| Outcome/Accomplishment:
The NSF-supported Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Extreme
Ultraviolet (EUV) Science and Technology, headquartered at Colorado State
University, has offered research experiences on laser and engineered optical
systems to a diverse group of 140 undergraduate students since 2003.
Ninety-two of these students extended their experience by participating
in year-round research projects that helped them become creative engineers
and scientists.
Impact/Benefit:
A majority of the undergraduate students have credited the research experiences
with motivating them to pursue graduate studies. Many of them are now enrolled
in graduate degree programs at one of the Center’s core universities, the
University of Colorado- Boulder, Colorado State University, and U.C. Berkeley,
and will soon be leaders in the field of EUV science and technology in
academe and industry.
Explanation/Background:
Providing research experiences for undergraduate students has been a primary
goal of the EUV ERC since its inception. Students experience the excitement
of cutting-edge research with state-of-the-art equipment. They collaborate
with EUV Center faculty, graduate students, and postdocs on research projects
that utilize coherent EUV light in applications that include ultra-high
resolution microscopy and the characterization of materials. Most students
begin a research project during the summer of their sophomore or junior
year in college. Many of these students are enrolled in colleges and universities
across the United States. They travel to one of the three EUV Center sites
to participate in an intensive 10-week program. During this period, they
are required to perform research, attend seminars, and present a final
report on their experience. The majority (66%) of the undergraduate students
choose to extend their experience into the following school year. As such,
the student benefits from the increased commitment to that project as it
becomes his/her senior design project or a publication. The Center also
benefits, since many of the students continue in their studies as EUV ERC
graduate students. |
