REU Site @ UC San Diego

Designing for Safety and Safety by Design

A Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at UC San Diego, Department of Structural Engineering (grant no. NSF-EEC 1757994)

Overview

The overarching goal of this NSF REU Summer Program is to immerse students in a meaningful and highly interdisciplinary research environment within the structural engineering domain and to teach them that design does not end with construction. Instead, designing for safety embodies: quantifying potential load conditions, damage mechanics, and uncertainties; monitoring for anomalies during operations; processing this information through cyber-modeling via digital surrogates; and translating the information to actionable knowledge for improving current and future system designs. This REU Site will recruit and train 12 diverse U.S. scholars, working in pairs in a faculty member's lab, for eight weeks each summer to conduct high-impact research alongside other undergraduate and graduate students. Download the flyer today!

2019 REU Summer Program Information

Application Deadline: March 1, 2019
Program Dates: June 22, 2019 to August 18, 2019
Duration: 8 Weeks
Funding: $4,000 stipend + travel + lodging + meals
Housing: Campus housing will be pre-arranged

2019 REU Summer Program Overview

REU student scholars will work in pairs and be assigned - based on their interests – to work with a faculty mentor and graduate student in Structural Engineering. Students will conduct independent research while collaborating with and learning from other undergraduate and graduate students in an integrated group setting. In addition to research, students will also be immersed in a plethora of enrichment activities.

Sample Research Topics

Cyber-modeling and digital surrogates
Damage mechanics
Risk and damage assessment
Sensor technologies
Signal processing and analysis
Structural design and optimization
Structural health monitoring
Structural reliability

Student Enrichment Activities

Research and laboratory training
Research facility tours
Graduate school preparation
Science & Society seminars
Social activities with other undergrads
Faculty and graduate student lunches
Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Caption: Structural Engineering Powell Labs

Faculty Mentors

Prof. Ken Loh (PI) - Director of REU Summer Program
Prof. Michael Todd (Co-PI) - Associate Director of REU Summer Program
Prof. Alicia Kim
Prof. Francesco Lanza di Scalea
Prof. Hyonny Kim
Prof. J. S. Chen

Eligibility

Limited to U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents (no exceptions)
Enrolled as a student during time of application
- Students transferring institutions (e.g., from two-year to four-year institutions) are also eligible
Completed at least one-year of their undergraduate studies
Declared majors in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines
- For exceptions and waivers, please contact the Director of the REU Site, Prof. Ken Loh
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Preference will be given to students with GPA greater than 3.3
Completed online application and supplemental documents, including:
- PDF copy of official transcript
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Two letters of recommendation (submitted by applicant or emailed to Prof. Ken Loh)
Women, underrepresented, economically-disadvantaged, and first-generation college students are strongly encouraged to apply

Applications for Summer 2019 are now being accepted and are due on March 1, 2019. To help you prepare your application, you can download the list of questions before formally submitting your application.

Applications for 2019 are now closed

2019 REU applications are currently under review. Decisions will be sent as soon as possible.

About UC San Diego Structural Engineering

Students scholars in the 2019 REU Program at UC San Diego will conduct research in and be housed in the Department of Structural Engineering. The Department, and its faculty and students, conduct cutting edge research in aerospace, biological, civil, geotechnical, mechanical, and naval/marine structures by integrating engineering mechanics theories, computational modeling simulations, experimental testing, and practical design concepts. In addition, the Department is home to the world-class Charles Lee Powell Laboratories, the Caltrans Seismic Response Modification Device, and the Englekirk Engineering Center. Through these facilities, students and visitors have access to some of the most innovative and productive research infrastructure in the world.

Captions: UC San Diego, Jacobs School of Engineering quad adjacent to Structural Engineering