Session: 08-02 Education Issues II

Paper Number: 81021

81021 - Undergraduate HYPERsonics Research: Lessons From Two Years of the REU Site HYPER 

Training future engineers and scientists for the research-oriented careers necessary to deliver solutions to the challenges of hypersonic flight is an important task for the aviation, space, and defense communities. The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site HYpersonic, Propulsive, Energetic, and Reusable Platforms (HYPER) cultivates and unites multidisciplinary interests to study advanced structures and systems with application to hypersonics, space, propulsion, and energy. Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF) within the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research (CATER), the NSF- and DoD-funded REU Site partners participants with faculty mentors and graduate assistants to provide hands-on training through research in PhD-level topics. A key objective of HYPER is to prepare and equip students for research-oriented careers: participants tackled interdisciplinary contemporary challenges such as advanced manufacturing techniques for high-value components, ceramic matrix composite construction and non-invasive inspection of high-temperature parts, combustion studies of renewable fuels, and novel methods for improved internal cooling and heat transfer effectiveness. Beyond the research, HYPER participants engage in a professional development series, industry tours, and computational software training. In addition, HYPER participants interact with the many other undergraduate students conducting summer research at UCF, both through other NSF REUs and UCF-initiated programs. This critical mass of activity enables successful workshops on graduate school preparation and research ethics, as well as social activities.

In the first two years, HYPER recruited diverse applicant pools, attracting over 1,100 applications across the two years. Approximately half of the applicants met the HYPER preferred criteria, which includes GPA, major, research interests, etc. Notably, that percentage increased markedly from year one to year two, from 20% to approximately 80%. A large part of this increase is explained by more selective advertising and recruiting; initial calls for applicants encouraged a greater number of degrees due to a compressed application timeline. With this experience and additional time for subsequent advertising and recruitment, a slightly smaller but stronger applicant pool was developed in year two. Indeed, the HYPER acceptance rate in year two was still only 3.3%. Starting from the full applicant pool, the HYPER directors first applied the preferred criteria, then selected approximately 50 applicants for further review with individual faculty mentors. This process concluded with selections of eleven and fourteen undergraduate students in years one and two, respectively.

The HYPER directors assess the program impact through both faculty-administered technical quizzes and feedback as well as independent evaluation through the Program Evaluation and Educational Research Group (PEER). This process incorporates questionnaires and a focus group at the pre-, mid-, and post-experience stages. The technical evaluations showed marked improvement pre- to post-experience, participant scores jumped from 50% to 90%. Participants also recognized their newfound abilities, self-reporting significant gains in both research skills and attitudes about contemporary and futuristic technologies. Relevant to the HYPER goal of equipping students for research-oriented careers, participants saw their self-reported research self-efficacy soar, from 3.3/5 pre-experience to 4.3/5 post-experience. The assessment process also helps to identify those professional development seminars that participants felt are most useful and the best use of the limited time in the 10-week program. Not surprisingly, participants overwhelmingly ranked the industry tours among the highlights and most valuable programmatic aspects beyond the research. Of course, COVID-19 has also disrupted HYPER plans, and the year-two cohort took place with reduced face-to-face interaction. The full manuscript will include updated metrics and detail the lessons learned from year one to year two, as well as from the response to COVID-19. Finally, the independent assessment report for the 2021 cohort is currently in draft form; the full manuscript will include updated metrics and associated conclusions.

Presenting Author: Jeffrey Kauffman University of Central Florida

Presenting Author Biography: Jeff Kauffman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida. He earned PhD and MS degrees in Aerospace Engineering at Penn State and a BS degree in Engineering & Applied Science / Aeronautics at Caltech. Prof. Kauffman conducts broad research in the areas of structural dynamics and adaptive structures, with particular focus on multifunctional and energy-efficient structures for vibration reduction, energy harvesting, and structural morphing. His current research is funded by ONR, NSF, NASA, and industry partners.

Authors:

Jeffrey Kauffman University of Central Florida
Ali Gordon University of Central Florida