This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the Fashion Institute of Technology [FIT] with the purchase of a tabletop analytical Scanning Electron Microscope [SEM] to foster on-campus research and improve undergraduate STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics] education. The use of SEM helps scientists overcome inherent limitation of optical microscopy. The electron beam in a SEM interacts with the sample and generates signals that are used to produce images and provide chemical identifications. This instrument supports in-house qualitative and quantitative characterization of various materials and enhances greatly the research and curatorial facility at FIT. This instrument also fosters internal collaborations, spanning from biomaterials and textile engineering to artistic endeavors. Design and production methods are becoming more technologically sophisticated. Creative industries therefore demand that design professionals possess the scientific literacy and interdisciplinary aptitude necessary to understand new materials and the underlying science, such as polymers, biomaterials and nanomaterials. Integrating sustainability into product design, development and manufacturing are other challenges for which FIT trains students. As a community college specializing in art and design, FIT is reaching across disciplines to better prepare students mostly women for the science aspects of their careers. Integrating the instrument in courses will impact many of the projects that FIT students undertake to fulfill their hands-on curricula.
The acquisition of a Scanning Electron Microscope, SEM, at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) enables interactive, cross-disciplinary research, and curatorial and industrial collaborations that focus on materials characterization. The SEM will also enable the study of electron-beam interactions, to explore nanocoatings on items. In addition to promoting faculty research, the SEM will enhance the learning experience of FIT students related to the development and use of materials, and support and expand interdisciplinary/problem-based STEAM curricula and programs within the Science and Math department. The SEM will be integrated into current courses and used to develop new curricula. Students and faculty will have opportunities to work in well-equipped science laboratories that support materials research and development with advanced materials characterization.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
