Undergraduate program in nanoscience and nanoengineering: five years after the National Science Foundation grant including two pandemic years

Abstract

We describe a coherent undergraduate educational program in nanoscience and nanoengineering at the University of Rochester (UR) based on the Institute of Optics and Integrated Nanosystems Center resources. This project has three main outcomes: (1) developing a curriculum and offering the Certificate in Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (CNSNE); (2) creating an exemplary model of collaboration in nanotechnology between a university with state-of-the-art, expensive experimental facilities and a nearby two-year community college (CC) with the participation of the local Monroe Community College (MCC); and (3) developing universally accessible “hands-on” experiments (mini-labs) on nanophotonics/quantum nanophotonics, learning materials, and pedagogical methods to be introduced in some Institute of Optics classes from freshman to senior levels. The inexpensive mini-labs described herein can be adopted in small colleges. An important outcome of this project is that ∼50 % of the 41 awardees of the CNSNE (by May 2021) after graduation continued their career in the field of nanoscience and nanoengineering. For the CNSNE program, UR students must take three courses: Nanometrology Laboratory (a new course specifically created for this program) and two other selective courses. Students should also conduct a one-semester research or design project in the fields of nanoscience and nanoengineering. A total of 52 MCC students (including non-science, technology, engineering, and mathematics major students) participated in two labs at the UR on atomic force microscopy and photolithography in a clean room. Our teaching methodology, the progress of students’ learning outcomes, and the investigation of students’ attitudes and self-efficacy toward selecting their careers in nanoscience/nanotechnology are also discussed and analyzed. Discussions on the challenges in teaching advanced lab classes during the pandemic, our solutions for preserving the CNSNE program, and lessons learned are also included.