MIRTHE's Summer of Research Begins

The MIRTHE Center's Research Experience for Undergraduates, a 9 week research and educational program, has begun! Students from 18 universities have moved in to Princeton Campus, where they join the ranks of many other Science and Engineering students researching at the 5 MIRTHE partnering institutions: City College of NY, Johns Hopkins University, Rice University, Texas A&M University, and University of Maryland - Baltimore County. Later to be joined by a number of high school students, the whole group will convene at CCNY in New York City from August 2-7 for the MIRTHE All-Hands Summer Workshop, where they will engage in an exchange of ideas and experience a high level systems perspective in interaction with industry and practitioner partners.

As students begin individual research projects in collaboration with MIRTHE advisors, the importance of recognizing and fulfilling MIRTHE's 5 research thrusts is brought forward. These thrusts provide the framework through which MIRTHE organizes research, integration, and applications of its systems. Starting from the foundational level, 3 fundamental thrusts guide research and development supporting application of MIRTHE's larger visions and goals. These thrusts address mid-IR light detectors (Thrust 3), mid-IR light sources (Thrust 2), and the materials research necessary to facilitate innovation in both (Thrust 1).

The "Systems" level encompasses Thrust 4, defining the specifications for the hardware to be developed and supplied by the foundational level (Thrusts 1-3). At the Systems level, devices are integrated into sensor systems and modeled for real-world applications. The integration and experimental implementation of these systems simultaneously feed data back into the lower development levels while preparing them for use in the 5th Thrust.

Thrust 5, "Applications and Testbeds," integrates this research into applications in health and the environment. Within Thrust 5, MIRTHE implements the inputs from societal needs and from its industry/practitioner consortium to define the most urgent areas for the development of new sensor technologies. Sensor prototypes are tested in the field, returning feedback which refines and informs the approaches taken in Thrusts 1-4.

Together, these 5 Thrusts shape and define MIRTHE's vision at the foundational, systems, and applications levels. Students joining MIRTHE this summer will partake in the direct research and development efforts of the Center. Complementing this foundational research, Peter and I join MIRTHE primarily to analyze the interrelation and future of all 5 Thrusts and direct them forward. At the concluding MIRTHE All-Hands Summer Workshop, foundational level research will be contextualized within MIRTHE's systems-level goals and the applications and test-beds represented by industry and practitioner partners. As we get closer to this event, we will continue updates on MIRTHE's work, and our role in it!

Kelsey