This REU site at Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station aims to provide learning experiences for undergraduate students in the emerging area of Cybermanufacturing. The project will support 10 undergraduate participants from across the nation with an emphasis on recruiting women and underrepresented minority groups. The REU site will engage participants in high quality research, enrichment, and development experiences through a 10-week long summer research program. The project will increase enthusiasm and research skills in advanced manufacturing among early stage undergraduate students thereby preparing them with professional skills to enter the STEM/knowledge workforce and/or to pursue graduate school. Furthermore, this project will provide a valuable entry point for a wide array of students from institutions with limited access to research facilities and a strong impetus to pursue graduate school and careers in this critical and growing industry.The REU projects will leverage the diverse Cybermanufacturing-focused efforts and testbeds of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station''s Institute for Manufacturing Systems faculty to provide the students with a broad perspective of Cybermanufacturing with specific focus on three critical aspects: a) design and planning, b) in situ prognostics and process control, and c) enterprise-wide optimization and coordination. The research testbeds are co-located as part of the Advanced Manufacturing Facility. REU students will be exposed to this intellectually stimulating research environment and gain critical skills to contribute to this emerging research area.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.
