An impact study of the implementation of a newly developed Materials Science and Engineering Module was conducted as part of a National Science Foundation funded GK-12 project at the University of South Florida. The objective of GK-12 STARS (Students, Teachers and Resources in the Sciences) program is to foster systemic change in elementary by enriching math and science curricula and encouraging long-term professional development for teachers in the K-5 band. The program also aims to decrease the current educational gap in science and math curricula prevalent among certain schools within the same school district, which is reflected in the outcome of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). The module was developed for the purpose of enhancing existing textbook driven science instruction and creating a fundamentally sound scientific exposure in elementary school students. As part of this activity, students from three different schools (one private, one suburban, and one urban) were introduced to basic concepts in materials science and engineering through hands-on experiments, presentations, and field trips to the university's material research related laboratories (i.e. polymer chemistry, microelectronics, nanotechnology, geotechnics, corrosion, etc.) The developed module offered information ranging from basic definitions to newly discovered cutting edge phenomenon in the field of nanotechnology. Subsequently, pre and post test instruments were administered to assess student performance. Results from the pretest showed that students from all participating schools performed within the standard deviation. The post assessment test showed that the experimental group had twice as many correct answers, as the control group from each school.

A summer Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) site program has been operating at Washington State University for the past five summers. Over this time we have experimented with several modes of organized summer research methods, including students working in individual projects as well as students working in teams. We have balanced the academic standing of the students (freshmen to seniors), as well providing a diverse demographic background. The results of these past five summers will be presented, as well as recommendations for which methods have been the most successful in terms of generating publications and presentations from the students as well as the likelihood of students entering graduate school.

AtomLab is a publicly available software package created to help students and faculty design and execute simulations for instructional purposes. AtomLab has been utilized as a learning environment within which to teach simulation techniques to graduate students. It has also been used to provide conceptual tools for undergraduate education. This paper presents a brief description of the AtomLab environment and of an undergraduate educational module designed to teach the atomic mechanisms of transport. Data is presented regarding the educational outcomes that were met using this module and the student response to the exercise.

The National Science Foundation's National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Program is a premier collective portal of authoritative scientific resources supporting education and research. With funding from NSF, the Materials Digital Library (MatDL) is a collaborative project being developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory (NIST/MSEL), the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan (U-M), with Kent State University and University of Colorado at Boulder providing the materials science informatics and workflow technology backbone. As part of the NSDL program, MatDL aims to supports the interface of materials science information and its cognate disciplines, with an emphasis on soft matter. Initial content of MatDL begins with resources selected from NIST/MSEL. Students and faculty in three types of materials science and engineering (MSE) courses at MIT and U-M are taking part in a pilot to use and contribute to MatDL utilizing domain-specific authoring tools. Given the central and interdisciplinary role of materials science in science and engineering, two goals of MatDL are to: 1.) expand its founding partnership with additional participants from the MSE community; and 2.) facilitate the flow of digital materials related knowledge from laboratories where the most recent research discoveries are taking place to the classrooms where new scientists are being trained.

The MSE Department at MIT has developed a new undergraduate curriculum, and has imple- mented it for Sophomores in the 2003-2004 academic year. The Junior and Senior year curricula will be implemented as the current Sophomores advance. In addition to major core topic addi- tions such as biomaterials and computational modeling, the new curriculum features a novel mixing of laboratory and lecture hours. This permits students to experience hands-on applications of materials in the laboratory immediately after covering the associated theory in lecture. The curriculum was developed in consultation with both students and our external community (Visiting Committee, ABET, alumni), and it required construction of substantial new laboratory facilities. It also required a novel approach to scheduling, in which some loss of flexibility was accepted to gain coherence and relevance of topics.

The GK-12 program involves students doing a masters or a Ph.D. in science and engineering working with a science teacher to develop demonstrations and laboratories which will bring the excitement of science into the schools. They work for an entire semester with the same group in school. We expect that the teachers will be able to carry on these demonstrations after the GK-12 students have left. Another aspect we want to bring to the students is the excitement of doing research in the field, and that what they are learning may be helpful in doing this research. As part of their work, we ask the GK-12 participants to prepare a research presentation for their schools. They have to present it in language that the students will understand, and with the material that the students have learned. In doing this, the students learn how to explain their research in much better terms and the K-12 students are exposed to real research and new approaches that nonetheless are based in the lessons they are learning.

One of the first nanotechnology undergraduate degrees in the world was established at Flinders University in 2000. In this paper we present our experience of developing and delivering this degree in a climate where “traditional” physical sciences are under considerable strain. We will discuss the motivation for this initiative, structure of the established course and educational issues relating to its development.

