This interdisciplinary NSF's REU site at Cleveland State University is hosted by the Physics Department. The title of the site: SYNTHESIS, ASSEMBLY, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SOFT MATTER.The objective of the NSF-supported REU site at Cleveland State University is to involve sophomore and junior physics and engineering majors in meaningful interdisciplinary research projects within soft matter science/engineering in order to encourage them to continue in STEM as either graduate students or workforce members. Soft matter is a group of materials that includes liquids, colloids, polymers, gels, and biological materials. Soft matter researchers combine physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering to study the unique properties and applications of these materials. Each participating student will work for 10 weeks directly with a faculty advisor in the nurturing and collaborative atmosphere of CSU’s Department of Physics and Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering.REU participants will conduct original research via specially designed student projects within three main foci: 1) Microgel and Hydrogel Nanoparticles: Designing environmentally sensitive nanoparticles for a variety of app...lications and fundamental studies of volume phase transitions; 2) Anisotropic Soft Matter Thin Films: Driving self-assembly of soft matter to develop thin films with unique properties tied to the shape anisotropy of the materials; and 3) Soft Matter Fluid Flow: Striving to better understand and to improve mixing in liquid soft matter systems and use liquid flow to test and understand biological phenomena.