Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovations

Undergraduate Programs

International Research Experience for Students Program

Sustainability Research: An Integrative International Undergraduate Experience

As of May 2009, all slots for the IRES program have been filled.

The purpose of the University of Pittsburgh's IRES program is to create an innovative research experience in sustainable design for a select group of undergraduate engineering students who have high potential to pursue graduate education.  

Our overall aims are to:

• Teach undergraduate engineers to incorporate sustainability as a constraint in designs;
• Teach engineering undergraduates to work as part of an international design team, progressing from initial reliance on faculty and graduate student advisors to reliance on team members over the course of the program; and
• Teach undergraduate engineers to function on cross-cultural design teams.

Eligibility:

• Students pursuing a BS in any engineering department
• Sophomores or juniors
• GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Interest in pursuing a graduate degree
• Interest in sustainable design
• Interest in an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural experience

Program Highlights

Students will participate in a 12-week summer internship, joining one of four research teams.  Each team will be co-led by faculty from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This first year, students will spend four preparatory weeks in Pittsburgh, travel to Brazil with residence at UNICAMP for four weeks, and then return to Pittsburgh for the last four weeks.  Each team will present a final report at the end of the summer session.  All interns will be given the opportunity to continue on the project for a second year.

For additional information please contact Melissa Bilec at mbilec@pitt.edu

2009 student recipients of the NSF IRES Program

Characterization and Biodegradation of Polymers

William Burroughs
Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Sachin Velandar
Daniel Jacobs
Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Sachin Velandar & Candice DeLeo

Improving the Design of Public Housing in Brazil

Jonathan Bumstead
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Melissa Bilec and Dr. Kent Harries
Bradley Harken
Civil and Environemtnal Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Melissa Bilec and Dr. Kent Harries
Eric Rowand
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Melissa Bilec and Dr. Kent Harries

Structural Characterization of Bamboo

Amanda Barry
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Kent Harries and Bhavna Sharma
Ian Mcelhone
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Kent Harries and Bhavna Sharma
Amanda Oczkowski
Civil and Environemtnal Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Kent Harries and Bhavna Sharma

2008 student recipients of the NSF IRES Program