REU Site: Undergraduate Research Experiences on Resilient and Sustainable of Infrastructure System in Smart Cities (RSISSC)

The three-year REU Site, Undergraduate Research Experiences on Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure System in Smart Cities (RSISSC) at The Ohio State University will host a 10-week summer research experience for 10 undergraduate students each year to work collaboratively on research problems in Smart Cities. Participants will engage in interdisciplinary projects and conduct hands-on research while working closely with faculty and graduate research ambassadors.

Participants will expand their networks and professional preparation for graduate degrees in civil, environmental, and geodetic engineering. Research activities will be enhanced through guest lectures and field trips. The REU students will learn how to conduct scientific research and how to effectively communicate, network, and present their research to a general audience.

The REU Site will offer a new framework to share ideas under the umbrella of the ‘Smart City’ that will provide a rich context to prepare students for future careers in civil, environmental and geodetic engineering.

The three-year REU Site, Undergraduate Research Experiences on Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure System in Smart Cities (RSISSC) at The Ohio State University will host a 10-week summer research experience for 10 undergraduate students each year to work collaboratively on research problems in Smart Cities. The research findings obtained by REU participants will directly enhance the operation of Smart Cities through the applied development of coupled sensor and data analytics strategies and through the application of novel materials and technologies.

The RSISSC REU program focuses on enhancing the workforce. The project provides research training to engage in developing Smart City solutions to address the combined pressures that the growing population, aging infrastructure assets, and changing climate have on the safety and security of urban society. Importantly, the REU research advances are cross-cutting across civil infrastructure systems, geospatial data collection and analysis, public health protection, and energy systems.

This cross-cutting will occur at interfaces between civil, environmental, and geodetic engineering sub-disciplinary areas. By bringing together undergraduate students, faculty, and graduate students, the REU Site will offer a new framework to share ideas under the umbrella of the ‘Smart City’ that will provide a rich context to prepare students for future careers in civil, environmental and geodetic engineering.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.