REU Site: CollaborativE Multidisciplinary Investigations Through Undergraduate Research Experiences (CEMITURE)

This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at Georgia Southern University entitled CollaborativE Multidisciplinary Investigations Through Undergraduate Research Experiences (CEMITURE) that is led by Professors Karelle Aiken and Evans Afriyie-Gyawuwill. They will engage student participants in intensive research and professional development activities, which will allow for sustained growth as scientists. CEMITURE student participants will work directly with faculty mentors on their respective research projects in an environment where they develop the necessary skills and gain experiences that solidify their self-identities as scientists. The CEMITURE experience will be augmented by the active involvement of participants in educational, social and professional development activities, which will include training in scientific communication and workshops on career preparation, leadership, and ethics. The program is designed so that participants will build a community of scholars with their peers and GSU faculty; enhance their preparation for future success in graduate programs; endeavor to use their knowledge and expertise in science to make significant contributions to their own communities and the wider society; and gain a global perspective of STEM fields.

For ten weeks, the program, hosted by the Georgia Southern University (GSU) Chemistry Department, will engage undergraduate students in collaborative and multidisciplinary projects using analytical, material, organic, and bio-chemistry. Emphasis will be placed on recruiting students from institutions with limited research opportunities, particularly women, minorities, and students from rural and underserved areas of the southeastern United States. Projects will entail the design of new organic synthetic methodology for bioactive molecules; the development of materials with enhanced mechanical, thermal, and electrochemical properties; the design and probing of materials for their potential in the treatment of cancer and traumatic brain injury; the synthesis and investigation of novel organic molecules for detection of heavy transition metal cations; and the development of techniques for identification and quantification of organic and inorganic food contaminants.