2024 Summer REU Program Activities
a) Orientation Session and REU Symposium: The program Orientation Session will focus on the
introduction of facilities and administrative services of the program. AME Center lab tour will be
arranged, followed by an individualized lab and project orientation. The whole-day event will conclude
with a local campus and city tour for all external REU fellows. At the end of the summer program, an
REU Symposium, modeled under professional symposiums, will be held for all REU fellows to
formally present their summer experiences. It will consist of three components: morning oral
presentations, afternoon poster sessions showcasing research outcomes, and assessment/feedback
session with external evaluator and other engineering professionals.
b) Individual Research Experience: REU fellows will participate in individualized research activities
together with research faculty and other research personnel in our research laboratories. Under the
supervision of the faculty researcher, they may set up experiments, perform data analysis, or conduct
an independent project. The following mentor-mentee interaction protocols will be:
➢ Conduct first-week orientation session including FTF project overview, safety, and lab practice
protocols training.
➢ All students will orally present their research plan, objectives, expected outcomes, and tentative
project schedule on the second week’s Monday;
➢ Day-to-day supervision by faculty or delegate postdoc/graduate student mentors;
➢ Students need to submit weekly action plans (by Friday each week) approved by mentors, outlining
the results from the past week and expected activities for the following weeks;
➢ Students participate in weekly research meetings, including weekly oral presentations to mentors
and bi-weekly oral presentations to respective research groups.
➢ Submit mid-program progress reports by the fifth week of the program and attend an annual
symposium.
c) Structured Learning Through Reflection and Group Collaborative Session: Structured reflection is
an effective tool for learning – “students learn by doing, but only when they have time to reflect on
what they are doing.” Special sessions to promote this aspect by including special seminars by
engineering faculty and education faculty in dedication to self-reflection and its relation to
metacognitive learning.
d) Weekly Seminar and Professional Development Session: In addition to the reflective learning
sessions, the first few seminars focus on teaching the students good research practices, including the design
of experiments, laboratory safety, and data and error analysis. Other seminars will be dedicated to
professional development issues such as safety, professional ethics, and responsible conduct of research
(RCR), how to be successful in graduate school, career path decisions, and effective technical
communication. Finally, selected research topics will be given by both participating faculty and other
invited speakers to broaden the background of the REU Fellows beyond their subjects.
e) Other Enrichment Experience: Tours will be arranged to visit selected FSU research centers, a local
manufacturing plant, and other nearby research facilities (e.g., Air Force Research Lab at Eglin Air
Force Base). Other informal social events are scheduled, such as a weekend outreach activity at the
Tallahassee Challenger Learning Center, a volleyball game, and other activities to foster closer ties
among all program participants.