NUE: UNITE - Undergraduate Nanotechnology Inquiry, Training, and Experimentation at the University of Georgia (UGA)

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This Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) in Engineering program entitled, "NUE:UNITE-Undergraduate Nanotechnology Inquiry, Training, and Experimentation at the University of Georgia (UGA), under the direction of Dr. Leidong Mao, will develop an innovative nanotechnology lab course with 12 lab modules for undergraduate and high school students that will cover the major processes for nanotechnology--from synthesis to application. Special emphasis will be placed on nanostructure fabrication, characterization, device fabrication, and biological and energy applications. The course will use a non-traditional, problem-oriented, lab-based educational approach. The approach will allow students to not only learn the fundamental science and engineering principles and hands-on skills that are related to their lab projects, but also learn to identify new problems and how to search for solutions. The intellectual merit of this proposed curriculum initiative lies in the increase of nanoscience and nanotechnology education at UGA. The nanotechnology lab modules and interdisciplinary structure of the proposal is the first of its kind for UGA, and their flexible structure is more amendable to incorporation into a variety of diverse curricula. The broader impact of this proposal is that it also serves as an opportunity to bring together researchers interested in nanotechnology across the UGA campus from the Faculty of Engineering and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, creating a collaborative atmosphere. Further, UGA serves a very diverse student body and the availability of the proposed lab modules will expose a significant number of students to nanotechnology. An education in nanotechnology will put UGA students at the frontiers of science and engineering, preparing them for graduate study or industrial careers in many modern research areas. Inclusion of and collaboration with UGA scientific partners will alert industry to this highly qualified and diverse pool of students. The project is designed to facilitate broad regional high school participation by offering high school teachers a summer workshop and high school students summer projects to introduce them to course materials to utilize back in their home classrooms. Participation of underrepresented minority groups will be enhanced through collaboration with Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (Peach State LSAMP) program.