Educational Programs
Heat Transfer Boot Camp
Participants in the REU program will begin the summer with an introduction to heat transfer through a four-day boot camp, which is critical since participants may not have taken coursework in heat transfer. The boot camp is co-taught by Dr. Meacham and Dr. Boyd. It’s highly interactive, using team-based problem solving. It’s a great way for participants to get to know each other.
Boot Camp Schedule
|
Day 1 1:30-3:30 |
Day 2 9:00-12:00 |
Day 3 9:00-12:00 |
Day 4 9:00-12:00 |
| Introduction to heat transfer and thermal management issues | Conduction | Fluids and Convection | Boiling/Condensation and Radiation |
Final Research Symposium and Poster Palooza!
At the end of the summer, participants will present their research findings via a 10 minute oral presentation at the Final Research Symposium and a research poster at Poster Palooza, a joint poster presentation event for all summer undergraduate researchers in engineering at WashU.
Career Preparation
Meet the Faculty
On Tuesdays, REU students have lunch with a WashU engineering faculty member. Each lunch is different, but the faculty discuss topics such as their background, research, experiences in graduate school, and how they became interested in becoming professors. It’s fascinating to learn people’s journey to where they are now and the struggles they faced along the way.
Graduate School
Participants can participate in a half-day GRE crash course, where students will learn about the format of the exam, when to take it, how to study. During the interactive crash course, participants will try out some GRE questions and leave with Princeton Review study materials.
One-on-One Advising
Dr. Boyd, the REU Program Director, will meet one-on-one with each student in the REU program at three points throughout the summer, with the goal of helping the student identify and learn what path they would like to take post-graduation and help set goals on how to get there. The advising sessions have proven to be one of the most long-lasting, impactful portions of the program.
Professional Tours and Talks
Students have the option of attending several industry and research facility tours, as well as presentations by engineers working in thermal management industries. The tours and speakers listed below have been selected to educate students about thermal management careers at all scales: micro-, component, and systems.
| MICROSCALE | COMPONENT SCALE | SYSTEMS SCALE |
| Center for Solar Energy and Energy Storage | The Boeing Company | Doosan Babcock |
| Cortex | McClure Engineering | Ameren Coal and Renewable Energy Power Plants |
| Watlow | ||
| Emerson Electric |
Boeing is an aerospace designer, manufacturer, and defense contractor. The company’sDefense, Space, and Security division is located in St. Louis. Dr. Edward Whalen, Research & Technology Project Manager, will facilitate tours of Boeing’s Advanced Aeromechanical Control Effector Systems (AACES) laboratory and Facility for Integrated Research of Subsystems Technology (FIRST) laboratory.
Emerson Electric is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri. REU students will meet with process simulation engineers and developers to discuss heat transfer as it applies to Emerson’s Performance Software Engineering business.
Watlow designs and manufactures heating solutions consisting primarily of electric resistive heaters, temperature sensors, temperature and power controllers, and supporting software – all the components of a thermal system. Students will tour its headquarters in St. Louis, focusing on heat exchanger design.
Ameren is a St. Louis-based Fortune 500 company that provides electric distribution and transmission for Missouri and Illinois. REU participants will tour the Labadie Energy Center (a coal-powered power plant) and the Maryland Heights Renewable Energy Center (powered by methane from decomposing trash).
McClure Engineering is a WashU contractor that designs commercial HVAC systems. Patrick Travers will give students an overview of how HVAC systems are designed and function. Students will tour of the most sophisticated units on campus.
The Center for Solar Energy and Energy Storage, located at WashU, seeks to advance technologies in solar energy conversion, cost-effective battery energy storage, and renewable energy systems at a global scale. The center coordinator, Dr. Vijay Ramani, will give students a tour of the facilities.
The Advanced Coal and Energy Research Facility, located at WashU, houses research on advanced coal and carbon capture technologies with the goal of fostering the utilization of coal as a safe and affordable source of energy, and as a chemical feedstock, with minimal impact on the environment. It’s Director, Dr. Richard Axelbaum, will give students a tour of the facilities.
The Cortex Innovation Community is a 200-acre start-up hub and innovation district that is home to over 250 companies, including an early-stage company founded by Co-PI Meacham. Students will tour their facilities, speak with entrepreneurs, and meet people in the start-up community at a Venture Café networking event.
Social Activities
The program hosts weekly social activities around St. Louis, completely funded by the program. This allows participants to see the city and have fun! Some examples include tour of the St. Louis Arch, trip to Six Flags, escape room, river float trip, attending a musical the the outdoor MUNY theater, and much more.
Outreach
Participants have the opportunity to give back and serve as role models to high school students participating in WashU’s College Prep program. Participants can serve as teaching assistants for a two-hour, hands-on engineering course for the College Prep students.