REU Site: Collaborative Approaches among Scientists and Engineers

The three-year renewal REU Site: Auburn University Collaborative Approaches among Scientists and Engineers (CASE) is hosted by Auburn University. This project relies heavily on multidisciplinary approaches to solve problems, and merges ideas, approaches, and technologies across fields of knowledge. The REU project aims to foster increased understanding of different approaches to experimental design through multidisciplinary problem solving. Ten undergraduate students each year will engage in research that increases their understanding of the collaborative nature of STEM as well as how to utilize the convergence of disciplines to solve problems. Two faculty mentors from different disciplines will work with participants, to help them gain experience in understanding how disciplines work together to approach problem-solving and learn how to apply skills they learn from their disciplines in novel ways. The CASE REU will offer weekly professional development workshops that cover a wide range of topics addressing critical-thinking skills, scientific communication, sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and cultural competency. Participants will present their research to the Auburn community, take part in various conferences, and be provided resources to travel to other national conferences to present their work. The three-year renewal REU Site: Auburn University Collaborative Approaches among Scientists and Engineers (CASE) is hosted by Auburn University. This project relies heavily on multidisciplinary approaches to solve problems, and merges ideas, approaches, and technologies from diverse fields of knowledge. The REU project aims to foster increased understanding of different approaches to experimental design through multidisciplinary problem solving. The CASE REU will recruit heavily from national conferences and partner institutions. Novice, early-career students as well as those with prior research experience are encouraged to apply. Ten undergraduate students each year will engage in research that increases their understanding of the collaborative nature of STEM as well as how to utilize the convergence of disciplines to solve problems. Two faculty mentors from different disciplines will work with participants, to help them gain experience in understanding how disciplines work together to approach problem-solving and learn how to apply skills they learn from their disciplines in novel ways. The CASE REU will offer weekly professional development workshops that cover a wide range of topics addressing critical-thinking skills, scientific communication, sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and cultural competency. Participants will present their research to the Auburn community, take part in various conferences, and be provided resources to travel to other national conferences to present their work. CASE REU students will not only enhance their ability to examine real-world problems utilizing multidisciplinary approaches but also increase their exposure to scientific role models/potential mentors who will provide a supportive environment designed to increase retention and success in STEM. Partial funding for this proposal was provided through NSF's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE:EDU) program. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.