INTENSE REU Site: New Mexico Tech

Intelligent Energetic Systems (INTENSE) REU Site

INTENSE image collage The Intelligent Energetic Systems Engineering (INTENSE) REU at New Mexico Tech will engage undergraduate students in unique research related to robotics, smart materials, explosives, high-speed fluid dynamics, and shock physics. Students involved in this REU will complete individual research and design projects directly related to federally-funded research being performed at NMT; building skills, knowledge, and exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines relevant to these national hiring needs. The research projects will investigate the interdisciplinary engineering and science of intelligent and energetic systems, including specific projects to explore human-robot interactions and feedback, and the complex chemical-thermo-fluid-dynamics of reacting energetic material systems. Participants will be exposed to cutting edge research facilities at NMT and at prominent national facilities through tours of Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base Space Vehicles and Directed Energy Directorates. INTENSE REU will have focused recruitment of under-represented populations of Hispanic, Native American, and Veteran minorities, supporting NMIMT’s Hispanic Serving Institution status.

The INTENSE REU objectives and impacts are to increase interest in STEM research and graduate studies, increase technical knowledge of Intelligent and Energetic Systems, increase research skills, increase exposure to STEM career opportunities, engage students in long-term STEM mentoring relationships, and enhance STEM opportunities for minority and under-represented populations.

Research Project summaries for SUmmer 2025 REU are available herE

Applications for Summer 2025 will be accepted starting November 15, 2024, and closing on January 31, 2025. Applications will be collected through the common application:

APPLY HERE: https://etap.nsf.gov/

General Information

Applications for the Summer 2025 will be accepted beginning November 15, 2024 through the REU common application: APPLY HERE: https://etap.nsf.gov/

Applications must be completed by January 31, 2025. Application review will begin on February 1, 2025, with acceptances offered before the end of February. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents as per NSF requirements.

Students with a background in Science and Engineering, who have completed at least 3 semesters of undergraduate coursework, are encouraged to apply. Students from the Southwestern US and under-represented populations are especially encouraged to apply.

The REU will be hosted in Socorro, NM, during the Summer 2025. The program will be a 9.5-week REU, starting on May 30, 2025, and ending on August 1, 2025. Housing will be provided in on-campus New Mexico Tech apartments which include kitchens. Family housing accommodations are availble. Note that we are planning for and expect the REU to be in person and on campus for Summer 2025. If broad public health concerns exist for the state of New Mexico or the NMT campus, an online experience will be offered instead. Participants are expected to be on site, unless the entire REU becomes online only.

Participants will receive a $600 per week stipend ($5,700 over 9.5-week period), plus a food allowance for the on-campus dining hall, and travel costs to and from Socorro, NM, (up to $600) will be covered.

REU Highlights

students The REU program will provide an exciting and interactive experience for participants which will include:

Direct mentorship by a Faculty member
Peer mentoring with graduate and undergraduate researchers studying at NMT in Faculty research laboratories
4 special "Toolbox Development Activities (TDAs)" which will be held throughout the summer as group intensive learning experiences on: Library Research Resources and Methods, Experiment Planning, Data Analysis, and Technical Communication
Tours of Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base research facilities
Weekly group lunch interactions and mentoring
Technical conference at the end of the summer to present research project accomplishments
Group social activities and weekend trips

Research Projects for this year are summarized here

Contact information

For general inquiries, please email: [email protected]

The PIs Dr. Mostafa Hassanalian and Dr. Curtis O'Malley of the Mechanical Engineering Department both receive emails from this email address and will respond as soon as possible.

New Mexico Tech Information

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMIMT, New Mexico Tech, NMT) is a STEM focused university located in Socorro, NM. Typical enrollment at NMT includes approximately 1500 undergraduate students and 600 graduate students, studying toward degrees in Science and Engineering fields. The university offers degrees from Bachelor of Science (BS) to Doctorates (PhD), and is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a "Doctoral, STEM dominant" university. NMT is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

The Mechanical Engineering Department is the largest department on campus with 14 full-time faculty members, approximately 350 undergraduate students, and 50 graduate students. Research in the department, which is reflected in the INTENSE REU, includes interaction with several of the Research Divisions of NMT, including the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) and the Petroleum Recovery Research Center (PRRC).

NMT has a strong history of producing undergraduate students in STEM fields that continue onward to achieve advanced degrees, with a rank of #14 on the 2013 NSF report of Baccalaureate Origins of US-trained Science and Engineering Doctorate Recipients, the highest ranked public institution in the nation. The success of many of these students in progressing to advanced degrees can be attributed to their involvement in undergraduate research while at NMT. The INTENSE REU site will leverage both NMT’s experience involving undergraduate students in research and multiple of the Institute’s current Strategic Priorities in the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan.

New Mexico Tech campus facilities including the library, recreation facilities, student union, and golf course are all accessible to REU participants.

NMT campus

Socorro, NM, Information

Socorro, NM, is a vibrant rural town of approximately 10,000 residents situated along the Rio Grande. The town is surrounded by a range of excellent outdoor sporting activities including hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, running, and golf. Socorro includes over 10 excellent restaurants, 2 grocery stores, and shopping for all daily needs. Socorro is a 1-hour drive south along I-25 from Albuquerque, NM, and 2 hours north from Las Cruces, NM. The nearest commercial airport is in Albuquerque, NM, which is serviced by all major airlines.

For additional information, please email: [email protected]

Summer 2025 promotional flyer.

The INTENSE REU is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) award #2244129. The project is led at NMT by PI Dr. Michael Hargather and Co-PI Dr. Mostafa Hassanalian.