NUE: Undergraduate Exploration of Nano-Science, Applications, and Societal Implications at Michigan Tech

密歇根理工大学的一个教员小组将开发一套教育和研究经验，主要是向一年级和二年级的学生介绍纳米科学和工程的令人兴奋的前景和挑战。该小组包括来自大多数物理科学系和工程系以及社会科学系的教职员工。主要依靠现有课程的框架，该小组将准备一系列教育经验和机会，旨在综合介绍纳米级工作的三个关键方面：基础科学、可能的科学和工程应用以及这一仍在发展中的科学和工程领域的社会影响。具体活动包括：编写纳米专题的单元和习题集，供几门科学和工程入门课程使用；在必修的第一学期新生普通教育研讨会中开设一门课程，专门讨论纳米科学和技术；开设一个新的一年级跨学科研讨会，由团队授课，内容涉及纳米技术的基础；在制造工程、材料科学和工程、现代物理学等二年级课程中安装纳米模块；以及一门社会科学课程，着重讨论科学和技术的社会影响。该计划还包括一系列讲座，以及本科生研究经验和国际活动的机会，包括建立与塞萨洛尼基亚里士多德大学协调的欧洲研究培训网络(RTN)的链接。这种多种多样的选项菜单确保了纳米技术问题和教育活动摆在密歇根理工大学相当数量的一年级学生面前，包括几乎所有的工程专业学生，并提供持续到二年级及以后的机会。此外，该项目极大地推动了密歇根理工学院在纳米科学和工程领域发展完全整合和多学科本科(纳米科学/纳米技术辅修和BSE学位)和研究生课程的内部努力，特别是通过鼓励教师在课程和课程开发方面的大量合作。从这些计划活动开始，主要的智力优势来自于科学、工程和社会影响的整合。特别是，该项目特别关注正在展开的纳米领域的社会影响，纳入了许多现有纳米研究和教育计划中最低限度代表的元素。这项纳米技术本科研究(NUE)计划是应“纳米科学与工程”(NSF02-148)的征集而提交的。它得到了社会、行为和经济科学局(SBE)、工程局(ENG)以及数学和物理科学局(MPS)物理司的支持。

A faculty group at Michigan Tech will develop a suite of educational and research experiences to introduce students, primarily in their first and second years, to the exciting prospects and challenges of nanoscale science and engineering. The group includes faculty from most of the departments of physical sciences and engineering as well as the social sciences. Relying primarily upon the framework of existing courses, the group will prepare an array of educational experiences and opportunities designed to provide an integrated introduction to three crucial aspects of nanoscale work: the underlying science, possible scientific and engineering applications, and the societal implications of this still unfolding realm of science and engineering. Specific activities include preparing modules and problem sets on nano topics for use in several introductory science and engineering courses; offering a course in the required, first-semester freshman general education seminar devoted to nanoscience and technology; creating a new, first-year, team-taught interdisciplinary seminar on the Fundamentals of Nanotechnology; installing nano modules in second-year courses on manufacturing engineering; materials science and engineering; modern physics; and a social sciences course focusing on societal implications of science and technology. The program also includes a lecture series, and opportunities for undergraduate research experiences and international activities, including the development of links to an established Research Training Network (RTN) in Europe coordinated by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. This menu of varied options insures that nanotechnology issues and educational activities are placed before a substantial number of all first-year students at Michigan Tech, including almost all engineering students, with continuing opportunities available into the second year and after. Additionally, this project substantially advances an internal effort to develop fully integrated and multi-disciplinary undergraduate (a nanosciences/nanotechnology minor and a BSE degree) and graduate programs in the realm of nanoscience and engineering at Michigan Tech, particularly by stimulating substantial faculty collaboration in program and curriculum development. The primary intellectual merit flows from the integration of science, engineering, and societal implications from the outset of these programmatic activities. In particular, the project pays particular attention to the societal implications of the unfolding domain of the nanoscale, incorporating an element minimally represented in many existing nanoscale research and educational programs. This Nanotechnology Undergraduate Research (NUE) proposal was submitted in response to the solicitation "Nanoscale Science and Engineering" (NSF 02-148). It is being supported by the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), and the Division of Physics in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS).