Professors Kavallieratos and Miksovska and colleagues in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department at Florida International University (FIU) host a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site that supports research projects for nine students during a 10-week summer research session. Chemical sensing is the interdisciplinary theme that links this cohort. Students are mentored in team-oriented summer projects, participate in seminars and workshops, present their work within and outside their scientific teams in widely-attended venues at the FIU campus, and are encouraged to pursue a career in research and discovery. The broader impacts are addressed scientifically through the wide range of applications that are impacted by the various sensor-related projects. In addition, there is a strong emphasis on the recruitment of significant percentages of women and students from underrepresented groups. Partnerships with minority serving institutions and two Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) programs are in place to meet the recruitment goals. This REU sites focus on chemical sensing combines cutting-edge research interests with wide, real-life applicability. Within the interdisciplinary area of sensing, the students participate in projects across analytical/environmental, biological, inorganic, organic, physical/theoretical, nuclear/radiochemistry, and forensic chemistry. The summer projects are designed to give the students flexibility and initiative, and to excite beginning researchers with the vision of becoming independent investigators. As the major public research university in South Florida, FIU attracts, retains, and graduates large numbers of students from minority groups. The REU site is expected to expand the opportunities available at FIU to underrepresented students outside FIU who attend colleges with little research infrastructure.
