ATE Impacts 2020-2021

Featured ATE Projects – Micro and Nanotechnologies 92 Nano NPDP Makes Educator Workshops More Accessible The Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization’s Nanotechnology Professional Development Partnership (NPDP) project reinvented the traditional onsite workshops on nanotechnology to make them more accessible and affordable to educators across the country. The workshops combine live-stream lectures, remote-access laboratory demonstrations, open-discussion sessions, and web-accessible supplemental materials to help faculty and administrators start nanotechnology programs at their institutions without the burden of travel. The workshops were developed by Penn State faculty with the assistance of educators at the partnership’s most active colleges: Erie Community College, Ivy Tech Community College, North Seattle College, Salt Lake Community College, Pasadena City College, and Northwest Vista College. Nanotechnology Professional Development Partnership (NPDP) Penn State University, University Park, PA https://nano4me.org/workshops UVUNanotech Utah Valley University, Orem, UT https://uvu.edu/physics/nanotech Students Help Develop Nanotech Course Students at Utah Valley University have been involved from inception and planning to development and testing of the UVUNanotech project’s new nanotechnology course curriculum, textbook content, labs, and virtual reality (VR) modules. They instituted a successful in-simulation VR instructional menu system. Students have given presentations about their contributions to the project at local, regional, and national conferences. Students also assist with teaching nanotechnology to their peers. In addition to highly developed VR simulations, another distinctive project element is the use of more environmentally friendly photolithography methods. This technology enhances laboratory safety and reduces costs, making nanotechnology education programs more feasible at two-year colleges. Students test VR simulations that reinforce proper techniques for operating delicate nanotechnology machines. Introduction to Nanotechnology for Educators Workshops 4 Nano Curriculum Materials Workshops 4 Fourteen educators were awarded travel scholarships to attend hands-on nanotech labs at NPDP partner colleges. Participants 100+ NPDP Workshop Data 2018 & 2019