Materials science and technology impacts a number of industries. The fields of microelectronics, transportation, energy storage, power production, biomedical devices, and environmental science and technology are typical examples. Physics and chemistry form the basis for these technologies, and they are applied in a number of engineering disciplines. The expertise needed to impart the knowledge and expose the students to available opportunities in materials science and technology is not commonly available in two and four year colleges. In addition, high school students are often completely unaware of the field, its importance, and the opportunities that exist for future employment and contributions. Workshops which introduce advanced materials science and technology to teachers at four year colleges, community colleges, and high schools, with special emphasis on minority institutions will be offered. The workshops will result in the incorporation of materials science in their curricula. It is expected that this incorporation of materials science into the physics, chemistry, and engineering curricula will enable the students to understand the fundamental principles of materials science. It will also introduce them to the exciting higher educational opportunities and professional careers available to them. This proposal also includes a plan for assessing the factors in the workshops that most affect the learning process, and then modifying the recruitment process and the workshops themselves to make them more effective. The results of the assessment process and a description of the workshops will be disseminated to other institutions in order to further expand the reach of this program.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
9752721
Program Officer
Margaret D. Weeks
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1998-04-01
Budget End
2001-03-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
$130,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Florida
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Gainesville
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
32611