The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering (SPSE) at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is designed to attract students from diverse backgrounds and provide the foundation for development of interdisciplinary research skills through a comprehensive research and professional development program to train undergraduate students who will eventually pursue advanced degrees in STEM disciplines. Students will participate in fundamental polymer materials research that is aimed at providing innovative solutions to meeting societal needs in a sustainable fashion, designing for recyclability and degradability, utilizing renewable feedstocks, enhancing process efficiency, and developing materials for sustainable energy. They will buil