Sixty-seven undergraduate students from across the U.S. gathered at UCF to take advantage of STEM research opportunities through the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 REU site, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, connects promising STEM students with established faculty at REU sites, enhancing their in-class learning experience with research, workshops and events.
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Office of Undergraduate Research and Office of Research collaborate to support REU principal investigators and student participants. There are six cohorts covering distinct areas of research that are comprised of 11 principal investigators and dozens of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty mentors:
- Research Experience for Undergraduates in Computer Vision
- Advanced Technologies in Hypersonic, Propulsive, Energetic and Reusable Platforms
- Research in Materials for Energy Applications
- and
- Engineering and Nanoscience of Materials and Device Applications in Biotechnology and Medicine
- and the
- Conservation, Restoration and Communication
- and Coastal Cluster
- Applied Computation Mathematics
UCF’s CRCV, led by director Mubarak Shah, has run the nation’s longest continuous REU program for 37 years. The university has maintained five or six REU programs since 2022, and UCF-based nonprofit has been approved for next summer 麻豆精品 S檚 REU.
Students engage in a 10-to-12-week program and participate in workshops, labs and an individual research project that they may select from topics provided by corresponding mentors. Students then present their research to their cohort at the conclusion of the REU just before the start of the fall semester.
Launching Research and Accelerating Learning
Isabella Llamazares, a rising junior studying mechanical engineering at Florida International University, wanted to learn more about aerospace engineering but opportunities were limited at her school. She was accepted into the HYPER REU at UCF and was excited to supplement her learning.
麻豆精品 S淚 always knew that I had to find other opportunities, and I knew that I wanted to come to UCF either for undergraduate or graduate studies, 麻豆精品 S� Llamazares says. 麻豆精品 S淭his REU will help me back at my university. Although we don 麻豆精品 S檛 have aerospace down there, I 麻豆精品 S檓 part of an aviation club, and I have this as knowledge that I can build upon. 麻豆精品 S�
With an interest in fluid dynamics and propulsion, her project described timing detonations as part of the combustion process for rockets and how to ultimately make them safer.
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James Hippelhauser 麻豆精品 S�11 麻豆精品 S�20MS 麻豆精品 S�23PhD, a HYPER REU mentor and postdoctoral researcher for astrodynamics and space robotics, was pleased with his students.
麻豆精品 S淚’m definitely satisfied with their progress, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淎strodynamics is a topic that they don’t really get to learn from a classroom standpoint. I know they learned a lot just from a concept standpoint, but also applying it. 麻豆精品 S�
Hippelhauser was impressed with how well the students absorbed and applied complicated topics such as orbital mechanics.
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Hippelhauser encourages prospective REU students interested in hypersonics, space, propulsion and energy to explore something they may not know.
麻豆精品 S淒on’t limit yourself to a topic you’re comfortable with, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淭ry to go for a topic that you would not have considered. 麻豆精品 S�
Emmelia Lichty, a junior mechanical engineering major at Oral Roberts University, was drawn to UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 REU because she says she 麻豆精品 S檚 always loved space.
麻豆精品 S淢y dad was an Air Force pilot and he flew fighter jets, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淪o, I got to see them up close and I 麻豆精品 S檝e always been infatuated. I came here because everything aerospace is right here with NASA, the space coast, and UCF is so involved in aerospace research. 麻豆精品 S�
Lichty worked under the mentorship of Florida Space Institute (FSI) Interim Director Julie Brisset to enhance a precision cooling loop for a space-based payload.
麻豆精品 S淎ny fluctuations would affect the actual experiment itself, 麻豆精品 S� Lichty says. 麻豆精品 S淢y cooling loop had to be very precise, within plus or minus point one degrees. I had to make the improvements and monitor hardware and code modifications to get the cooling loop to that precision, which I was able to do by the end of the summer. 麻豆精品 S�
The ability to not just apply classroom knowledge but move beyond it was something she says was very appealing and rewarding.
麻豆精品 S淕etting hands-on experience with problem-solving is a really a big part of the REU, 麻豆精品 S� Lichty says. 麻豆精品 S淵ou also get a taste of research, and it helps you make those decisions about your career, like if you want to go to grad school or not. 麻豆精品 S�
Brisset, who also is an associate scientist with FSI, agrees that exposure to research is crucial in understanding and navigating a STEM education.
麻豆精品 S淭here are two components that need to work together, both in the classroom and in the research lab, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淪ometimes it can be an abstract exercise working in a classroom, but if you have a real-life application, it can be easier to make a connection. 麻豆精品 S�
It was rewarding seeing Lichty immerse herself fully in her research, Brissett says.
麻豆精品 S淚 think it was very complete, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淓mmie did mechanical work, fluid mechanics, some electronics and some coding. In the end, it was a very complete lab experience. The research was a success as she achieved the cooling precision. 麻豆精品 S�
The competitive nature of REUs across the board has increased, as well as the quality of applicants, Brisset says.
