NUE: Integration of Nanoscience into the Undergraduate Curriculum: From Fabrication to Practical Applications of Nanodevices

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This Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education (NUE) award to the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao supports Dr. Nicholas Pinto, Dr. Claudio Guerra and Mr. Juan Gonzalez, Department of Physics and Electronics, to introduce new experiments into the undergraduate curriculum. Both the pedagogical theoretical concepts and modified experiments based on recently discovered techniques in the field of nanoscience, technology and engineering will be incorporated. The topics to be discussed fall in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Electrical Engineering and are thus truly interdisciplinary. New experiments related to the latest developments in nanotechnology, science and engineering will be included as part of the undergraduate curriculum. The intellectual scope of this proposal is that it will train students early in their careers in the field of nanotechnology. Also, opportunities to conduct research level experiments while enrolled in a core course is also proposed and this will give the students a flavor of how research is conducted together with the ups and downs in doing experimental research.The proposed projects will enhance intradepartmental collaboration which is vital for a small Department like that at UPR-Humacao to stay competitive as an undergraduate institution in the areas of research and education. All of the experiments proposed will lie within the intellectual grasp of undergraduates. This has the broader impact of having a strong influence on the students desire to pursue higher education. Finally, having a strong research and teaching base at UPR-Humacao will have a broader impact on undergraduate education in the South-East part of the island in addition to increasing the number of underrepresented students in academic and research environments dedicated to nanoscience.The proposal for this award was received in response to the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education announcement, NSF 03-044, category NUE and was jointly funded by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) in the Directorate for Engineering and the Division of Materials Research (DMR) in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS),