REU Site: Smart Polymer Composite Materials and Structures

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to Louisiana State University, located in Baton Rouge, LA, supports the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2024-2026. In this program, funded by the Division of Chemistry and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), participants will pursue interdisciplinary research projects in chemistry, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and computer science. Students will be mentored by faculty and gain hands-on experience by working closely with graduate students and postdoctoral associates. Professional development and ethics seminars focused on research and scientific communication skills, as well as applications for graduate school, will also be offered. Smart polymer composite materials and structures with multiple functionalities such as sensing, actuating, adapting, healing, and recycling capabilities have great potential for applications in aerospace, infrastructure, transportation, marine, and energy-related technologies. The goal of this REU site is to provide research experiences for undergraduate students at the interface of materials chemistry and engineering. Selected projects available to participants will include machine learning (ML) assisted discovery of multifunctional and shape-memory materials, development of molecularly imprinted polymers, mechanics of additively manufactured smart thermosets, and synthesis and characterization of recyclable biomimetic macromolecules. Students will benefit from the highly collaborative research environment at Louisiana State University, close interactions with mentors, state-of-the-art facilities, and opportunities to communicate and disseminate their scientific accomplishments. 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.