Tribology-Based Research and Training for Underrepresented Minorities
Abstract
The high level objective of this project is provide the research tools necessary to train the next generation of scientists and engineers for successful and productive careers in tribology and related fields. Tribology is an exciting research area that plays an important role in todayÕs world, particularly due to the demand for more energy efficient and longer lasting mechanical systems. However, the researchers who will make major breakthroughs in this field are currently either in high school and have yet to decide if they will pursue a STEM degree, or are undergraduates who have no exposure to tribology in their standard engineering curriculum. These students are the target audience of the proposed instrumentation grant: we will provide research and training to help to build the diverse research community and workforce that will be needed to tackle the critical scientific and technological challenges of the future. This goal will be achieved by purchasing a universal tribometer that enables a range of standard and custom tribological tests to be performed along with multiple surface and materials characterization tools in the same instrument. This instrument represents a transformative improvement in the experimental capabilities at UC Merced and will enable research on several important and exciting topics, including ultra-low friction solid lubricant coatings, multi-functional nanoparticle lubricant additives and sustained sliding in starved lubrication. We will also leverage the capabilities of this instrument to involve a diverse group of students both on and off campus. Undergraduate students from several different science and engineering majors will experience the new capabilities through a new technical elective course, individual research, and tribology-focused capstone design projects. Local middle and high school students will be exposed to the instrument, tribology, and engineering in general through lab visits and half day STEM camps. UC Merced is a Hispanic Serving Institution and a Minority Serving Institution, and its undergraduate students, as well as the predominantly Hispanic pre-college students from the Merced area, face many challenges. We can motivate them to pursue STEM degrees and then give them a unique advantage as they begin their careers by providing specialized skills in tribology. Such skills are in-demand across a range of industries and are highly relevant to the DoD through the tribology focus areas within ARO, ARL and Sandia National Labs. We will create a transformative new program at UC Merced, based on the variety of measurement techniques available with a universal tribometer, that will provide our underrepresented students with the research and training they need to not only be successful but to have significant impact on the world around them. This abstract is publicly releasable.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 11, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1610549
Entities
People
- Ashlie Martini
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- University of California