Professional Development

The program has four key objectives that (i) increases local community engagement by utilizing local resources through technical tours and geological field studies, (ii) prepares students for graduate school by conducting collaborative and interdisciplinary research and creating diverse cross-cutting teams, (iii) elevates cultural awareness of the local geology, communities, and history of South Dakota and the Black Hills, and (iv) grows the number of underrepresented groups in STEM research. Students involved in the multi-disciplinary research projects will gain valuable skills needed for success in professional and academic careers. 

Professional development activities include weekly seminars and workshops in the following areas: BACE Development, Technical Communication., Professional Development.

BACE Development. Structured activities (3-day workshop, industry tours, field studies, etc.) over the course of the summer will reinforce geological and ceramic engineering concepts developed in the research setting and expand their professional and cultural awareness. Dr. Keenan will lead the industry and field trips.  Our region of the U.S. is geologically unique, and so is our culture.  For example, one cultural activity will be led by Ms. Jennifer Galindo will give a presentation to the REU students on the local Lakota Tribe and their history of the area, with a specific emphasis on the ceramic pottery of the indigenous population from this region. One truly unique opportunity (optional) the REU students will have is working with a group of students participating in the annual high school Ceramic Engineering (four day) camp funded by (NSF IUSE #2120156) that had 85% female participation over the past two summers.

Technical Communication. The technical communications training, designed specifically for REU students over the past decade, will be led by Dr. Rodney Rice. Students will participate in a four-week technical communication training conducted by Dr. Rice, where students will share research results, discuss writing practices and procedures, and draft final technical reports according to a step-by-step protocol. Technical communication activities will culminate with a research poster presentation and a final technical report.

Professional Development. The professional development is designed to prepare the REU students for graduate school or for a STEM professional career (will include an industry tour). From the graduate school pathway, the students will learn technical skills (information gathering, designing experiments, etc.), and what to expect in graduate school. The program will also have content revolving around innovation, entrepreneurship, business start-ups, and resume preparation.  The orientation will consist of breakfast and luncheon where the student’s complete lab campus safety training and Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) for Research, Ethics, Compliance, and Safety Training. 

This REU site (Award) is jointly funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the Division of Earth Sciences (Directorate for Geosciences), the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Division of Engineering Education and Centers (Directorate for Engineering).  https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2349313&HistoricalAwards=false