This NUE in Engineering program entitled, "NUE: Development of Multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education Program at the University of Rochester Integrated Nanosystems Center", at the University of Rochester (UR), is under the direction of Dr. Nicholas P. Bigelow. The Integrated Nanosystems Center (URNano) is truly interdisciplary, and involves faculty and students from the Departments of Optics, Chemistry, Physics, Biomedical, Chemical, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, as well as the UR Medical Center. The primary goals of this NUE project are: 1) creating a coherent education program at the UR, promoting collaboration between several UR departments to introduce undergraduate students to the field of nanotechnology; 2) creating a transformable model of collaboration in nanotechnology between a university with state-of-the-art, experimental facilities, and Monroe Community College (MCC); and 3) developing reproducible hands-on experiments ("mini-labs"), learning materials and pedagogical methods to educate students with diverse backgrounds, including freshmen and non-STEM-major community college students. The same "mini-labs" will be introduced in various UR courses for UR freshmen and sophomores. Based on earlier NSF supported collaboration between the UR and MCC, both institutions will continue this collaboration to educate nanotechnology students with diverse backgrounds. Establishing the URNano education program and involving in it MCC will lay the foundation for future projects of the UR and MCC with other community colleges of Upstate New York.
This project impacts a variety of science and engineering students with diverse backgrounds including under-represented groups (~34% of MCC students are minorities and over 50% are women). This project will attract more community college students to the universities involved in this NUE program. Summer NSF REU and RET programs and interactive workshops including participation in the ALPhA immersion program will provide students and teachers from other institutions, especially community colleges and small univesities, with an opportunity to learn about affordable "mini-labs' at the UR and MCC. Teachers from the City of Rochester Northwest College Preparatory School serving mostly minority students will be invited to the interactive workshop.
