The University of Kentucky College of Engineering’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in Bioactive Interfaces and Devices continued thriving in 2019. The 10-week intensive research program sponsored by the National Science Foundation once again brought talented undergraduate researchers from across the US and gave them an opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of faculty and UK graduate students.

At the end of the summer, the REU program held a poster competition and awards ceremony at the Hilary J. Boone Center. Faculty, graduate students and parents gathered to celebrate the participants’ accomplishments. REU students displayed their research and gave presentations, which were judged by UK graduate students. Judges gave awards based on each student’s ability to explain their research in an articulate manner and demonstrate an understanding of their research projects by answering questions. Thomas Dziubla, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at UK, gave the keynote address, which followed the poster competition.  

Poster competition awards went to:

1st Place Poster Competition: Jack Davis, North Carolina State University

2nd Place Poster Competition: Elizabeth Aikman, University of Kansas

3rd Place Poster Competition: Claire Jordan, Smith College

Best Blog: Paula Restrepo, University of Florida; Lee Lee Sands, University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Best Oral Presentation: Alex Dantzler, University of Texas at Austin

 “Many of these students come in at the beginning of the summer questioning whether a Ph.D. is for them,” says Kim Anderson, director of the program. “By the end of the program, the students have the confidence to do graduate-level research and are very excited about pursuing a Ph.D. We have been able to attract high quality students to our REU program, and hopefully many will consider coming back to UK for graduate school.”