RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
FOR UNDERGRADUATES
CASFER
REU Program
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (CASFER) strives to solve one of the most pressing problems facing humankind, how do we feed the growing world population?
CASFER hosts a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program every year during the summer. Our REU participants are talented students eager to learn and grow working in interdisciplinary teams. Students are placed in a wide range of projects, working directly with faculty, post docs and graduate students while contributing to the transformation of the agricultural and fertilizer fields into a Nitrogen Circular Economy.
REU Program 2026
Program Dates: June 8 - July 31, 2026
Application Deadline: March 6, 2026
The CASFER 2026 Summer REU Program will be housed at several of our partner institutions, including Texas Tech University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Florida A&M University, and MIT. Students will receive training in a laboratory environment and be expected to assist with ongoing research projects. REU students will work closely with scientific mentors and further develop their network of scientists, engineers, and industry professionals. This program is designed to develop not only a student's STEM-based skills, but also their professional skills.
Eligibility Requirements:
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Undergraduate student in engineering, agricultural sciences, or environmental sciences
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Strong Academic Record
Students Will Receive
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On-Campus Housing
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A Stipend of $6,000
Application Materials:
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Resume
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Statement of Purpose (explaining why you are interested in this program/project)
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Unofficial Transcript
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Two Letters of Recommendation
To apply, please click on the link above and fill out all of the necessary information. Additionally please make sure all of the application materials are emailed as a PDF to Zaida Gracia (zaida.gracia@ttu.edu).
2026 REU Projects
Institution | Faculty | Topic |
|---|---|---|
FAMU | Katherine Milla | Comparison of Nutritional Values of Crops Grown using EGROW Formulations and Conventional Fertilizers |
FAMU | Tarek Abichou | EGROW formulations: Holders and Product Value to Buyers |
FAMU | Tarek Abichou | Business Models-Modeling Removal Value to Waste |
GT | Sankar Nair | Nanofiltration Separation: Select and Fabricate rGO/rGO-X Membrane Candidates, Microstructure Tune to Increase Rejections |
GT | Marta Hatzell | VFAs Separations: Obtain baseline data concentration factor of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) for Microbial Digestion |
MIT | Ariel Furst | Individual Soil-derived Bacterial and Fungal Strains + E-GROW, and Their Contribution to Negative Smells Reduction, Total Available N, and Total Available P |
MIT | Fik Brushett | Process Intensification System for Ammonia Recovery and Delivery |
MIT | Ariel Furst | Incorporation of Microbial Mixtures with E-GROW and Their Impact on Germination
|
MIT | Ariel Furst | Germination Soybeans and Corn Tests for Strains + E-GROW
|
MIT | Ariel Furst | E-GROW Evaluation for Volatile Small-Molecule Compounds Contribution to Negative Smells, Total Available N, and Total Available P |
TTU | Gerri Botte | Electrocatalysis of Biosolids: Fundamental Understanding of Electrolysis of Complex Feedstocks |
TTU | Lindsey Slaughter | Soil Nutrient Cycling and Outcomes: EGROW properties, runoff, or different application methods to incubated soil samples |
TTU | Gerri Botte | Electrocatalysis of Biosolids: Optimization of Nutrient Recovery and Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA) Production |
TTU | Gerri Botte | Process Intensification System for Ammonia Recovery and Deliver by Modular System Design, Integration and Bench Scale Demonstration |
TTU | Jenifer Gomez | Process Intensification System for Ammonia Recovery and Delivery : Integration and Optimization of the Magnetic Field |
TTU | Balaji Rao | Chemical Composition of EGROW and Fate of Impurities |
Previous REU Programs
