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Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

Prospective Students

The Penn State University Material Research Science and Engineering Center has been designated a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site by the National Science Foundation Division of Materials Research. These summer positions are located in various Penn State departments and are open to undergraduate students who are majoring in physics, chemistry, material science, all branches of engineering, etc. and have an interest in materials research. The REU program gives visiting undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in frontier materials physics and materials research at a major research facility. Students will work closely with a Penn State faculty member, together with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the research group. By participating, students will experience the challenge and excitement of a career in research (and perhaps the occasional frustrations too). In addition students will be able to acquire valuable skills, participate in seminars and join in a variety of extra-curricular activities.

Direct research experience is one of the most effective ways to prepare undergraduates for careers in mathematics, science and engineering. The National Science Foundation and other federal agencies have established REU programs to attract talented students into research careers and to help meet the nation's need for mathematicians, scientists and engineers for the future.

An important goal of the REU program is to provide an opportunity to do research to students who would not normally have the chance to do so. This especially includes women, members of minority and the disabled, groups who are currently significantly underrepresented in the materials science community and whose talents will be an important contribution to the nation's scientific resources for the future.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the staff at (814) 865-3884 in advance of your participation or visit.

Penn State is one of the largest land-grant universities, with approximately 40,000 undergraduates and graduate students at the University Park campus. The condensed matter program at Penn State Univ. was recently ranked 12th in the nation in the U.S. News 2002 graduate school guide. The Physics department is a major research facility with a faculty of thirty-three, about thirty postdoctoral fellows and over one hundred graduate students.