REU at NISTGaithersburg, MarylandOfficial site: http://physics.nist.gov/ResOpp/surf/surf.html
The NIST REU is a very good program. I wrote a simulation of a quantum-dot quantum-well system that my advisor was studying. I learned how to program in FORTRAN, and it was great to apply the quantum mechanics that I just learned. My advisor was smart and kind. Furthermore, it seemed like my experience was typical. A lot of great research happens at NIST, and the program is administered so that advisors are chosen who really seem to know how to use students for mutual benefit. NIST provides housing in Gaithersburg, MD, where it is located. Gaithersburg is not a shining star in terms of culture, but you can take the subway into D.C. The apartments they give you are very nice. Since NIST is close to Swarthmore, it would not be too difficult to continue your research / relationship with your advisor when the summer is over. I highly recommend this one. Of course, if you have the opportunity to do research for a professor at Swarthmore, I recommend that even more. Abram Falk '03 can be contacted at afalk3000-at-yahoo.com. back to top of NIST REU Reviews
I participated in the NIST REU during the summer after my sophomore year. I enjoyed the chance to do some really experimental work on my own, to see what working in a government lab is like, and to live in the D.C. area. I also met a lot of really great students from all over the country. There are a lot of students in the program: my year, there were over 50, which included engineering and computer science as well as physics. This gives you an automatic social network, and the students do a lot of things together, from picnics to swim parties to museum trips. One of the best parts of the NIST REU is the access to interesting research. You do not have a lot of control over your research project at NIST beyond what you put on the application form -- so think hard while filling it out! I was given what I wanted: a chance to do some hands-on experimental work. At some times it was a little too experimental for my taste (my adviser was not very good at explaining the theory behind it), but I still learned a lot. My adviser was in charge of the High Accuracy Cryogenic Radiometer (HACR), which is a big expensive can that is the national standard for measuring optical power. Helping her with this, I learned about cryogenics and vacuum systems. I also had my own lab for characterizing and calibrating optical trap detectors, which are the second level in the calibration train for optical power: they transfer the national standard to other instruments. I learned how to get a focused collimated laser beam, how to use the LabVIEW programming language to electronically move and take data from the experimental apparatus, and how to design a real experiment. In addition to your own research project, you can learn a lot by asking questions of the other scientists around you. Most people love to talk about their work to anyone who is interested and would be happy to give you a lab tour. Also, every Friday afternoon, students attend a colloquium-style lecture, generally given by a NIST researcher about their work. Some of the lectures were great, some were way over my head, but for the most part they were enjoyable. In addition to being well-paid, students were given amazing free housing for the summer. We all lived in an apartment complex with four summer students to each apartment. The apartments had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen (equipped with cooking supplies, dishes, silverware, dishwasher, garbage disposal, oven, microwave, etc.), a closet with a washer and dryer, a dining room, a living room (with nice furniture and an entertainment system), and a deck. The apartments were air conditioned, and the complex included pools, which were very nice for the hot D.C. summer. There were trails for running, including a lake that I jogged around each morning. The apartments are within walking distance of a grocery store, but it is a long, hot walk, so having a car was a big convenience. If I wanted to go to the city, it was nice being able to drive to the metro stop and ride in; other students took a bus. As long as one person in each apartment has a car, it is generally enough. Gaithersburg, MD, is not a very exciting town. It is very suburban, with the same shopping complex stamped down every few blocks. On weekday evenings, I generally hung out at the apartment complex with other students. We had a weekly card-playing night, or we would watch movies, or I would just relax and read. Since I had a car, I was able to drive to a nearby Aikido class once a week. Going into the city generally takes too long for it to be worth it during the week, but it is a great way to spend the weekends. D.C. has all kinds of things to do: free museums, great restaurants, great parks, or anything else you might be interested in. Lisa Larrimore '02 can be contacted at lisa-at-sccs.swarthmore.edu. back to top of NIST REU Reviews |