Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about an REU and ours in general.
Why would I be interested in an REU?
Do you want to know more about what research is, so you can better decide if you want to pursue graduate studies? This summer REU will give you 10 weeks of research experience to help you decide and to prepare you for graduate school.
What will I do during the REU?
Your lab work will depend a lot on your particular project. You will make samples and analyze them – look at the Participant Activities section of each project for more details. With your faculty mentor, you will review the results and decide if if you should continue with the existing research plan or make changes.
Everyone in the REU will participate in the lunch-and-learn series and field trips. You will do role-plays over conduct standards in doing research and technical communications. You will give two 5-minute updates about your research and a final oral presentation, and the lead faculty mentor will give you feedback about your presentation each time.
What are the qualifications?
The funding agency requires that you be a U.S. citizen, U.S. National, or U.S. Permanent Resident.
You must be majoring in chemistry, engineering, or physics.
You must have completed the first college-level course in calculus, chemistry, and physics. If you have AP credit or have similarly tested out of the course, you meet the qualification.
For the fall semester after the REU, you must be an entering college freshman through an entering college senior. Concurrently enrolled high school students and college graduates are not eligible.
Why would I want to come to Tulsa?
Tulsa is the 2nd largest city in Oklahoma with ~400,000 in the city and over a million in the metropolitan area. You can find plenty to do when you aren’t in the lab. Downtown restaurants and night life are less than 3 miles from TU’s campus. Trails along the Arkansas River are a great place to run, walk, or ride a bike. We have museums and performing arts. Check out some of the many things to do at https://www.visittulsa.com/.
Where will I stay?
You will have a single room in a suite (hopefully with other REU participants) in housing on campus. You’ll share a bathroom with your suitemates. Students have stayed in LaFortune Hall and in Fisher Suites in the previous REU. Take a look at the TU housing page for more information: https://utulsa.edu/student-life/campus-living/housing/residence-hall-life/
Where will I eat?
You will have a mini-fridge in your dorm room to keep some food. Lunch will be provided twice a week by the REU. Not many food services are open on TU’s campus over the summer, but Subway and a small convenience store are in the Student Union, right by the engineering buildings. Past REU cohorts have frequently gone out to eat together for dinner. Having a car is a good idea to get groceries or to go out to eat. You’ll have access to the TU fitness center if you want to exercise there.
Where can I learn more about the previous REU?
What do I need to collect for my application?
You will need a short description of why you want to participate in the REU. You will need to ask two college faculty to load references letters onto the ETAP website. You will also need to upload an electronic copy of your transcript (unofficial is fine) to the ETAP website.
What will make me more competitive?
One goal of the REU is to encourage participants to go to graduate school, so you will need a GPA of at least 3.0 to be competitive (and a still higher GPA for graduate school). Another goal is to provide research opportunities to those who do not have them at their own schools, so participants from non-research-intensive schools are more competitive.
Can I take another class, work another job, take a vacation with my family, or take weekend trips during the REU?
The REU is the equivalent of a full-time job. You may be able to take an on-line or evening class, but only if it does not interfere with your REU duties and participation. Please discuss classes with Dr. Ford. A part-time job is similar and unlikely to work. Yes, you can take a pre-planned vacation with your family, but you will not receive the traineeship stipend for any time you are away from the lab due to a family vacation. There will be some weekend field trips, so please plan any weekend trips around those.