This Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education (NUE) award to Rice University supports Dr. Kristen M. Kulinowski, Department of Chemistry, for her work to develop and implement a new course on nanotechnology. The course, entitled "Nanotechnology: Content and Context," aims to introduce the essential scientific and technical content of nanotechnology and the essential ethical, political and social contexts of nanotechnology research through a one-semester multi-disciplinary undergraduate course. Science/engineering majors and social science/humanities majors alike will benefit by learning about both the specific technology and the social impacts and cultural meaning of science and technology in the same class. Students will engage directly with both working scientists and with the heated public debate over its potential impacts on society. They will be asked to acquire a technical understanding of nanotechnology (e.g., the methods of visualization, experimentation, manufacture, and the evaluation of what is and is not technically feasible) as well as a nuanced understanding of scientific and technical research as a social and political process (issues of ethics, regulation, risk assessment, history, funding, intellectual property, controversy and conflict). By combining these skills in the classroom the proposed work will cultivate a critical and civil discussion of science and technology in an emerging field amongst a younger generation. Dr. Kulinowski is joined in this work by Professor Chris Kelty in the Anthropology department and several other faculty members from the schools of science, engineering and social science.
The proposal for this award was received in response to the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education announcement, NSF 03-444, category NUE and was jointly funded by the Divison of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) in the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) and the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES) in the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE).
