Universities prepare next-generation workforce to benefit from the Materials Genome Initiative
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Universities prepare next-generation workforce to benefit from the Materials Genome Initiative
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www.whitehouse.gov/mgi
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he US government’s Materials Genome Initiative (MGI), now in its third year, aims to significantly reduce the time and cost to bring new materials from the laboratory to the marketplace. Achieving this goal not only requires greater integration of experiment, computation, and digital data, but also a new generation of scientists and engineers with the necessary skills and cultural mind-set to think predictively about materials design and work in interdisciplinary teams. Previously the University Materials Council, which comprises senior representatives from more than 100 materials science academic programs in the United States and Canada, pledged to enact educational reforms in pursuit of MGI in a July 2011 letter to President Obama. A set of materials education principles released a year later committed to equipping students with the computational, experimental, and informatics skills necessary to accomplish the goals of MGI, and to integrate these skills with traditional elements of the field. It also emphasized including industry in setting educational goals. Academic departments are already making some headway in educational reform. In June, on the second anniversary of MGI, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced several new university efforts comprising degree programs, facilities, and teaching tools. For example, Lehigh University’s Materials Science and Engineering Department is creating new teaching facilities that will give students hands-on experience in integrated experiment and computation. To help equip students with simulation and modeling skills, Johns Hopkins University is releasing computational materials teach-
ing modules developed and tested in its undergraduate courses. Other universities announced new courses, certificates, and degree programs. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is addressing the innovation and commercialization aspects relevant to MGI through a new 13-week massive open online course, or MOOC, being offered this fall. The Georgia Institute of Technology is developing a new graduate certificate program in computational materials and big data, while North Carolina State University (NCSU) will offer a new online Master’s in Nanoengineering degree beginning this fall. The development of NCSU’s Master’s program has been a multidisciplinary effort across several engineering and science departments. “MGI requires the integration of computation and experiment, but also the integration of many disciplines. We wanted multiple departments involved in our degree because MGI requires more than just traditional materials science knowledge,” said Justin Schwartz, department head of Materials Science and Engineering. There are many advantages to offering online courses, certificates, and degrees. “Distance education allows you to reach a broader community,” Schwartz said. “It’s easier for both employees and employers b
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