All slots have been filled for the Summer of 2008
Check back in January 2009 to apply
Sustainability Research: Research Experience for Undergraduates
The purpose of the University of Pittsburgh’s REU program is to create an innovative, research experience in sustainable design for a select group of undergraduate engineering students who have high potential to pursue graduate education.
The hallmark of US engineering has always been the innovative design of new products and processes that are optimized to reflect performance and price requirements. Although engineering designers have focused on these two criteria for over a century, there is a growing recognition that the world’s resources are finite, but its population continues to increase. This has led to new criteria being added to the equation. Most prominent among these are the societal concerns of sustainability and, with it, stewardship over the environment. Our focus is directed striving towards sustainability through the design of next generation products and processes. To do this, we must appropriately educate the next generation of engineers and engineering leaders.
Our overall aims are:
1. Teach undergraduate engineers to routinely incorporate sustainability as a design constraint.
2. Teach engineering undergraduates to work in research teams that progress from initial reliance on faculty and graduate student advisors to reliance on team members over the course of the program.
3. Demonstrate to engineering undergraduates how their research impacts people and the planet.
Eligibility:
- Students pursuing a BS in any engineering or science department
- GPA: 3.0 or higher
- Interest in pursuing a graduate degree
- Interest in sustainable design
- Interest in an inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural experience
Program Highlights
Students will participate in a 12-week summer internship. Participants will be expected to work approximately 40 hours per week on their research projects. In addition, all students will be required to participate in informal group meetings, brown bag sessions and the Research Symposium which will be held during the last week of the program.
All participants will receive a montly stipend. Participants will receive their stipends in three installments.
For additional information please contact: Melissa Bilec at mbilec@engr.pitt.edu
We are pleased to announce the 2008 student recipients of the
Research Experience for Undergraduates
Development of Biofuels for Atmospheric Tempature Supply in Diesel Vehicles
Maura Koehle
Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Eugene Wagner (Chemistry Dept.)
East Liberty Development Project
Wafa Koubaa
Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Laura Schaefer
Development of Biofuels for Atmospheric Temperature Supply in Diesel Vehicles
Todd Moyle
Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Eugene Wagner (Chemistry Dept.)
East Liberty Development Project
James Ostendorf
CAS
Advisor: Dr. Laura Schaefer, Dr. Melissa Bilec
East Liberty Development Project
Scott Streiner
Computer Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Laura Schaefer, Dr. Melissa Bilec
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