REU Site: A Summer Research Program that Integrates Deaf, Hearing and Sign Language Interpreting Students to Advance Chemistry Research and to Enhance Community Outreach

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to James Madison University (JMU), located in Harrisonburg, VA, supports the training of 12 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2025-2027. In this program, funded by the Division of Chemistry, students will participate in research across all subdisciplines of chemistry. This program aims to broaden participation in STEM by providing research opportunities to Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students and first-generation college students, primarily from institutions with limited research infrastructure. Additionally, this program recruits American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting students and embeds them in the research community. Increasing the number of professionals with experience interpreting in scientific environments will remove impediments to D/HH students pursuing STEM careers. Furthermore, in this REU, Deaf and hearing participants learn together, which fosters cultural awareness and could lead to a more cohesive scientific community. JMU faculty and a visiting faculty member from Gallaudet University provide research opportunities in all major sub-disciplines of chemistry, with expertise centered around chemical synthesis, biophysical chemistry and materials chemistry. In addition to conducting research, REU students will also participate in professional development activities aimed at enhancing effective science communication and outreach. An expert in outreach activities will co-host workshops on how to communicate effectively with the community and how to use chemistry demonstrations to get general public excited about science. 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.