Presidential
Advisory Committee of
Proposal
17-05
(Voting Units: Academic Senators)
Interdisciplinary
minor in
Nanoscale
Science and Engineering (Nanotechnology)
1. Introduction
Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing field that
seeks to understand, control, and exploit new physical properties that arise in
systems at length scales between atoms and bulk materials. Applications of
nanotechnology, which already are emerging, are highly interdisciplinary and
include virtually all fields and disciplines in engineering and the natural
sciences.
This proposal for a new minor is in one sense a
by-product of a National Science Foundation grant for Nanotechnology
Undergraduate Education (7/2003 – 12/2004)
which had up to 18 faculty participants, including five PI/CoPIs, from eight departments. Offering
such a minor was not part of the proposed project activities; however,
it helped to clearly demonstrate the need and the tremendous interest among
both students and faculty for offering a formal undergraduate educational
program in nanotechnology at MTU. In a survey of students in the
"Fundamentals of Nanoscale Science and Technology" elective class in
spring 2004, nearly 50% of the class responded that they would be interested in
taking a minor in nanotechnology if MTU offered it.
The minor in Nanoscale
Science and Engineering (Nanotechnology) is deliberately designed to
(1)
introduce
students to the basic issues and overall scope of this field;
(2)
encourage
students to pursue interdisciplinary coursework outside their major;
(3)
develop an
understanding of the importance of flexibility in terms of careers, research,
and education;
(4)
be flexible to
allow for participation by students in diverse majors.
2. Rationale
In order to introduce students for what some
enthusiasts are calling the next "industrial revolution,” a formal minor
in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (Nanotechnology) is proposed to give
students the necessary multidisciplinary background in physics, chemistry,
biology, instrumentation, and application-specific areas. Students will choose elective courses to
broaden their exposure to other disciplines, as well as to deepen their understanding
in primary areas of interest. Importantly, all students will have opportunities
to consider and explore real and potential societal implications of new
nanotechnologies. With ever increasing interest in nanotechnology among young,
bright high school students, it is anticipated that this new minor may also be
valuable in recruiting excellent students to Michigan Tech.
The Nanotechnology Minor will also give MTU a
important educational component as it is also continuing to develop its
research programs in nanoscale science and technology areas. The nano-related
research and educational programs will help to and enhance MTU's visibility
(see nano.mtu.edu) among other peer institutions developing similar
programs.
The Nanotechnology Minor is a non-departmental minor
that will be administered, initially, through the Department of Physics.
Administrative responsibility will shift to an appropriate multidisciplinary
program/unit such as a "Nanotechnology Institute"[1]
upon its creation.
3. Details of Catalog Copy:
I.
Title of Minor
Nanoscale Science and Engineering (Nanotechnology)
Minor
II.
Catalog Description
This multidisciplinary minor focuses on emerging
fields of science, engineering, and technology where systems exist with one or
more dimensions at the nanometer scale. A multidisciplinary exposure, including
fundamental sciences, current and potential applications, modern
instrumentation, and potential societal implications are emphasized. Due to the
interdisciplinary nature of the minor, students are advised to consult with
their major advisor and a Nanotechnology Minor advisor as early as possible to
plan their schedules and a coherent program of study.
III.
List of Courses
Required
Courses
1. UN2600 Fundamentals of Nanoscale Science and
Technology
(2
credits)
2. SS 3820 Societal Implications of
Nanotechnology (2 credits)
3. Independent study/Research/co-op/enterprise
(3
credits- must be nano‑related; program approval required)
Elective
Courses
Choose at least two courses from this list
of courses not in your major. Additional courses may be freely chosen
from this list to bring the total number of credits from this list to at least
9, giving a total of at least 16 credits for the minor. (Remember that it is
also a university requirement that you take at least two courses at the
3000-level or higher not required by your major.)
BA3780 Entrepreneurship (3)
BE 3500 Biomedical Materials (3)
BE 4700 Biosensors:
Fabrication and Applications (3)
BL 1900 Molecular Biology Seminar (1) [new class in
approval process]
BL 2100 Principles of Biochemistry (3)
BL 2200 Genetics (3)
BL 4010 Biochemistry I (3)
BL 4020 Biochemistry II (3)
BL 4030 Molecular Biology (3)
CH 2400 Principles of Organic
Chemistry (4)
CH 3500 Physical Chemistry for
Environmental and Life Sciences (2)
CH 3520 Physical Chemistry II-
Kinetics and Molecular Structure (3)
CH 4212 Instrumental Analysis (5)
CH 4310 Inorganic Chemistry I (3)
CH 4320 Inorganic Chemistry II
(3)
CH 4610 Introduction to Polymer
Science (3)
CM 4610 Introduction to Polymer
Science (3)
CM 4710 Biochemical Processes (3)
CM 3974 Fuel Cell Fundamentals (1)
EE 4231 Physical Electronics (3)
EE 4240 Introduction to MEMS (4)
EE
4240D Introduction to MEMS (4)
EE 5470 Semiconductor Fabrication (3)
EE 5480 Advanced MEMS (4)
EE 6480 Thin Films (3)
EET 3353 Sensors, Data Acquisition
and Control (3)
ENG3974 Fuel Cell Fundamentals (1)
FW 3075 Plant Biotechnology (3)
FW 4089 Bioinformatics (3)
MEEM 4405 Intro to the Finite Element Method (3)
MEEM 4640 Micromanufacturing Processes
MET 3131 Instrumentation I (3)
MET 4131 Advanced Instrumentation and
Controls (3)
MY 3200 Materials Characterization I (4)
MY 3210 Materials Characterization II (4)
MY 3700 Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Properties
of Materials (4)
MY 4200 Introduction to Scanning Electron Microscopy
(2)
MY 4240 Introduction to MEMS (4)
MY 4240D Introduction to MEMS (4)
MY 4710 Photonic and Micromechanical
Materials
and Devices (3)
MY 5470 Semiconductor Fabrication
(3)
MY 5480 Advanced MEMS (4)
MY 5550 Solid Surfaces
MY 5580 Introduction to Scanning
Probe Microscopy (2)
MY 6100 Computational Materials Science and
Engineering (3)
MY 6480 Thin Films (3)
PH 2400 University Physics IV: Waves and Modern
Physics (3)
PH 3410 Quantum Physics I (3)
PH 3411 Quantum Physics II (3)
SS 2800 Science, Technology
& Society (3)
SS 3650 Intellectual Property Law [new class in
approval process]
Other
appropriate electives (including those at the graduate level) may be chosen
with written permission by the Nanotechnology Minor faculty advisor.
