Development and implementation of academic enrichment activities for REU students

Abstract

The Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering/Science (SURE) Program was established in 1992 for the purpose of increasing the number of minorities attending and successfully navigating graduate school in the fields of engineering and science. The ten-week summer research program combines laboratory experiences with a series of weekly enrichment seminars and workshops. The seminar series and workshops augment the program objective to motivate students to pursue advanced degrees and research careers in science and engineering. In the last two years, the scope of the seminar/workshop series has broadened to include instruction in research skills, documentation and publication. While the seminars feature presentations by research engineers, the research skills workshops focus on instruction in three key areas: 1) communication, 2) investigation, and 3) documentation. In the second year of including research workshops, several additional components were added to the program. Components on publishing undergraduate research and a software tutorial were added to the 2007 program year activities in the area of documentation and preparation for graduate school was added as a new area. A "Research Tip of the Week" was also provided each week to compliment the key modules. Approximately 73% of the past participants are enrolled in a graduate program of study or received a MS degree and 34% of the participants enrolled in a Ph.D. program from 1992-2005. Feedback from SURE participants is used to strengthen this successful program and increase the percentage of past participants seeking graduate education. Surveys were administered to SURE students at the beginning and conclusion of the summer experience for program assessment purposes. This paper will provide details on each seminar, showing how the additions to the research seminars increased positive ratings from student participants from the 2007 program year to the 2008 program year. By focusing on specific areas of research, providing concrete tutorials and hands-on activities to supplement the seminars, student participants increased their understanding and application of research skills, as well as their interest in attending graduate school. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2009.