Along with regional partners, the College is beginning an initiative to develop a Northwest Nanotechnology Node (N3). N3 is dedicated to collaborative efforts among regional institutions of education, local industries, and government laboratories to develop innovative educational and professional programs in nanotechnology, with a biotechnology emphasis, for faculty, secondary teachers, and students in the Northwest.
This work is building on a newly-developed Associate of Applied Science - Transfer (AAS-T) degree program in nanotechnology. N3 is directed at meeting the growing demand for a technically skilled workforce, and provides the framework for development and dissemination of much needed course curricula, class modules, faculty workshops, and other educational resources for community colleges, secondary schools and universities around the region and nation.
Intellectual Merit: In providing conceptual linkages among the biological, chemical, and physical sciences, nanotechnology is highly interdisciplinary and also underlies profound revolutions occurring within the boundaries of the traditional disciplines. This project is exploring the best ways of disseminating the body of knowledge generated from current nanoscale science and technology research to a broad student population in an effective and comprehensive manner.
Broader Impacts: N3 has the potential to strengthen the foundation for a comprehensive nanotechnology program in the state of Washington. N3 can also infuse nanotechnology concepts into existing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses, and thus it can have a broad impact on many institutions and educational programs beyond nanotechnology.
