Research Experiences for Undergraduates: Providing Opportunity for Women in Summer Physics Research -- Summer 2002 Each summer, the Wesleyan Physics Department invites four women to join in the summer research activities of our experimental physics labs.  These women are selected from schools in the New England region (other than Wesleyan University) to spend approximately ten weeks working along with Wesleyan undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty on ongoing research.  The positions are funded by the National Science Foundation REU program, which supports thousands of students each summer in a wide variety of fields.    The research atmosphere is quite lively.  Concentration in two areas of physics (condensed matter and atomic/molecular physics) along with research support through the graduate program place our small department in unique position among comparably sized liberal arts institutions.  Last summer we had twelve undergraduates contributing to the research efforts of our faculty, including the nine that we could round up for the picture here.  The four women to the outer left and right were our outside guests. We have chosen to specifically bring in women for partially selfish reasons.  Women have traditionally been under-represented in our department, as they continue to be in physics as a whole, and our dedication of these positions to women has helped raise the awareness of physics as a potential major among female Wesleyan students.  How It Works: Upon your arrival on campus around the first week of June, you will meet with the REU coordinator and the other outside students for placement in the labs.  This will be based on your own preferences after a tour of the department, in combination with our recommendations regarding the specific needs of the labs.  From then on, you will be under the mentorship of the faculty associated with the particular lab, and treated as one of our own undergraduates.  You will have access to all of the campus facilities that Wesleyan students enjoy, including the computer network, and be housed in university run, suite style apartments. Several group activities throughout the summer help to maintain interaction between the research groups, including a weekly seminar lunch series.  A poster presentation combining all of the sciences is held near the end of the summer.  Experimental Research Areas: Absorbed States , Robert Rollefson, 2-D phase transitions, NMR dynamics analysis Atomic Collisions, Tom Morgan, collisional properties of Rydberg Atoms. Molecular Collisions , Brian Stewart, rotational and vibrational energy physics Molecular Photonics, Lutz Hüwel, laser plasmas molecular photo-dissociation Quantum Fluids, Fred Ellis, superfluid helium films, nonlinear fluid mechanics Theoretical Research Areas: Nonlinear Systems, Rick Jensen, computational neuroscience, quantum chaos, atomic physics. Computational Physics, Reinhold Blumel, chaos, ion beam physics, Rydberg dynamics. Qualifications: We seek female candidates for four research positions for this coming summer. The candidates should presently be in their junior year and have a genuine desire to become involved in experimental research. Exceptional sophomores will also be considered. Participants will be selected from the candidates based on the recommendations of a home institution faculty member and a brief personal statement. Although we prefer students from schools in the Northeast to promote regional collaboration, this is not a requirement. Compensation: The stipend for the summer of 2002 will be $3300 for a 10 week period, nominally June 3 to August 9. In addition, your housing costs will be covered and up to $200 travel reimbursement for each participant will be available.  Contact: To apply please send the following to Fred Ellis at the address below: Name, school, expected degree date, and communication addresses. A list of physics courses that you expect to have completed by the summer of 2002.  Indicate whether they are completed, or current for this spring, and any lab courses. A paragraph describing why you are in physics and what you would like to get out of the summer's research experience. The name and relationship (i.e. teacher in course, advisor...) of a faculty member that you will ask to send a letter commenting on your suitability for this position. There is no application deadline, but we expect to begin offering positions to candidates in early March.  Your application, or other inquiries and questions may be emailed to Fred Ellis in the physics department at Wesleyan...  fellis@wesleyan.edu ...or sent to... REU Summer Research  Department of Physics  Wesleyan University  Middletown, CT 06459 You may also call 860-685-2046