This project is using nanotechnology to recruit new science majors and prepare them for careers in this field. Students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in Applied Physics or in any science discipline with either a minor in Nanotechnology or an AAS in Nanotechnology as a second degree, receive scholarships based on financial need (mean = $5632/year), and a one-time scholarship to attend the Nanomanufacturing Technology Semester at Pensylvania State University's Advanced Technical Education Center ($4110). Through the First Year Excellence Program students (n=21) participate in a tightly knit learning community built around small, dynamic classes and weekly discussion and activity groups led by upper division honors students. The program supplements existing recruitment and student support services for populations underrepresented in science and technology.
Inherently interdisciplinary, nanotechnology offers opportunities for collaboration across disciplines and is an ideal focal point to attract students to all sciences. Peer mentors, faculty support from the interdisciplinary Nanotechnology Group, and research opportunities provide the societal and implementation context that science courses often lack.
