Published on May 14, 2010  

Junior chemistry major Barrett Worley has been selected to participate this summer in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program with the National Nanotechnology Initiative Network (NNIN). Each year, only about 70 undergraduates are selected to participate in the program.

The selected students will receive hands-on nanoscience and technology experience through research with applications to bio-engineering, chemistry, electronics, materials science, optics, opto-electronics, physics, and the life sciences, according to the REU-NINN website.

"I was a little worried about getting in, given the selectivity of the program, but seeing the confirmation e-mail was exhilarating," Barrett said. "I am very excited about the magnitude and prestige of the program."

Barrett hopes to learn "as much as possible" about nanotechnology as a science and research career while accomplishing the program's goals. After graduating from Samford next spring, Barrett hopes to attend graduate school for chemistry and acquire a Ph.D. "I would like to pursue a career as a research chemist, focusing on the development of nanotechnology as a material for improving electronic devices," Barrett said.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.