additional scientific meetings, and manuscripts often are published in refereed journals with the REU student listed as co-author.
Tracking Participants During the program, students are requested to set up a Linked-in account to help us follow them through their careers. Each year former REU participants in the current grant period are sent a request to update their contact information and academic or employment status. In those cases where these efforts are not returned, contacts are made to former teachers, colleagues, parents, etc. until communication is reestablished. Our student records go back to 1976. The completeness of the data in Table 2 demonstrates our success in this area. For example, in the process of writing our last REU proposal, we made direct contact with all the REU students from that grant period.
Table 2. The University of Alabama NSF-REU Participant Demographics NSF REU Program Years
Total # of Students
Male
Female
Underrepresented Minority
States of Origina (College or University)
2015-2018
27
12
15 (56 %)
10 (37 %)
12 + PR
2010-2014
40
16
24 (60 %)
14 (35 %)
11
2007-2009
37
13
24 (65 %)
15 (41 %)
11
2003-2006
47
25
22 (47 %)
8 (17 %)
15
2000-2002
45
21
24 (54 %)
12 (27 %)
15
Continued on next page.
27 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
Table 2. (Continued). The University of Alabama NSF-REU Participant Demographics NSF REU Program Years
Total # of Students
Male
Female
Underrepresented Minority
States of Origina (College or University)
1996-1999
52
23
29 (56 %)
13 (25 %)
17
1993-1995
47
25
22 (47 %)
7 (15 %)
12
1990-1992
41
25
16 (39 %)
3 (7 %)
14
1987-1989
37
21
16 (43 %)
0 (0 %)
14
Total
373
181
192 (51 %)
82 (22 %)
30 + PR
a
AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MN, MO, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA OR, WA, WI, WV, Puerto Rico.
Results of the REU Programs By the Numbers REU Program The format of the summer program as described above reflects the collective experience garnered during the department’s 9 consecutive NSF-sponsored REU programs (1987-2017, see Tables 2 and 3.) Lowell Kispert was PI on the first six REU programs (1987-2006). John B. Vincent was PI of the last three REU programs (2007-2018) and co-PI of the previous 2 programs (2000-2006). Stephen A. Woski was co-PI of the last three REU programs. These programs hosted 373 undergraduate students primarily from small colleges east of the Mississippi River (192 women (51%) and 181 men). Over this time, 22% of students were from underrepresented groups. Notably, this proportion has increased to 38% with the current PI’s and our emphasis on recruitment of these students. A vast majority (82%) of these former REU participants either plan to attend, currently attend, or have graduated from graduate schools in chemistry, while the rest work in industry or the health field. The success rate of our students entering graduate school and the presentation/publication records of our students (~1 per student, 1987-2017) distinguish the strengths of our program. A special ingredient, which generally helps our program get off to a fast start, should be mentioned. We have found that it is important to have highly structured schedule to start the program to instill camaraderie amongst students from different areas of the country. On the first day, students are welcomed, introduced to the basics of the program, instructed on laboratory safety (by staff from our Environmental Health and Safety Office), instructed on how to keep a scientific notebook, introduced to the participating faculty and all research projects, given a tour of the building, and shown the location of the science library. Most projects are initiated on the second day with close faculty supervision; this initiation includes familiarization with equipment and personnel, as well 28 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
as preparing for the evening’s science library and SciFinder training session. Encouraging camaraderie fosters enthusiasm within the group and requires social interaction as well: during the first weekend, the group tours local museums (such as the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham) and area parks. This tour breaks for shopping and lunch and terminates with a picnic at a faculty member’s house. A department-wide picnic is held during the second week of the program at the park adjacent to campus along the Black Warrior River. Later during the summer, the students visit a local private art museum. Throughout the summer, participants are housed in adjacent furnished apartments to foster cohesiveness and socialization. This arrangement minimizes interference from unrelated groups on campus during the summer and provides time to discuss science, research successes and failures and future goals. The REU students meet on Mondays with selected faculty to discuss the scope of research activities on campus. Included are professional development seminars covering topics like “how to apply to graduate school.” Techniques talks are presented each Friday to describe specialized research facilities and capabilities. Finally, each student gives a 20-minute oral presentation and turns in a written report at the end of the session to summarize their experiences and accomplishments. The program concludes with a luncheon banquet for the students and advisors.
Ethics When NSF started a program of ethics add-ons for REU programs, we were fortunate to apply and receive funding in the first year. The add-on allowed a student to pursue a summer-long ethics project or to combine an ethics project with a laboratory-based project. During the first few summers, students surveyed ethical decision-making in graduate students, post-docs, and faculty at Alabama and at several institutions in the Southeast. After this, the ethics participant identified and invited speakers for weekly ethics presentations. This is the origin of our current Wednesday series of ethics seminars. This series has been successful in recruiting a wide variety of speakers including University administrators, local and State politicians, and even head football coaches Gene Stallings and Nick Saban to discuss ethics.
Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Program From 2001-2009 the Chemistry Division of NSF allowed add-ons to REU proposals to provide research experiences for teachers in secondary schools, During this time our RET programs involved 34 teachers who spent 10 weeks on campus to perform research projects. All of these teachers were women, and ¾ were African-Americans. Several of the teachers came from some of the poorest counties in the State of Alabama. As with the undergraduate participants, many teachers gave presentations on their research at regional and national ACS meetings, and a few were co-authors on articles or book chapters. The teachers 29 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
brought valuable differences of opinions to ethics discussions and other aspects of the overall program.
Table 3. The University of Alabama NSF-REU Participant Outcomes NSF REU Program Years
# of Presentations and Publicationsa
# Attending or planning to attend graduate school
2015-2018
22 to date
24 (89 %)
2010-2014
39
35 (88 %)
2007-2009
39
29 (78 %)
2003-2006
62
40 (85 %)
2000-2002
57
35 (78 %)
1996-1999
49
45 (87 %)
1993-1995
41
35 (74 %)
1990-1992
23
35 (85%)
1987-1989
37
27 (73 %)
Total
369
305 (82%)
Prior to 2007, these numbers include publications acknowledging REU students and include presentations students self-reported having made at their home institutions. Starting 2007, only presentations and peer-reviewed publications or book chapters that appear in print with student co-authors are included. a
Every Participant and Summer Program Is Unique in Its Own Way While the tables can show our overall success, the interactions at a personal level are key. For example, one student came to the PI with only two weeks left in the program to reveal that they had been in a wheelchair only months earlier and on crutches until days before the program started. With tears in their eyes, they expressed that their physical pain was returning and that may have to leave the program. Leaving was particularly painful as the REU program for them was a test to prove to their family their ability to live on their own and go to graduate school away from home. After the PI explained that the program would arrange for her to travel home early or would work with them in any way possible to help them make it through the program to the end, the participant decided to attempt to and ultimately persevered to the end (and went on to graduate school). Another participant came to the PI explaining that they had had terrible experiences in undergraduate research at their home institution and had decided to apply to culinary school unless their REU experience changed their mind. In tears, the participant announced that they were applying to graduate school. During the evening of April 27, 2011, a violent EF4 multiple vortex tornado ripped a path up to a mile and one-half wide through the city of Tuscaloosa, missing The University of Alabama by a couple blocks. With the power and other services out indefinitely, final examinations were canceled, and the University closed until 30 Griep and Watkins; Best Practices for Chemistry REU Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.
the campus was safe for occupancy. With the REU program scheduled to start only a month later and participants already having accepted, the future of that summer’s program was in question. However, the staff and administration worked hard to get the University back on line for interim and summer classes. In a demonstration of their support for the REU program, this included getting the facilities for the REU program (such as turning over the apartments) back online as well. Over the last 30 years, we believe that we have made substantial progress towards our goal of providing students with a valuable research experience that propels them to graduate school and a professional career in chemistry. We also believe that we can continue to improve our program, particularly as we strive to reach students who are historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines. However, we can state without any doubt that the participation of nearly 400 students have enriched the faculty, students, and staff of The University of Alabama.
Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the student participants and the faculty, staff, and administration of The University of Alabama for all the efforts to make the program successful. We would also like to thank the National Science Foundation and The University of Alabama (Office of Academic Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences, and Department of Chemistry) for financially supporting the program.
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Kispert, L. D.; Vincent, J. B. The NSF chemistry REU program at The University of Alabama. Abstracts of Papers, 223rd A.C.S. National Meeting, 2002, CHED 126. Kispert, L. D.; Vincent, J. B. Experiences in an REU program with substantial minority student participation. Abstracts of Papers, 223rd A.C.S. National Meeting, 2002, CHED 181. Kispert. L. D.; Vincent, J. B. The NSF chemistry REU program at The University of Alabama. Abstracts of the 56th Southeast Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, 2004, Abstract #100. Vincent, J. B.; Kispert, L. D. NSF-funded REU chemistry program at The University of Alabama. Abstracts of Papers, 229th A.C.S. National Meeting, 2005, CHED 238. Vincent, J. B.; Woski, S. A. NSF research experiences for undergraduates in chemistry program at The University of Alabama 1987-2010. Abstracts of Papers, 239th A.C.S. National Meeting, 2010, CHED 091. Perhonis, J.; Muskavitch, K. M. T.; Skvirsky, R. C.; Graber, G. C.; Vincent, J. B.; Wilson, S. E. Teaching research ethics in research experiences for undergraduate programs. Abstracts, Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, Fourteenth Annual Meeting, February 24-27, 2005. Vincent, J. B. Over two decades of experience in a Chemistry REU program at The University of Alabama. Abstracts of Papers, 245th A.C.S. National Meeting, 2012, PROF 10.
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