Education Program Overview

The collaborative environment of the MRSEC is an ideal educational environment that provides exposure to a range of mentors and collaborators while providing first-hand experience with the challenges and opportunities of interdisciplinary work. The Center for Materials Innovation (CMI) offers education and outreach programs designed to encourage interest and increase persistence in STEM. CMI programming consists of

  • Research experiences for undergraduates and high school students
  • Teacher’s Camp for HS and community college teachers incorporating products of MRSEC research
  • Outreach opportunities for K-12 students and teachers in partnership with local programs
  • Professional development and mentoring

REU Program

The Center for Materials Innovation (CMI) offers a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) that aims to encourage the participation of students from underrepresented groups in science and engineering. The REU program acts as a pathway to increase the number of underrepresented students entering graduate school. REU participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

The CMI MRSEC REU program collaborates with other UM summer research programs in physics, biophysics, and engineering. This partnership exposes students to a wider breadth of UM research and gives them the chance to work with a diverse cohort of peers. The MRSEC REU program emphasizes the integration of research and education, with a focus on attracting and retaining a diverse body of next-generation materials researchers. Applications are evaluated based on academic achievement, research interest, and letters of recommendation. Priority is given to students from non-research-intensive institutions.

Participants spend 10 weeks performing materials science research. Research projects will focus on Semiconductors & 2D Materials or Sustainable Polymers, with a range of approaches including computational, statistical, theoretical, and experimental. Professional development and social activities are included in the program to ensure a well-rounded experience.

Research Experiences for Youth (REY)

The Center for Materials Innovation (CMI) offers a Research Experience for Youth Program for 11th-grade Michigan residents, providing research opportunities to encourage participation in science and engineering. The program acts as a pathway to increase the number of underrepresented students entering college and gives students a head start on the college application process.

The CMI MRSEC Research Experience for Youth Program collaborates with other UM summer research programs in engineering and other areas of the university. This partnership exposes students to a wider breadth of UM research and gives them the chance to work with a diverse group of peers. The MRSEC High School Research Program emphasizes the integration of research and education, with a focus on attracting and retaining a diverse body of next-generation materials researchers.

Participants spend 7 weeks performing materials science research focused on Semiconductors & 2D Materials or Sustainable Polymers, with a range of approaches including computational, statistical, theoretical, and experimental. The program also includes professional development and social activities for a well-rounded experience. Applications are evaluated based on academic achievement, research interest, and letters of recommendation.

RET Program

The Center for Materials Innovation (CMI) offers a week-long training workshop for Michigan high school educators. This program aims to provide curricula that span physics, chemistry, and materials science concepts. The purpose is to show how high school students can experience research with the same materials and methods employed at the leading frontiers of solar cell research. During this 5-day program, participants will learn how to use electrochemistry to fabricate semiconductor photovoltaic devices. This experience will provide new ideas and ways to introduce cutting-edge science topics into the high school STEM curriculum.

hi