Career Enhancements

  1. Careers in Chemistry panel discussions. The first panel comprises current KU Chemistry graduate students, including prior REU participants.  Two others feature Ph.D. scientists, one focusing on careers in academia and the other on careers in industry and government.  Panelists describe their careers, discuss career paths and training, and serve as role models and contacts for our REU students. 
  2. Education Theme: Sustainability and Scale in Chemistry.   Three educational activities feature two major Research Centers at KU - The Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis (CEBC) and the Center of BioModular Multi-Scale Systems for Precision Medicine (CBM2). In a session held jointly with students in the Chemical Engineering REU program, titled "Size and Scale of Chemical Industry", students put into context the scale at which many common chemicals are produced on an annual or daily basis, and learn about strategies for addressing the attendant environmental concerns (including work being done at the CEBC).  CEBC affiliate Prof. Jon Tunge subsequently provides participants with insights into green chemistry principles and applications in the pharmaceutical and agrichemical industries.  The students also learn about the emerging field of precision medicine from KU Research Professor Maggie Witek and tour the KU Nanofabrication Facility.  
  3. Tutorials including Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research, Keeping a Research Notebook, Tips for Effective Research Presentations, and Applying to Graduate School.
  4. Oral Presentations.   A Research Project Goals Symposiumat the beginning week 3 allows students to describe the goals of their research projects, and any progress achieved by that time.  On Friday of week 8 a more formal Research Progress Symposium is convened.  Each symposium includes a Q&A period. 
  5. Multidisciplinary Poster Conference The scientific aspect of each REU season culminates with a STEM Undergraduate Poster Session, featuring REU programs in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biology, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry.  In 2023, a total of 50 posters were presented. The chemistry REU students are encouraged to take their posters to regional and/or national ACS meetings. The NSF REU grant supports student travel to these meetings.