REU Program
Physics Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program
Overview
Selected undergraduate students perform frontier research during the summer of 2025 on experimental and theoretical projects in one of their chosen research areas.
Research Areas:
- Nano-materials and Condensed Matter
- Photonics, Lasers, and Quantum Optics
- Soft Condensed Matter and Biophysics
Additional activities include social events jointly with other REU's, field trips to industrial labs, seminars on ethics, use of a research library, and technical writing and research presentations.
Physics majors or those in fields related to Optics and Materials Science are eligible to apply. Students from small colleges and groups that are underrepresented in science and engineering, including women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
May 18 - July 25, 2025
Application Deadline: Feb. 15, 2025
A summer research program in physics for undergraduates.
If there are questions, please email physreu@uark.edu. Thanks.
Supported by the National Science Foundation
The project descriptions below will give you an idea of the type of project that you will work in the associated professor's lab. Actual projects may vary somewhat from these descriptions. To find out more about a project, click on it. To find out more about a professor, click on his or her name.
E=Experimental, T=Theoretical, *=Projects for Physics REU 2025
NMCM=Nano-materials and Condensed matter, QOPL=Quantum Optics, Photonics, and Lasers, SMBP=Soft matter and Biophysics
1 E=Experimental
T=Theoretical
NMCM=Nano-materials and Condensed matter
QOPL=Quantum Optics, Photonics, and Lasers
SMBP=Soft matter and Biophysics
The table below summarizes various projects on which students worked.
E=Experimental, T=Theoretical, NMCM=Nano-materials and Condensed matter, QOPL=Quantum Optics, Photonics, and Lasers, SMBP=Soft matter and Biophysics
REU Student and Instituion | Professor | Research Area | Project Title |
---|---|---|---|
Matthew Balestier, Yale College, CT |
Dr. Surenda Singh | E, QOPL | Determining Saturation Intensity of an Nd:YAG Laser |
Ernesto Feliciano, Fordham University, NY |
Dr. Yong Wang | E, SMBP | Mucin and Polyvinylpyrrolidone Solutions Affect E. coli Motility |
Nicolette Goldstein, Bard College, NY |
Dr. Surenda Singh | E, QOPL | Constructing a Dye Laser in order to Determine Saturation Intensity |
Jack Harper, Rhodes College, TN |
Dr. Yong Wang | E, SMBP | Detection of micro-algae cells using automated deep learning techniques |
Elena Lotti, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, MA |
Dr. Hugh Churchill | E, NMCM | Breakdown Voltage of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Parallel Plate Capacitors |
Stephen Marking, Middle Tennessee State University, TN |
Dr. Hiro Nakamura | E, QOPL | Studying Nanoscale Vibrations Using Lasers |
Aubrey McNeil, University of Oklahoma, OK |
Dr. Dr. Hugh Churchill | E, NMCM | Novel Transferred Josephson Junction Fabrication Using Graphene Monolayer |
Kassidy Myers, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, FL |
Dr. Jin Hu | E, NMCM | Synthesis and Characterization of Quasi-1D Materials |
Sidney Osae-Asante, Abilene Christian University, TX |
Dr. Jiali L | E, SMBP | Nanopore Device: Sensing the Shape of Protein Molecules |
Sara Noelle Perrin, Wellesley College, MA |
Dr. Woodrow Shew | E, SMBP | Autoregressive modeling and its applications to neuroscience |
Gabriel Reyna Garcia, Southern Arkansas University, AR |
Dr. Hiro Nakamura | E, QOPL | Determining the Refractive Index of 2D Ferroelectric Material |
Tallisen Scott, Oberlin College, OH |
Dr. Hugh Churchill | E, NMCM | Comparing Synthesis Methods of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Using Parallel Plate Capacitors |
Keenan Smith, East Central University, OK |
Dr. Huaxiang Fu | T, NMCM | Determining the Important Coefficients in the Landau-Ginzburg Theory for BaTiO3 and PbTiO3 Using First Principle Calculations |
John Treusch, Grove City CollegeGrove City College, PA |
Dr. Hugh Churchill | E, NMCM | Fabrication, Transfer, and D.C. Characterization of Aluminum – Aluminum Oxide Josephson Junctions |
Publications
Please click this link for the list of pulibcations by REU students
Presentations
Please click this link for the list of presentations by REU students
Fellowship
Funding from the National Science Foundation will provide:
- Stipend of $6000 for each participant,
- Room and Board Allowance sufficient to cover dormitory and meal plan,
- Travel Support from and to home town of participants,
- Field Trip: sometime in June, to high-tech industrial labs in the Dallas area.
Eligibility
- Undergraduates with Physics Majors or those in a field related to Optics and Materials Science are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to those applicants who have completed 60 hours of college credit prior to the program start date with GPA greater than 3.0 (4.0 scale).
- US citizenship or permanent residency is required for NSF-REU fellowship.
- Students who will graduate before December of the program year are not eligible.
Application
Interested applicants should complete the following steps by Feb. 15, 2025. Applications received after the deadline will be considered if any positions remain open.
Completing the Online Application Form - What You'll Need:
- Ranked research projects - pick three research projects of interest and rank them. See 2025 REU Project Descriptions above.
- Statement of interest - Make PDF copy of statement of interest for uploading
- Resume and Transcript - Make PDF copies of your current CV/resume and transcripts for uploading.
Two letters of reference - Request two of your professors (preferably physics, math, or related areas) familiar with your academic work to send us letters of reference. The form that you will need is available here (REU Recommendation Form). Give this fillable form and/or its link to your professor. Letters of reference can be emailed (physreu@uark.edu) or mailed to Physics REU, Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701.
To Apply click [Apply Now!] at the upper right hand corner.
NOTE: Please note that demographic information provided in the application may be used to report statistics to the National Science Foundation or other reporting agencies in a summary form while keeping individual information confidential.
Contact
Professor Reeta VyasDepartment of Physics
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: (479) 575-6569 or (479) 575-2506
Fax: (479) 575-4580
Email: physreu@uark.edu or rvyas@uark.edu