Integration of Nanoscale Science and Technology into Undergraduate Curricula

An interdisciplinary group at the University of Cincinnati was recently awarded an NSF Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education grant, Integration of Nanoscale Science and Engineering into Undergraduate Curricula. The faculty come from Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, and Philosophy departments. The overall goal of this project is to incorporate nanotechnology education into undergraduate curricula in the Colleges of Engineering and Arts & Sciences. This paper will discuss the material taught in the two courses and the reaction of the students to highly interdisciplinary team teaching of nanotechnology. The lectures provide an overview of nanoscale science and engineering, with applications in nanomaterials, nanophotonics, nanoelectronics, nanomechanics, and bionanosystems. We also include lectures on societal and ethical implications of the nanoscale. The laboratory modules give students hands-on experience including synthesis of nanoparticles and nanotubes, and subsequent characterization with multiple stations of atomic force microscopes and laser spectrometers.