IMPACTING UNDERGRADUATE NANOSCIENCE AND NANO-ENGINEERING EDUCATION

This National Science Foundation supported Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) project takes into account the need for a better integration of theory, experiment, and applications. We have reported three different approaches toward enhancing undergraduate nanoscience and engineering education with an emphasis on devices and systems. We are using the practical approach of direct engagement of the students in ongoing research in our advanced materials laboratories. Our first activity for enhancing nanoscience and nanoengineering education was to introduce simple concepts of nanoscience and technology into existing required undergraduate engineering courses. Introducing the concepts of nanoscience and engineering at this early stage of undergraduate education was found to positively impact student interest in registering for a technical elective nanotechnology course that we developed as our second initiative. Under our third initiative, a limited number of undergraduates well-imbued with this foundational perspective were recruited and financially supported to engage in a semester-long research project related to nanotechnology. The efforts made by the NUE team have befitted mechanical undergraduate students at sophomore, junior and senior levels. While the Nanotechnology-I and nanotechnology-II course have jointly attracted enrollments of more than 30 per year, the introduction of basic concepts in existing course has impacted all the mechanical engineering undergraduates (over 200) for the last two years. NUE fund has also been used to support financially over 15 undergraduates students via stipend, wages, and REU programs. One of the students taking nanotechnology was selected and sent to Hannover Medical School, Germany as a part to provide international experience in the area of nano-biotechnology. To study the efficacy of the ‘Nanotechnology-I course (MEEN 530.1: Fundaments of Nanoscience and Engineering), a mixed-method design is being used for the second time. With IRB approval, undergraduate students were asked to complete content-specific, pre-/post-tests inventorysurveys and participate in an exit interview at the end of the semester. The inventory was developed by NUE team members with expertise in nanotechnology undergraduate education. Inventory items are clustered across five domains, including: (a) Nanoscale dimension and basics, (b) Synthesis methods, (c) structural characterization, (d) Carbon-nanostructure and Bioengineering, and (e) Device applications. The exit interview was recorded and is in the process of being transcribed. A preliminary comparison of the preand postdata review of pre/postassessment data suggests that students experienced positive change-in-learning related to course content in all the five categories. INTRODUCTION The design and development of advanced materials, devices and systems for the 21 st century is starting to be dominated by the convergence of several rapidly-evolving advanced technologies such as nanotechnology, microelectronics, information technology and biotechnology (Healy, 2009). With the steady erosion of the traditional manufacturing base within the United States, it P ge 23690.2 is imperative to maintain the country’s traditional lead role in basic scientific and engineering research in the high-tech areas that will drive the economy of the future (National Research Council, 2002; Stix, 2001; Alivisatos, 2001). The nation’s commitment to this is amply demonstrated in the high level of funding for basic research from lead governmental agencies such as NSF and the Department of Energy. The need for qualified nanotechnology workers for the next two decades is estimated to be in the millions (Rocco, 2003). Broad impact can be achieved by curricular enhancement and reform at the undergraduate level (Winkelman, 2009). Curricular enhancement, if it aims to be comprehensive, needs to ensure that students are exposed to the technical aspects as well as social, economic and ethical impacts of nanotechnology that numerous researchers are exploring seriously (Tomasik,2009). This paper reports activities and findings of a team of engineering, science, and education faculty members, who are actively involved in nanomaterials-based research and have been collaborating with each other for the past several years to enhance undergraduate nanoscience and engineering education in the area of devices and systems. They have engaged undergraduate students directly in the advanced laboratories and ongoing research projects. This approach has enable/empowered the students more effectively with the knowledge of the fundamentals of nanoscience and engineering and proficiency to conduct research and develop economicallyviable nano-devices with innovative applications in all spheres of daily life. The stronger effectiveness of our approach arises from a better marriage between theory, experiment and applications. More hands-on exposure is provided to students in the areas of synthesis, processing and manufacturing of nano-components and nano-systems; characterization and measurement of nanostructured systems and devices; and the design, analysis and simulation of nanostructures and nano-devices. This is accomplished by providing students with classroom instruction heavily aided by hands-on laboratory learning, with a systems emphasis. An interdisciplinary nanotechnology course (Nanotechnology I) with a significant hands-on laboratory component has been developed as a preparatory course. This course is offered as a junior-level technical elective and is open to all engineering majors. Secondly, a few undergraduates well-imbued with this foundational perspective on nanotechnology are recruited to engage in a semester-long nanomaterials research project (Nanotechnology II). The students have the option to receive “Independent Study” or “Independent Research” course credit for this systematically mentored and monitored team activity. The team set-up is carefully designed to inspire the students to bring out their individual strengths and innovative abilities and contribute meaningfully to the team goals in a way that helps them find self-worth. Each Faculty and Student Team (FaST) consisted of two students (one graduate and one undergraduate) and one NUE faculty member. Working in this type of team set-up has been found to promote the development of student-faculty interaction and student-student communication. The NUE efforts have provided a significant number of underrepresented minority students with training and mentoring focused on the economic and intellectual powerhouse area of nanotechnology. Besides the obvious benefit of attracting the best undergraduates into graduate research, our students are also engaged in passing on the learning downstream through helping with summer camps for K-12 educators and school visitations to help attract the enrollment of high-quality students from across the nation. The proposed Nanotechnology I course is expected to serve as a major (but not necessarily exclusive) feeder of talent to the semester-long team research experience. The students impacted by one and/or both of these initiatives are expected to form an excellent talent pool for traditional graduate engineering programs, as well as nonP ge 23690.3 traditional graduate programs planned for the near future at our university, such as the graduate programs of the ERC-supported Bioengineering Department and/or Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. The content organization of the paper is as follows: (a) Nanotechnology-I: Development of an interdisciplinary nanotechnology theory-cum-laboratory course, (b) Nanotechnology-II: Development of an semester-long hands-on research-based course, (c) Nanotechnology modules in existing undergraduate courses, (d) REU activities, and (e) Special opportunity for an NUE student to visit an international laboratory. A . N A N O T E C H N O L O G Y I : DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY NANOTECHNOLOGY THEORY-CUM-LABORATORY COURSE: This course was developed to provide more practical exposure to undergraduate students in the areas of synthesis, processing and manufacturing of nano-components and nano-systems, characterization and measurements of nanostructured systems and devices. The course is named ‘Fundamentals of Nanoscience and Engineering.’ The NUE project refers to this course as Nanotechnology-I. The Nanotechnology-I, offered as a special topics course in the first year of project, has now become a regular course in the department of Mechanical Engineering with the aforementioned course title. This course is now planned to be offered every fall semester in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. A.1. Description Nanotechnology-I Course: This course offers a fundamental perspective in areas related to the structure, stability and functional characteristics of nanoscale materials and interpretation of results with the help of available theoretical models, with an emphasis on the interrelationship between materials properties and processing. This classroom instruction was also aided by relevant hands-on laboratory learning. Some of the pertinent topics of this course could be listed as: Top-down and bottom-up approaches for nanoparticle synthesis, characterization of nano-materials, nanofabrication by self-assembly and self-organization, bioinspired self-assembly of nanostructure, molecular electronics, geometry, synthesis and properties of nanoscale carbon. The outcome of the course was broader understanding of nanoscience and engineering among undergraduate students. The students have acquired practical skills of nanomaterials synthesis and characterization after taking this course. The demographics of the class for Fall 2011 and Spring 2011 are shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, respectively.