1. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your REU (i.e., what inspired you to create this REU program, how long it has been running, what students are doing and what you think they are learning).
Dr. Grace Panther, department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I am part of the discipline-based education group at UNL where I conduct research in engineering education. Since starting at UNL in 2019, I have mentored undergraduate researchers every summer which inspired me to develop the REU program to reach a broader audience beyond the community at UNL. Additionally, unlike other engineering disciplines, there is no undergraduate degree program in Engineering Education and therefore the pathway to pursuing Engineering Education research in graduate school is not familiar to undergraduate students. So by having an REU program, we can start to expose undergraduate students at an earlier stage and help them become familiar with the possibility of pursuing a PhD in engineering education research. The EER (engineering education research) REU is in its second year - we first started in 2023. The three years prior to 2023, we ran a similar program but it was only for UNL students through various funding mechanisms. Students are working on a variety of education projects that are both quantitative and qualitative. The people they are studying range from K-12 to undergraduate students to engineering instructors. The core of the REU program is focused on developing the student's research skills - how to write each section of a research paper, conducting a literature review, analyzing data, developing good research habits, and presenting their work to others.
2. In your opinion, what are the impacts of REU programs on students? Can you share a success story that highlights the impact it has had on a student’s academic or professional journey?
One of the REU students from last year continued with her project after leaving. It was accepted into the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) annual conference and she will be presenting in during the week of June 23 to a national audience. Additionally, she was accepted into several PhD programs - though not engineering education specific - the skills she learned during the REU program helped prepare her for her graduate studies.
3. What advice would you give to others who are considering starting an REU program at their institution?
I think it is really important to meet students where they are at and help them identify their own path - what are they interested in and how can you as a mentor help facilitate that? The 10 weeks goes by extremely fast so having a clear plan and weekly expected outcomes is very important. It is very rewarding to see how much the students develop over the summer!