Operation ETank: Moving toward a Sustainable World

The research focus of the NIU REU program, Operation ETank, is in areas of energy and the environment, with aspects of ethics and economy (the 4 Es) incorporated into broader problems and related to the broader issue of sustainability.  Students involved in the program will be mentored by faculty members having wide-ranging backgrounds in relevant research areas.

Students will participate in individually mentored research endeavors (i.e., environment or energy), but their overall learning experience will include a number of opportunities to relate sustainability issues to their research projects. The NIU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology have a long history of working together on collaborative STEM projects and funded research. As such, the faculty members understand the need for engagement and teamwork. This technical knowledge combined with the ability to blend teamwork and presentation skills will allow Operation ETank to provide a wide range of research skills and projects for the students involved.

We see Operation ETank as an opportunity to combine knowledge development through interdisciplinary studies spanning STEM fields with an important focus on developing personal and scientific skills that will help these young men and women mature into young scientists.