OSGC Educational Resources Blog

The Genetically Engineered Materials Science and Engineering Center (GEMSEC) at the University of Washington will host a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program from June 16th through August 23rd, 2008. Engineering and science students with broad interests across disciplines focusing on biomimetics, materials science, or nanotechnology are eligible to apply.

Participants in this ten-week program will be actively involved in hands-on scientific research with broad applications - e.g., bio-engineering, chemistry, electronics, materials science, optics, optoelectronics, physics, and the life sciences. Research projects will be designed and supervised by faculty members and interns will also work closely with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and technical staff on projects using the unique resources offered through GEMSEC. Participants will both write up and present their research at the end of the summer.

Participants will receive a $3,800 stipend, plus housing; travel expenses to and from the UW may be covered for non-local students. Interns will be responsible for their own meals.

Eligible Student Participants: Participants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions, and must be enrolled in a degree program (part-time or full-time) leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree; students who are transferring from one college or university to another may participate. Students who have received their bachelor’s degrees are not eligible.

For more information, please visit the official website at   http://depts.washington.edu/gemsec/education/REU.html

Moon Math! is a set of two mathematics units designed for students in grades 6-9. The units are centered on the theme of lunar habitat design. Each unit is supported by paper-and-pencil activities, as well as an interactive software application.

All lesson plans and software applications for these units are free and can be downloaded at http://quest.nasa.gov/vft/#moon_math.

In this challenge, students become scientists and propose Antarctic research. The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica is the first true-color high-resolution satellite view of the Antarctic continent. Using this view of Antarctica, students must develop a research question and debate the value of studying the chosen feature. Registration is expected to begin in March 2008, but check the challenge site frequently for new resources to get ready for the challenge. http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/lima  

The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission will search for water ice at the south pole of the moon. Finding deposits of water ice would be a crucial step in deciding where to locate a human outpost on the moon. In this challenge, students are must design a lunar impact simulator and determine the optimal impact angle to get the most information from the impact. Registration begins in February 2008. Background references are available now at http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/lcross/