NNIN Education Site

Nanotechnology Education Activities at U. Washington

The University of Washington’s Center for Nanotechnology (CNT) promotes and advances nano-education, particularly at the post-secondary level.

Dual Ph.D. Program - The nation’s first Dual Degree Ph.D. Program in Nanotechnology develops the essential educational and research infrastructure for multidisciplinary training at the frontiers of nanoscale science and technology. A core philosophy of the CNT’s dual degree program is to combine depth of learning in a single discipline with breadth of learning across nanoscale science and technology.  Students admitted to any of ten participating departments acquire depth through meeting the requirements for a Ph.D. in their home department, while expanding their academic horizons through an array of nanotech-relevant courses, seminars, and research experiences outside of this discipline.  To date, over 50 students have completed this dual degree, earning Ph.D.s in both their home department discipline and nanotechnology, and are currently employed as staff scientists, faculty, and postdoctoral researchers around the country. More than 40 more doctoral students are currently enrolled in the dual degree program.  For further information: http://nano.washington.edu/education/index.html

REU Program -   The NNIN Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program supports10-week-long, hands-on summer research projects for undergraduates from across the country.  Participating students meet regularly with faculty mentors, and are directly supervised by one or more of the laboratory’s graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows in daily oversight of their work.  REU students become active members of a research laboratory, conducting their own investigations, learning a range of techniques and methodologies around the lab’s broader ongoing studies, exploring the original research literature, and joining in lab meetings and dialogs.  As a key part of the NNIN REU experience, students participate in science communication classes, developing and presenting talks, posters, and papers.  They also receive training in and gain hands-on experiences with cutting edge nanotechnology instrumentation in the CNT NanoTech User Facility.

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Student Association (NaNSA) - The goals of the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Student Association (NaNSA) are to stimulate interdisciplinary interactions among the graduate students, promote interactions among industry and university colleagues, and engage students in educating others about their chosen field.  With ~300 members, NaNSA has a dozen students each year in leadership positions, including regular organizational officers, and also very active committees in areas such as education, industry liaisons, and fund-raising.  NaNSA’s semi-monthly meetings provide forums for students to exchange ideas and to learn about the diversity of nanotechnology research both on campus and beyond.  NaNSA also hosts world-renowned scientists and engineers from other institutions through CNT’s long-standing Nanotechnology Seminar series, giving NaNSA members an opportunity for one-on-one dialogs with these experts. http://students.washington.edu/nansa/

Nanotechnology Workshops- CNT, working with various collaborators, has developed and delivered a series of nanoscale science and technology workshops and short courses.  UW faculty, students, and visiting scientists share their cutting-edge research in emerging interdisciplinary fields, employing the NanoTech User Facility’s state-of-the-art instrumentation for hands-on aspects.  Academic, governmental, and industrial researchers, along with a wide range of students, have benefited from these offerings. 

Nanotechnology Mentorship Program - The Nanotechnology Mentorship Program has developed in collaboration with Center for Workforce Development at the UW since 2001, fostering mutually beneficial relationships between academic or industry mentors and mentees (graduate students), thus nurturing the field of nanotechnology by building a pool of talent to enhance its impact on society.  The program serves the CNT’s graduate students, providing positive social networking, occupational guidance, and informational programs, while gathering valuable data on student retention and career choices.  Students are encouraged to participate in the multi-facet aspects of the program including regular meetings of mentor and mentee, seminars, and luncheons.  A Social Work graduate student continually evaluates the program by collecting information and perceptions from nanotech students over time.   

Pacific Science Center Exhibits– Graduate students from the CNT have collaborated with science educators and other museum professionals from PSC to create mobile “Nano Cart” exhibit modules that intrigue and engage a broad public audience in this innovative science field.  In 2008, in collaboration with the Genetically Engineered Materials Science and Engineering Center (GEMSEC, an NSF-funded MRSEC) CNT helped to host the three-month visit of the nationally-touring “Strange Matter” traveling exhibit at PSC, providing scientists and demonstrations to enhance interactions with the public.

Community College Collaboration- Staff from the CNT worked with leaders from North Seattle Community College to build a new Nanotechnology Associate of Applied Science – T (AAS-T) two-year degree program to support the creation of a technically-trained workforce and meet emerging staffing needs in industrial nanotechnology.  The NTUF is a key component of the program, providing a forum for hands-on experiences in a wide variety of nano techniques to ensure sufficient breadth of training and background.

Introductory Level Nano Education Modules – CNT staff and participants from the above-listed programs have developed, pilot-tested, and refined a range of education materials aimed at younger learners and less sophisticated populations. These modules, critical in meeting the needs of introducing this abstract and complex field to novices, are being posted on both UW and the NNIN web sites.

For further information:  http://depts.washington.edu/ntuf/outreach/index.php  and/or http://www.nano.washington.edu/education/index.html