MPS Internships in Public Science Education - MPS-IPSE: Making the Nanoworld Comprehensible

该IPSE奖由数学和物理科学理事会多学科活动办公室资助，涉及材料科学与工程中心（MRSEC）在威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校（UW）和密尔沃基的发现世界（DW）科学博物馆之间的伙伴关系，旨在将先进材料和纳米级科学技术的前沿研究带入博物馆和K-12学校设置。这个多方面的项目将使公共科学教育实习（IPSE）的参与者大大提高他们的沟通技巧，同时将最先进的MRSEC研究主题带给大学预科和公众观众。通过IPSE项目，研究生和本科生将与西澳大学MRSEC研究人员、DW人员和K-12教育工作者合作开发适合年级的课程材料。最初，实验室实验和演示将围绕mrsec创建的现有教育产品展开，使材料科学和工程概念与铁磁流体、形状记忆合金和非晶金属等先进材料相关。新的计划将围绕富勒烯、纳米管和巨磁电阻（GMR）的当前研究主题，为DW和K-12教师和学生创建教学材料。将开设一个新的模块，教授学生使用聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）学习化学工程中的聚合物。一个创新的博物馆项目，即试飞员培训计划（TPTP），将把IPSE参与者与初高中学生联系起来，就与材料科学和工程相关的科学主题和职业发展提供指导。这些大学预科生将担任DW的大使，在DW和当地学校做演讲，并协助培训新招募的TPTP参与者。近50名研究生和本科生将在三年的项目期间参与。项目成果将通过专业学科和泛学科组织的会议和出版物、作为项目一部分为地区K-12教师举办的讲习班以及与科学技术中心协会（ASTC）合作举办的讲习班来传播。将对该计划对博物馆参观者和IPSE参与者的影响进行正式评估。威斯康星大学dw IPSE项目可以作为技术型学生专业发展的典范，为他们提供丰富的机会，与大学预科和博物馆观众分享他们的科学知识和热情。这将提高IPSE参与者的沟通技巧，同时也使公众和K-12教师和学生了解令人兴奋的研究进展。因此，该项目将有助于提高科学素养和发展一支多样化的、受过技术培训的劳动力队伍。

This IPSE award, funded by the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities of the Directorate for Mathematics and Physical Sciences, involves a partnership between Materials Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces at UW-Madison (UW) and the Discovery World (DW) science museum in Milwaukee aimed at bringing cutting-edge research on advanced materials and nanoscale science and technology into the museum and K-12 school settings. This multi-faceted project will enable Internships for Public Science Education (IPSE) participants to enhance their communication skills substantially while bringing the excitement of state-of-the-art MRSEC research themes to pre-college and public audiences. Through the IPSE program, a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students will team with UW MRSEC researchers, DW personnel, and K-12 educators to develop grade-appropriate curriculum materials.%%%Initially, laboratory experiments and demonstrations will be developed around existing MRSEC-created education products, making the materials science and engineering concepts associated with such advanced materials as ferrofluids, shape memory alloys, and amorphous metals accessible. New initiatives will create instructional materials for DW and K-12 teachers and students around he current research themes of fullerenes, nanotubes, and Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR). A new module teaching students about polymers in chemical engineering using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) will be produced. An innovative museum program, the Test Pilot Training Program (TPTP), will link IPSE participants with middle and high school students to provide mentoring on scientific themes and career development related to materials science and engineering. These pre-college students will serve as ambassadors for DW, making presentations at DW and local schools, and assisting with the training of newly recruited TPTP participants. Nearly 50 graduate and undergraduate students will participate over the three-year project period. Program results will be disseminated through meetings and publications of professional disciplinary and pan-disciplinary organizations, workshops for regional K-12 teachers that will be held as part of the project, and a workshop held in partnership with the Association for Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). Formal evaluations of the program's impact on museum visitors and on the IPSE participants will be conducted. The UW-DW IPSE project can serve as a model for the professional development of technically oriented students, providing them with rich opportunities for sharing their scientific knowledge and enthusiasm with pre-college and museum audiences. This will enhance the communication skills of IPSE participants while also making the public and K-12 teachers and students aware of exciting research developments. The project will thus contribute to science literacy and to the development of a diverse, technically trained workforce.