Sustainable Energy REU at Kansas State University

For the past six years, we have directed a NSF-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site that focuses on sustainable energy. This REU site supports participants towards achieving four objectives: developing and applying knowledge and skills in the area of mathematics, science, engineering, and research methods; developing an understanding of sustainability as an applied multidisciplinary field encompassing economics, science, and technology, and the social, political, and ethical issues facing contemporary societies; developing a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning by increasing the capacity for self-directed learning and original investigation; and developing skills for communicating scientific and engineering concepts to the public and to K-12 students. Towards achieving these objectives, a variety of activities have been incorporated into our REU program, including research projects on sustainable energy, sustainability seminars, professional development seminars, field trips, group outreach projects, and a closing poster session. This talk will describe these events, their impact on participants, and the lessons learned over the past six years of running our REU program.