SOCORRO, N.M. – The NMT Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, and Chemical Engineering Departments have been hosting eight Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and three Research Experience for Teachers (RET) participants this summer. 

The students and teachers will present posters on their research this week from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, July 30, in the Fidel Atrium. Everyone is welcome to attend the poster presentations and see the work the visiting students, teachers, and faculty mentors have accomplished this summer.

(Pictured are the REU and RET students. In front are Vivian Su (University of Utah), Dominik Fil (Penn State), Emily Strauss (Quinnipiac University), Avelonia Quarrie (Socorro), Dr. Mostafa Hassanalian (NMT), Justin Avila (University at Buffalo), and Joseph Mays (Mississippi State). In back are Riley Flores (Brown University), DaJae Doral (Northern Arizona), and Melba Aguilar (Socorro). Not pictured are REU student Liliana Figueroa (Sacramento City College) and Mary Edwina Yalnaty (Socorro).)

The REU students are from universities across the United States, and have been performing research here on campus for nine weeks this summer. They are from the University of Utah, Penn State, Quinnipiac University, University of Buffalo, Mississippi State, Northern Arizona, Brown University, and Sacramento City College.

(At right are two drones designed and built by the REU and RET students.)

The research projects include development of new drone designs, unique high-rate materials testing methods, additively-manufactured rocket propellant burn characterization, traumatic brain impact studies, structural health monitoring, and distributed control system development.

The three RET participants are teachers in the Socorro school district and have learned new research techniques and topics which are incorporated into new lesson plans for implementation in their classrooms at Parkview Elementary, Sarracino Middle School, and Socorro High School. The teachers will present the research they did and how they will incorporate their knowledge gained into new and exciting hands-on classroom activities.  

This REU program is dubbed the INTENSE REU, which stands for Intelligent Energetic Systems Engineering. The program was a highly competitive application process, with eight visiting undergraduate students selected to spend the summer in Socorro. They engaged in unique research related to robotics, smart materials, explosives, high-speed fluid dynamics, and shock physics.

Students involved in the INTENSE REU completed individual research and design projects directly related to federally-funded research being performed at NMT. They built skills, knowledge, and exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines relevant to these national hiring needs. 

The research projects investigated interdisciplinary engineering and science of intelligent and energetic systems, including specific projects to explore human-robot interactions and feedback, and the complex chemical-thermo-fluid-dynamics of reacting energetic material systems.

The visiting researchers also were exposed to cutting edge research facilities at NMT and at prominent national facilities through tours of Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base Space Vehicles and Directed Energy Directorates.

The INTENSE REU also focuses on recruiting under-represented populations of Hispanic, Native American, and Veteran minorities, supporting NMIMT’s Hispanic Serving Institution status.

Both of the summer programs are funded by National Science Foundation with Dr. Michael Hargather as P.I. and Dr. Mostafa Hassanalian as Co-P.I.

– NMT –