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REU Students Communicate Materials Science to the Public and K-12 Students

Communications training.
Communications training. Dr. Kate Yoshida talks with REU students about their projects.
Microfluidic encapsulation of plant extracts.
Microfluidic encapsulation of plant extracts. PREM REU student Hunter Reidhead's (Weitz) video encourages students to pursue research.
Active matter.
Active matter. MRSEC REU student Kevin Wang’s (Manoharan) video on "Lysis-Driven Transformations in Microbial Active Matter."
Ambidirectional liquid crystal elastomers.
Project presentations. MRSEC REU student Vasumathi Venkat (Aizenberg) presents her video about her research on soft robotic particles.

Each summer, the Harvard Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) participants spend 10 weeks in MRSEC groups working on cutting edge soft materials research. The 2025 cohort also worked with Dr. Kate Yoshida of YouTube™ channels MinuteFood™ and MinuteEarth™ to develop multiple ways to share their experiences, including videos, blog posts, and K-12 outreach presentations. Dr. Yoshida shared best practices for developing short videos that invite non-scientists to explore materials science. She gave the REU students feedback on their storyboards. Students shared their communications projects at an end of summer showcase that was open to the public. Their mentors, including MRSEC faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, were also present at this event.

Kathryn Hollar, Ph.D., Director OBEC and Jennifer A. Lewis (Material Science & Bioengineering)
2025-2026 Harvard MRSEC (DMR-2011754)