The global scientific community recognizes the critical need for industries to develop and practice manufacturing techniques that minimize harm to our environment. In the National Science Board's report Environmental Science and Engineering for the 21st Century, the National Science Foundation was urged to promote “Environmental research, education, and scientific assessment [as] one of NSF's higher priorities.” Although there are a number of independent efforts to fold environmental issues in existing undergraduate curricula, no dominant method has emerged as a means of including these concepts. One of the difficulties in adjusting our materials science and engineering (MSE) curricula is the problem of how and what to include in an already full curriculum. In this paper, we propose a path for integrating environmental and sustainability concepts within the framework of existing curricula. We will suggest learning outcomes for each year of the MSE curriculum and offer examples.

Traditional materials science and engineering texts have, for the most part, focussed on instructing the undergraduate student on the physical properties of materials and providing a significant knowledge base from which, subsequently, to consider materials applications. With the increasing demand for professional materials scientists and engineers to embrace all classes of materials in their everyday applications, it is increasingly important for undergraduate teaching to increase the awareness of students to applications through a focus on functionality rather than just providing a thorough knowledge and understanding of material properties. This has become even more important in the area of “nanostructured” materials where functional devices are designed at the material fabrication stage. In this paper, recent experiences in the teaching of functional materials for electronic, thermal and optical applications, to a second level undergraduate student group, comprising both “science” and “engineering” students, are outlined and some initial outcomes from the assessment of the group discussed.

The transition from new engineering graduate to successful member of corporate America is a difficult journey. Often the skills required are not part of a student's traditional undergraduate education. At Cal Poly, we have integrated a new course into our existing Senior Project curriculum which enables students to develop the professional skills necessary to become an effective member of any corporation. Key skills such as communication, problem solving and project management are practiced through active learning techniques. These as well as other topics studied are required for ABET certification.

The new course investigates the mission and values that are at the foundation of any corporation's culture. It challenges students to evaluate their own personal leadership potential. Organization structures along with the roles and responsibilities of Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Operations, Finance and Executive management are studied along with the interdisciplinary nature of engineering and technology. The rigors and metrics of a typical product development methodology are explored along with the concepts of program management and the protection of intellectual property. Business models are studied which enable students to evaluate the impact engineering can have on a company's financial success. Moreover, the students learn that they are members of a global community with environmental and social responsibilities. The impact of technology on society can be profound and students are challenged to consider difficult ethical issues as well as exciting career opportunities.

Olin College sophomores participate in integrated course blocks that merge technical content with business, arts, humanities, and social science topics, allowing students to work on engineering projects that have broader implications than the purely technical. In this paper, we present Paul Revere: Tough as Nails, a multidisciplinary course block that combines an introductory materials science course with a history of technology course and a large scale project. In Paul Revere, students explore connections between historical and technological materials science developments through examinations of Paul Revere's metallurgical work and analyses of the relevant social, environmental, political, and economic aspects that contribute to ancient and modern technologies. The explicit linkages among technical, non-technical, and hands-on aspects of the course improve learning of traditional topics, help drive interdisciplinary thinking, and lead to a high level of student satisfaction and motivation throughout the semester.

We have implemented a summer undergraduate research intern (SURI) program, the purpose of which is to give the undergraduates as real a picture as possible of what it is like to be a research scientist and what will be encountered in graduate school. Our first SURI class, the summer of 2003, consisted of a diverse group of 18 students from 9 different universities. Each student joined an ongoing cross-disciplinary research project team comprised of faculty and graduate students who have been working on research projects throughout the year. Coordinated with the students' research project was a technical writing/presentation course. The SURIs also participated in professional development activities, short courses, and a molecular conduction workshop. The culmination of the students' research and the technical writing/presentation course was a one-day conference at the end of their program in which all the SURIs presented the results of their summer research.

We are of the opinion that students of an introductory materials science and engineering course should gain a thorough understanding of crystallographic core concepts by applying them quasi-experimentally in computer simulation sessions that run parallel to the lectures. Software simulations of goniometry of direct lattice vectors in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) will serve two purposes at once: to introduce students to practical aspects of electron microscopy and support their comprehension of crystallographic core concepts. We use the programming software Matlab and Java (Jmol applets) on a PC platform for the creation of software simulations that demonstrate this methodology and complement already existing software simulations. The newly created software is used in classroom demonstrations of an introductory materials science and engineering course at Portland State University and will become freely accessible over the internet. This software will also support and promote image-based nanocrystallography in TEM.

