REU Site: Fluid Mechanics with Analysis using Computations and Experiments (FM-ACE)

REU 网站：使用计算和实验进行分析的流体力学 (FM-ACE)

• 批准号: 1358991
• 负责人: Amy Lang
• 金额: $ 37.5万
• 依托单位: University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-03-01 至 2018-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1358991&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Fluid; Mechanics; Analysis

TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe proposed activity will carefully engage and mentor at least 26 students over three summers from 2014-2016 in exciting and emerging areas related to fluid mechanics with an end goal of presenting their research at a national conference. This component of the program acts as an important follow-through mechanism to further encourage REU participants to pursue graduate studies and contributes to the success of the site by motivating both the student and mentors to obtain quality research results. Other important objectives include providing a structure wherein research and technical communication skills are cultivated. The intellectual merit of the program resides in the current need for basic and applied research in fluid mechanics across a range of engineering disciplines as well as the training of undergraduate students in state-of-the-art laboratory environments. At least eight faculty will act as research mentors and students will contribute to projects that include, as a sampling, particle image velocimetry (PIV) investigations of bio-inspired boundary layer control mechanisms, combustion studies using a color schlieren system, and the examination of magnetic fluids for cancer treatment. This program provides a structured plan for each student to present their work at the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics (APS DFD) Meeting held each fall. Over the past six summers during the previous site, 98% of participants presented an abstract at APS DFD. Assessment of the program has resulted in continuous improvement to the site and, especially, to the seminars and communication skills workshops -- the latest involves having the students compile a three-minute video about their research project for web posting. The broader impacts of the program include enhancing and diversifying the pool of students considering a research career in engineering/sciences. The program incorporates an aggressive recruitment plan for attracting talented female and other underrepresented groups. Past efforts resulted in demographics that included 22 women, 4 Hispanics and 2 African Americans out of 51 students (43% women, and 28/51 or 55% from underrepresented groups). In addition, one Army veteran also participated in 2013. The original target, which was surpassed in the previous sites, was and still is to have at least half of the students participating each year to be from underrepresented groups. To-date, over 50% of past participants have entered graduate school. The proposed REU program will not only advance knowledge in new research areas within fluid mechanics, but will also train a group of diverse and highly-educated engineering researchers into the US workforce. A new goal of the renewal site is to recruit at least half from colleges where research in STEM areas is limited.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award funds a Research Experience for Undergraduates site that will run for 10 weeks each summer from 2014-2016. The program is under the direction of Dr. Amy Lang at the University of Alabama and will engage approximately nine students each summer in research related to engineering fluid mechanics. Students will be mentored by one of eight faculty from Aerospace, Mechanical and Chemical & Biological Engineering departments within the College of Engineering. These projects range from the study of how butterfly scales improve flight efficiency for potential bio-inspired designs to combustion studies for overall improvement in fuel efficiency for gas turbine engines and automobiles. The site also cultivates the oral and written communication skills of the students through a series of weekly workshops. Communication of research results is a key skill for a high quality researcher in engineering. Also, this site is unique in that it culminates in each student submitting an abstract and presenting at the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics meeting held each November. This is an international conference of over 2000 professionals and students presenting their work in the field of fluid dynamics. As a group the students attend the conference in November after their summer experience with Dr. Amy Lang and accompanying graduate students. Overall, this experience provides an opportunity for promising undergraduates to perform research as they would experience in graduate school, and, thus, motivates students to pursue advanced degrees in engineering. Over 50% of past participants have enrolled in graduate school (such as MIT, Georgia Tech and Stanford). Recruitment of students from underrepresented groups is also a goal, with the primary focus being that of women in engineering (over 40% were women in past sites, about 55% were from underrepresented groups when including Hispanics and African Americans). This new site also has the goal of recruiting from colleges where research opportunities are limited, such as Smith College in Massachusetts.

技术摘要拟议的活动将在 2014 年至 2016 年的三个夏天仔细吸引和指导至少 26 名学生，涉及与流体力学相关的令人兴奋的新兴领域，最终目标是在全国会议上展示他们的研究成果。该计划的这一组成部分作为一个重要的后续机制，进一步鼓励 REU 参与者攻读研究生，并通过激励学生和导师获得高质量的研究成果，为该网站的成功做出贡献。其他重要目标包括提供培养研究和技术沟通技能的结构。 该项目的智力价值在于当前对跨一系列工程学科的流体力学基础和应用研究的需求，以及在最先进的实验室环境中对本科生的培训。至少八名教师将担任研究导师，学生将为项目做出贡献，这些项目包括作为采样的仿生边界层控制机制的粒子图像测速 (PIV) 研究、使用彩色纹影系统的燃烧研究以及对用于癌症治疗的磁性流体。该计划为每个学生提供了一个结构化计划，以便在每年秋季举行的美国物理学会流体动力学分部 (APS DFD) 会议上展示他们的工作。在过去的六个夏天，在之前的网站上，98% 的参与者在 APS DFD 上提交了摘要。该计划的评估导致网站不断改进，特别是研讨会和沟通技巧讲习班——最新的内容是让学生编写一个关于他们的研究项目的三分钟视频，以便在网上发布。 该计划的更广泛影响包括增强考虑从事工程/科学研究职业的学生群体并使其多样化。该计划纳入了一项积极的招聘计划，以吸引有才华的女性和其他代表性不足的群体。过去的努力导致 51 名学生中包括 22 名女性、4 名西班牙裔和 2 名非裔美国人（43% 是女性，28/51 或 55% 来自代表性不足的群体）。此外，一名退伍军人也参加了 2013 年的活动。原定目标是每年至少有一半的学生来自代表性不足的群体，这一目标在之前的网站上已被超越。迄今为止，超过 50% 的往届参与者已进入研究生院。拟议的 REU 计划不仅将推进流体力学新研究领域的知识，还将培训一批多元化且受过高等教育的工程研究人员进入美国劳动力队伍。更新网站的一个新目标是从 STEM 领域研究有限的大学招募至少一半的人员。非技术摘要该奖项资助本科生研究体验网站，该网站将从 2014 年到 2016 年每年夏天运行 10 周。 该项目由阿拉巴马大学 Amy Lang 博士指导，每年夏天将吸引大约 9 名学生参与与工程流体力学相关的研究。 学生将受到工程学院航空航天、机械、化学和生物工程系八名教师之一的指导。 这些项目包括研究蝴蝶鳞片如何提高潜在仿生设计的飞行效率，以及全面提高燃气涡轮发动机和汽车燃油效率的燃烧研究。 该网站还通过一系列每周研讨会培养学生的口头和书面沟通技巧。 研究成果的交流是高素质工程研究人员的一项关键技能。 此外，该网站的独特之处在于，每个学生都会提交一份摘要，并在每年 11 月举行的美国物理学会流体动力学分部会议上进行演示。 这是一次由 2000 多名专业人士和学生参加的国际会议，展示他们在流体动力学领域的工作。 学生们在与 Amy Lang 博士和随行研究生一起度过暑期后，以小组形式参加了 11 月的会议。 总的来说，这种经历为有前途的本科生提供了像在研究生院一样进行研究的机会，从而激励学生攻读工程学的高级学位。超过 50% 的过去参与者已就读于研究生院（例如麻省理工学院、佐治亚理工学院和斯坦福大学）。 招收代表性不足群体的学生也是一个目标，主要关注的是工程领域的女性学生（过去的站点超过 40% 是女性，约 55% 来自代表性不足的群体，其中包括西班牙裔和非裔美国人）。 这个新网站的目标还包括从研究机会有限的大学（例如马萨诸塞州的史密斯学院）招募人才。