NUE: Development of a Nanotechnology Laboratory Course for First-Year Undergraduates

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This Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) program entitled, "Development of a Nanotechnology Laboratory Course for First-Year Undergraduates," at Florida Institute of Technology (FIT), under the direction of Dr. James G. Mantovani, is funded by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) in the Directorate for Engineering.The overall goal of this project is the development of a new course designed for first-year undergraduate students at Florida Tech that will contribute to the training of future nanotech workers in the U.S. The resulting course will offer a uniquely practical laboratory experience to first-year students of science and engineering, and can potentially influence the career choices of participating students who discover that nanotechnology interests them. The four goals of the new laboratory course are: 1) to introduce experimental techniques used in nanotechnology today; 2) to motivate students early in their academic careers to take technical elective courses in materials science and engineering when they are juniors and seniors; 3) to reduce the amount of time needed to train an undergraduate student into becoming a productive research assistant in faculty-mentored research projects; and 4) to contribute to the nation's goal of developing a more productive workforce that is literate in nanotechnology.