A multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional approach to teaching Ethical, Social, Health, Safety, and Environmental Issues in Nanotechnology

Abstract

The paper reports on our work developing a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional approach to teaching Ethical, Social, Safety, Health, and Environmental Issues in Nanotechnology. Under a grant from NSF, we are developing, implementing, and assessing two modular courses that include societal, ethical, environmental, health, and safety issues related to nanotechnology for undergraduates in engineering and engineering technology. It is a collaborative project between Texas State University, a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and the University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler), whose student population is 60 percent women. The work is being conducted by a highly interdisciplinary team of faculty who bring to the project expertise from mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, industrial education and technology, physics, biology, philosophy, and ethics. Here we explain the origin of the project, explicate how we have developed the course modules, review the first two semesters (Summer and Fall 2013) teaching from these modules, and examine our initial results and evaluations.