Research has become a point of much greater emphasis in the undergraduate science curriculum within the past few generations of undergraduate students. However, there is not universal agreement upon what constitutes a successful undergraduate research program, and how degrees of success should be measured. A model for a successful program based principally on student ownership of research projects will be presented here. This approach is an attempt to give undergraduate students the most holistic research experience possible, by involving them in all stages of a research project in a limited amount of time. A central goal for each student is a definable product of their particular project, which is disseminated to as wide an external audience as possible. Measures of success, from student perspectives, will be discussed. These measures include data from interviews of students before and after their research experience.

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are unique materials that effectively capture the attention of students due to their dramatic phase transformations that result from temperature or stress. The fascinating properties and intriguing applications of SMAs can entice students to learn about the materials field, as well as relatively complicated materials concepts. SMAs have been incorporated into a range of courses under a variety of topics, such as crystal structures, phase transformations, kinetics, constitutive relations, and smart materials. The concepts can be presented at different levels of knowledge, appropriate to the learning objectives for the particular audience. Several educational activities using NiTi shape memory alloys have been developed, such as web-based videos, shape setting of new designs, classroom demonstration of actuation, visualization of stress-induced transformations, and heat treatments to change transformation temperatures.

We describe the development of a graduate level course designed to teach computational materials science and its application to nanoscale science and engineering. We discuss the use of MatDL, a web-based digital library and materials science resource, as a collaborative learning tool within the context of the course.

Early exposure of Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) to undergraduate students is anticipated to play a pivotal role in recruiting highly qualified professionals for industry and in preparing future faculty and researchers for graduate education. Focusing on early undergraduate education in NSET, the newly launched Drexel Nano Engineering Track (DNET) program at Drexel University addresses the urgent need for early NSET education at the University level. The primary objective of the DNET program is to expose freshmen and sophomores in Drexel's College of Engineering to basic concepts in NSET. It is envisioned that the career decisions of a large fraction of students will be directed as they learn the vocabulary of NSET and see potential engineering applications. The current DNET program activities include (1) updating/modifying a series of freshmen/sophomore courses / laboratories to infuse NSET into early undergraduate curriculum. Because of the size of the established tDEC program, this initiative has been able to reach a remarkably large body of students immediately. Over 700 students are enrolled in NSET-revised freshmen courses, and they will progress to NSET-revised sophomore courses the next year. (2) developing a number of modules for NSET education and (3) launching/maintaining a DNET web for information dissemination, performance assessment and outreach activities. The DNET program, together with the existing Nanotechnology Institute and Drexel/Upenn IGERT program that focus on the NSET research and graduate education, offer a stream of NSET education from college to graduate school at Drexel University.

Electrospinning is an old polymer processing technique that has recently been rediscovered. It allows for the easy creation of nano- to micro-fibers that can be collected to form a non-woven structure, which can then be used to fabricate novel structures for various applications including tissue engineering scaffolds, clothing, drug delivery vehicles, and filtration media. Current research in our laboratories is focused on the processing of synthetic and biological polymers to create materials with tailored properties and functions for tissue engineering scaffolds and various other medical applications. This technology is revolutionizing the biomaterials and nanotechnology fields and has prompted us to incorporate its history, basic concepts, and applications into diverse courses such as Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering, Polymers in Medicine, and Senior Design in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. This Innovation of the Curriculum is timely and crucial for multiple reasons. There is a need for a systematic approach to course structure that ties historical concepts to new materials and processes and, ultimately, to practical applications. Combining this lecture organization with active learning in the forms of open discussions and hands-on experiments/demonstrations will enhance learning outcomes (including retention and critical thinking) at all levels of education. At the undergraduate and graduate levels in the courses mentioned, discussions of electrospinning can create a classroom atmosphere of creative thinking, and an actual demonstration of nanomaterial fabrication can serve as a visual aid to the students. More importantly, this curriculum innovation can be used at the high school level to demonstrate nanotechnology and its applications to medicine, which will aid in sparking the interest of future generations of tissue engineers, biomaterial scientists, nanotechnologists, and scientists and engineers in general.

University-based education outreach efforts in the areas of science and engineering are continuing to grow and be refined as their success stories rapidly increase. As we have learned, effective outreach to K-12 schools and the broader community requires an understanding of the K-12 educational system, making a long-term commitment to support and enhance the existing curriculum, training researchers, and meeting our own goals of integrating the excitement of new science and technology into the classroom.

The University of Maryland (UMD) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) Graduate Teaching Fellows Program (GK-12) is making strides to accomplish these objectives. This paper will be a descriptive overview of the of the UMD GK-12 Program. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of developing viable partnerships, integrating research-based concepts into the curriculum (emphasizing materials science related topics), and training research Fellows to develop the necessary skills to take advantage of their research background and to refine their teaching and communication skills within the scope of informal science and engineering education.