Physics (13) Intellectual Merit: Modern quantum-mechanics-based tools are used daily in industries like nanotechnology and materials science. However, in most traditional physics curricula, quantum mechanics is treated only as a mathematical abstraction, and common techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) are at most only footnotes. The challenge of a successful modern workforce is to engage these technologies and educate students within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) pipeline.
Augsburg College, Saint Paul College, and the University of Minnesota have a unique opportunity to develop a partnership model to meet this demanding challenge. Through an NSF-funded National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) user facility at the University of Minnesota, faculty and students are learning to use advanced instrumentation and developing curricular materials. The development of expertise for Saint Paul College faculty supports a new state-funded clean room and user facility for high-tech start-ups. These laboratory experiences build on existing pedagogy developed through Physics Education Research at the University of Colorado. This curriculum was designed for a large lecture course of engineering students with an emphasis on real-world applications of quantum mechanics and modern physics. Modifications are being made to incorporate these materials into two and four year physics and technology settings. To support the synergistic activities between faculty, students, and technical staff, an interactive discussion series with practicing scientists stimulates ideas for new student projects. A focal point for this series is the use of tools and techniques in real-world situations to address technical problems.
Broader Impacts: The Twin Cities is home to numerous two and four year colleges, all of which have access to the user facilities described here. These academic institutions educate students to continue on in further study as well as to serve the thriving community of high-tech companies in the region. Therefore, making laboratory materials freely available through these regional user facilities serves as a starting point for other institutions seeking to provide similar learning experiences. Explicit interaction with industrial scientists provides an infrastructure for educators to more consistently assess the preparation of students for today's workplace. The use of advanced instrumentation and the adoption of a research-based curriculum are both exciting and well reasoned modifications at these institutions. An evaluation of the efficacy of this approach and insights into how best to educate and encourage students in the STEM pipeline is also being disseminated. Finally, work here is developing institutional expertise in partnership at three very different academic settings.
