NUE: Development of a Minor in Nanotechnologies for Surface Engineering (Nano-SurfEng) - A Cross-Departmental Effort at Illinois Institute of Technology

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This NUE program at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) under the direction of Dr. Tongyan Pan, aims to develop an engineering minor: Nano Surface Engineering (Nano-SurfEng) to prepare undergraduate students for careers or graduate studies in surface processing and characterization of materials using modern nanotechnologies. The accomplishment of this objective entails integrating the state-of-the-art surface nanotechnologies into IIT's existing courses to develop a set of Nano-SurfEng curricula. Building on IIT?s core engineering courses, the targeted Nano-SurfEng curricula will include six new or redesigned lecture courses, one redesigned laboratory course, and one senior design project, to be created collectively by the four PIs from three different engineering disciplines in the Armour College of Engineering at IIT, i.e., Civil Engineering, Material Engineering, and Chemical and Biological Engineering. The Nano-SurfEng students will also have extensive research opportunities with the PIs or through internships with the numerous institutions, research laboratories, and companies in the Metro Chicago area.The Nano-SurfEng Minor will support the development of the next generation of nanotechnology scientists and engineers through early, advanced scientific education at the undergraduate level. This minor will be the first nanotechnology-focused engineering discipline on IIT campus that will complement and strengthen the current well-established engineering disciplines at IIT. The Nano-SurfEng Minor targets 20 undergraduate students per year and its core courses will be open to the five engineering departments at IIT to benefit all the engineering students. The Nano-SurfEng Minor will bring extensive research opportunities in nanotechnologies with the four PIs and offer internship opportunities to all Nano-SurfEng students. A successful institutionalization of the Nano-SurfEng Minor will undoubtedly improve the education infrastructure at IIT. The resources and outcomes from this NUE effort will be disseminated to the public through the NSF nanoHUB, journal and conference publications, and a digital library of modern nanotechnologies. Developed course materials will be shared with the 23 members of the Association of Independent Technological Universities and other peer universities, and extended to local K-12 teachers and students via two outreach programs at IIT.