Education

Programs for Undergraduates

Kimberly Guzman-Betancourt (University of Puerto, Cayey) works on the directed assembly of nanowires in Prof. Christine Keating's laboratory.

Positions are available for research projects in laboratories associated with the MRSEC. These research positions give visiting undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in frontier materials physics and materials research at a major research facility. Students work closely with a Penn State MRSEC faculty member, together with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the research group. By participating, students experience the challenge and excitement of a career in research (and perhaps the occasional frustrations too). In addition students are able to acquire valuable skills, participate in seminars and join in a variety of extra-curricular activities.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

The REU program gives undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in frontier materials research at a major research facility. You can perform research with faculty on any of the topics of the MRSEC: we match your interests with those of current faculty and then match you with the MRSEC REU program or the REU program in the appropriate academic department. Students work closely with a Penn State faculty member, together with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the research group.

This NSF REU program is jointly hosted by both the Physics Department and the Center for Nanoscale Science.

Learn more about the REU Program

CIC Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)

We are also strongly committed to encouraging the participation of members of groups presently underrepresented in the physics community, including women, minorities and the disabled. Through the CIC Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP), we also provide research opportunities for members of underrepresented groups.

Visit the SROP Website for more information.

Women in Science and Engineering Research (WISER) Program

Female undergraduate students in their first year of undergraduate education at Penn State are encouraged to apply for MRSEC-supported research projects in our labs. After checking the currently available research projects, we encourage you to apply for a position working with the MRSEC through the Women in Science and Engineering Research (WISER) program.

Past participants in the WISER program have been shown to be twice as likely to graduate with a science and engineering degree as a male and a female control group with similar semester and year of entry into the university, college entrance exam scores, age and ethnicity that did not undergo a research internship.

Visit the WISER website for more information.