Physics professors earn NSF award to continue program

The National Science Foundation has awarded principal investigator Yogesh Vohra, Ph.D., and co-principal investigator Joseph Harrison, Ph.D., of the Department of Physics in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, a four-year, $328,000 grant to continue the Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Research Experiences for Teachers program.

The project the grant funds, “Regional Initiative to Promote Undergraduate Participation in Experimental and Computational Materials Research,” brings together science and engineering faculty from four institutions with different educational missions -- UAB, Alabama State University, University of West Georgia and University of Montevallo – to provide research experiences in experimental and computational materials research to 32 undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds, particularly those undergraduates from southeastern institutions where research programs may be more limited.

The Research Experiences for Teachers component will involve two Birmingham teachers and six from surrounding areas in materials research projects that can be integrated into their own classroom instruction. The NSF has provided continuous support for this program since 1997.