1. An Assessment of US Nano-Education Directions Stephen J. Fonash Penn State University May 28, 2010

2. Direction in the U.S. Nanoscale education incorporation into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education Exploiting the “wow factor” to attract students into science/engineering careers. Significant disparity in standards among states and school districts. Issues K-12 Education University faculty working with K-12 teachers and their students.; e.g., NSF programs (GK-12, IGERT) More exposure of teachers and pre- service teachers to nano Horizontal integration/ Vertical integration National education strategy for introducing nano-scale concepts into the various state learning standards Avoid haphazard approach to curriculum development. Design, development, testing, and use of a coherent curriculum Curriculum giving an understanding of core science ideas that underpin nano-scale science and engineering. Curriculum that exploits the “Wow- factor”

3. Direction in the U.S. economic pressures student enrollment pressures faculty, staff, and facilities resources geographic isolation Issues Technician (2-year degree) Education Partnering with Research Universities Resource (facilities, staff) sharing Web Access to courses and equipment Immersion semester in Nanotechnology www.nano4me.org Exposure to state of the art fabrication Exposure to state of the art characterization tools Courses covering the leading edges of nanotechnology World-class technician workforce

4. Direction in the U.S. Science and engineering workforce Nano-savvy education world-class entrepreneurs Issues Undergraduate (BS degree) Education Nanotechnology-related science and engineering courses Minors (concentrations) in nano Centers focused on the nano-scale Some development of nano-oriented departments and colleges Nano education driven by accreditation and competition for funding and resources Societal issues and entrepreneurial components in courses www.nano4me.org Nano educated science/engineering workforce Nano-aware public Societal impact of Nano understood Economic impact of nano understood Entrepreneurial opportunities of nano understood

5. Direction in the U.S. economic pressures facilities resources geographic isolation Issues Graduate (MS & PhD degree) Education Equipment needed to make/measure/manipulate will grow in complexity and cost. Continued resource (facilities) sharing among institutions International and industrial partnerships need to be fostered as a means of sharing costs State of the art fabrication and characterization facilities Facilities/capabilities accessible without the need for extensive travel time. Web-controlled, remote access instrumentation for providing laboratory experiences for K-12, two-year degree, and non-research four year degree students.

6. Direction in the U.S. Well-informed, nano-literate citizens. Issue Informal (General Public) Education Better use of new ways of learning; e.g., Wikipedia is becoming the de facto encyclopedia of the 21st century. Raising public awareness and understanding Educating the public for any future events such as an accident

7. Summary Partnerships Networking Importance of Technician Education Web Access to Equipment Efforts to further incorporate nano into K-12 educational standards