This Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) in Engineering program entitled NUE: NanoTechnology Education and Experiences in Maine (Nano-TEEM), at the University of Maine, under the direction of Dr. Rosemary Smith, will result in a new, three-credit, undergraduate course, that introduces first-year engineering students at the University of Maine to the interdisciplinary concepts, applications, and implications of nanoscale science and engineering. The broader impacts of this project include improved student recruitment, retention, and future workforce preparation achieved through the intentional integration of research and education at the undergraduate level, interactions with Maine's (in-service and pre-service) middle and high school teachers and students, the facilitation of new reearch and education collaborations among UMaine faculty with interests in nanoscale science and engineering, and the sharing of state-of-the-art instructional tools such as animations and hands-on, laboratory experience modules.
The proposal for this award was received in response to the Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) in Engineering Program Solicitation (NSF 07-554), and is being co-funded by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) and the Directorate for Engineering, Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber System (ECCS).
