Planting Seeds: Including Nanotechnology Education into Engineering Curricula
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Planting Seeds: Including Nanotechnology Education into Engineering Curricula John A. Jaszczak1, and Bruce E. Seely2 1 Physics, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, Michigan, 49931 2 Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, Michigan, 49931 ABSTRACT As part of a Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education program funded by NSF, a team of faculty at Michigan Technological University has developed a suite of educational and research experiences intended to introduce undergraduate students to the exciting prospects and challenges of nanoscale science and engineering. Although open to all students, the program was designed in particular for engineering students whose curricula have relatively little flexibility. Engineering students at Michigan Tech follow a common first-year curriculum, and as is true at most engineering colleges, their courses of study are highly structured. In order to bring introductory nanotechnology content to both engineering and non-engineering majors, activities were developed to fit into or to modestly supplement existing curricular frameworks. The program seeks to introduce students to three foundational aspects of work at the nanoscale: the underlying scientific principles, possible scientific and engineering applications, and the societal implications of implementation of nanotechnology. A web site (http://nano.mtu.edu/) was developed as a central focal point for nano-related research activities at Michigan Tech. This paper presents additional background and discusses the challenges related to the project, a brief overview of the educational activities, a more in-depth description of those activities deemed to be the most successful, and a description of some lessons learned. BACKGROUND Michigan Technological University was founded in 1885 as the Michigan School of Mines to support the extensive copper-mining activities that began approximately 40 years earlier. As the college continually evolved and expanded its degree programs, it enjoyed a reputation for providing a demanding but affordable undergraduate engineering education. By 1964 when the name was changed to Michigan Technological University, the school offered a full range of engineering and science degrees, and has since added degrees in humanities and social sciences. Even in the 21st century, these engineering roots strongly influence Michigan Tech, which remains predominately focused on the technological realms of higher education. Of the fall 2005 undergraduate enrollment of 6,508, more than 57% of the students enrolled in engineering programs. Not surprisingly, even the research interests of the social sciences and humanities faculty tend toward the historical, anthropological, sociological, or cultural study of science and engineering or questions concerning scientific and technical communication. Over approximately the past twenty-five years, Michigan Tech has focused its strategic efforts upon becoming a research-intensive institution. In 2005, the
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