麻豆精品 S淲e have undergrads who go through this program who stay in STEM and routinely end up in grad school, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淲e have people who are mid-career that come to us and say they discovered their love for astronomy when they did the REU program. 麻豆精品 S�
Getting Out and Shoring Up
Rowan Wyss, a senior biology student at Eckerd College, participated in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Coastal Cluster REU, where he studied feral hog populations and their interactions with the environment and other animals at the Mosquito Lagoon.
He says found the research experience gratifying and hopes to continue quantifying where and how these animal populations forage.
麻豆精品 S淚 was looking for an REU experience and was aware of its transformative nature 麻豆精品 S� how it exposes you to grad school and different software or programs used for biology research, 麻豆精品 S� Wyss says. 麻豆精品 S淚 got way more out of the REU than I thought. I built so many connections and I 麻豆精品 S檓 much more proficient in software and the tools of the trade. 麻豆精品 S�
In the early stages of applying and even participating in the REU, it can be easy to feel the 麻豆精品 S渋mposter syndrome, 麻豆精品 S� or feeling like you 麻豆精品 S檝e lucked into a position you 麻豆精品 S檙e not qualified for despite being actually qualified, Wyss says.
麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檙e surrounded with people extremely proficient in this field when you might have little to no research experience. But that’s just science. It’s never a competition. It 麻豆精品 S檚 people working together, 麻豆精品 S� he says.
Otis Woolfolk, a junior studying biology/marine biology track at UCF, tested the resiliency and sustainability of novel non-plastic oyster bags filled with recycled shells to restore shorelines throughout Florida. Woolfolk 麻豆精品 S檚 research marks the first test of the new materials in warm water restoration conditions.
He learned about REUs after being encouraged to apply by his ecology professor, Melinda Donnelly, and through his volunteer work with UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Lab.
麻豆精品 S淚 was asked about the ideas I had for my Ph.D., and I really want to work on microplastics and how they affect mangroves, 麻豆精品 S� Wolfolk says. 麻豆精品 S淪o, this was close to that. Oyster bags generally use plastics, so I experimented with using more environmentally friendly materials made of potato starch or basalt that deteriorate within years. 麻豆精品 S�
He found the process exciting and enjoyed delving into a component of marine biology and conservation that he may not have considered had he not participated in the REU.
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During his poster presentation, Wolfolk says he felt a newfound confidence in his ability as a novice scientist when a freshman asked him how to get involved with research.
麻豆精品 S淢y advice? 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淰olunteer as much as possible and don 麻豆精品 S檛 doubt yourself. 麻豆精品 S�
Linda Walters, lead investigator for the Conservation, Restoration and Communication NSF REU site and Wolfolk 麻豆精品 S檚 REU mentor, says Wolfolk did an exemplary job in his research.
麻豆精品 S淚t was very rewarding to watch this journey, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淥tis had the opportunity to be on the ground-floor of our cutting-edge research in marine restoration this summer. He is gifted at asking good, thought-provoking questions and communicating his science. 麻豆精品 S�
The program is very competitive and only 10 students were selected for the Coastal Cluster REU out of 377 applicants, says Walters, who also is a Pegasus Professor of biology. Those who participate in the REU usually continue their education through graduate school, she says.
麻豆精品 S淒uring the 10 weeks, the students go from a very limited research background to developing their research questions, collecting data, analyzing their data and presenting their projects to the larger community, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚t is a lot of work for the mentors to keep everything on track for this accelerated timeline, but the students make it worthwhile. They become confident researchers in 10 weeks. 麻豆精品 S�
Honing a Vision
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 CRCV has hosted about 370 students since it was designated as an REU site 37 years ago and continues to guide undergraduates in the evolving field of computer vision, says Niels Lobo, associate professor of computer science and CRCV REU mentor.
麻豆精品 S淭he nature of the REU has matured, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淭he field has evolved, and what students are doing now in their projects is vastly different than what people would have done 10 to 20 years ago. 麻豆精品 S�
Lobo came to UCF 31 years ago and was encouraged to assist with REUs within the first year. Lobo has seen the composition of student applicants and participates becoming more dynamic during his time at the university.
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Computer vision is harnessing the power of technology to not just view things through a camera, but to understand them, Lobo says. Continually adapting to the constant evolution of the field while also considering computer vision 麻豆精品 S檚 ethical implications are two components he is teaching students.
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Claire Zhang, a junior studying applied mathematics-computer science at Brown University, was glad to have embarked on CRCV REU.
She previously conducted remote research, but she says the program at UCF provided her with a more immersive and shared experience.
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Her project involved creating segmentation masks for solar cells to show their degradation in a quantitative way rather than the qualitative way of identifying degradation by darkened glass regions of cells. Zhang created and used a model that outlines the materials and can characterize how degraded the cells are.
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Zhang gained not just expertise in a field she 麻豆精品 S檚 interested in, but also knowledge and momentum to continue her education and pursuit of a STEM career.
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Students interested in more information about UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 REU program should visit: .
