The College of Engineering and Computer Science now offers a new National Science Foundation International Research Experience for Students program, which is designed for engineering and science majors who are interested in conducting research and exploring a new culture through an immersive experience that begins in summer 2023.
This IRES program, officially titled “Low-Dimensional Materials for Transducers,” will be hosted in South Korea, where science and engineering students can conduct research with leading experts. Each student will work on a research project related to the manufacturing of materials for transducers, which are a collection of semiconductor chip devices that convert energy from one form to another. Transducers are used for transportation and telecommunication, and most of the research and manufacturing of these devices takes place in South Korea.
Although the global COVID-19 pandemic is waning, the shortage of semiconductor chips it created has not. Associate Professor Yeonwoong “Eric” Jung of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Hyoung Jin Cho of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who co-lead the IRES program, say that now is an important time to engage students in this research to avoid the similar shortage in the future.
The IRES program will span the course of three years, and six students will be selected to participate per year. They will spend eight weeks of the summer at different locations including Seoul National University and Sungkyunkwan University.
In addition to the research, students will also have the chance to explore South Korea and learn more about its culture. They will be able to explore old palaces, well-developed industrial hubs and research parks as well as nearby mountains and beaches.
The window to apply first for the year of the program is now open and will close on Nov. 15. Students must be a science or engineering major, be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and be able to meet South Korea’s entry requirements.
To learn more about the program or to apply, visit Cho’s laboratory website or the NSF ETAP website.
Written by Marisa Ramiccio