Graduate-level courses may also require permission of the department or the
instructor.
Students are encouraged, though not
required, to take at least one course from this list related to
instrumentation:
BE
3600 Biomedical Instrumentation (4)
CH 4212 Instrumental Analysis
(3)
MY 3200 Materials Characterization I (4)
MY 3210 Materials
Characterization II (4)
MY 4200 Introduction to
Scanning Electron Microscopy (2)
MY 5580 Introduction to
Scanning Probe Microscopy (2)
IV.
Prerequisites
|
Course |
Pre- or Co-requisites |
|
|
|
|
UN 2600 |
None |
|
|
|
|
BA 3780 |
None |
|
|
|
|
BE 3500 |
BL 1040 and MY 2100 and
(ENG 2120(C)or MEEM 2150(C)) |
|
BE 3600 |
EE 3010 and BL 2020 |
|
BE 4700 |
None |
|
|
|
|
BL 1900 |
None |
|
BL 2100 |
(BL 1040 or BL 1020) and
(CH 1110 or CH 1100) |
|
BL 2200 |
(BL 1020 or BL 1040) and
BL2100 |
|
BL 4010 |
(BL 1020 or BL 1040 or
BL2010) and (BL 2100 or CH 2400) and CH 2420 |
|
BL 4020 |
BL 4010 |
|
BL 4030 |
(BL 1020 or BL 1040) and BL
2100 and (BL 2200 or BL 2300(C)) |
|
|
|
|
CH 2400 |
CH 1120 |
|
CH 3500 |
(CH 1100 or CH 1110) and
(CH 1120 or CH 1140) and (MA 2150 or MA 2160) |
|
CH 3520 |
CH 1120 and (MA 3150 or MA
3160) and PH 2200(C) |
|
CH 4212 |
CH 2212 and CH 3510(C) and
CH 3511(C) |
|
CH 4310 |
CH 3520 |
|
CH 4320 |
CH 4310 |
|
CH 4610 |
CH 1120 |
|
|
|
|
CM 4610 |
CH 1120 |
|
CM 4710 |
CM 3110 |
|
|
|
|
EE 4231 |
EE 3130 |
|
EE 4240 |
Senior standing |
|
EE 4240D |
Senior standing |
|
EE 5480 |
EE 4240 or MY 4240 |
|
EE 6480 |
Permission of department |
|
|
|
|
EET 3353 |
EET 1411 or EET
2220 or EET 2311 or EE 3010 |
|
|
|
|
ENG 3974 |
CH 1100 or CH 1110 |
|
|
|
|
FW 3075 |
None |
|
FW 4089 |
None |
|
|
|
|
MEEM 4405 |
MEEM 3502 and (MA 2320 or
MA 2321 or MA 2330) and (MA 3520 or MA 3521 or MA 3530 or MA 3560) |
|
MEEM 4640 |
MEEM 2502 |
|
|
|
|
MET 3131 |
none |
|
MET 4131 |
MET 3131 and (MA
2710 or MA 2720 or MA 3710) |
|
|
|
|
MY 3200 |
MY 2100 |
|
MY 3210 |
MY 3200 |
|
MY 3700 |
(PH 2200 or PH2260) and (MA
3150 or MA 3160) and (MA 3520 or MA 3530) or (MA
2321 and MA 3521) |
|
MY 4200 |
None |
|
MY 4240 |
Senior standing |
|
MY 4240D |
Senior standing |
|
MY 4710 |
None |
|
MY 5470 |
None |
|
MY 5480 |
EE 4240 or MY 4240 |
|
MY 5550 |
Permission of department |
|
MY 5580 |
Permission of department |
|
MY 6100 |
Permission of department |
|
MY 6480 |
Permission of department |
|
|
|
|
PH 2400 |
PH 2200 or PH 2260 |
|
PH 3410 |
PH 2400 and MA 3530 |
|
PH 3411 |
PH 3410 |
|
|
|
|
SS 2800 |
None |
|
SS 3650 |
UN 2002 |
|
SS 3820 |
Junior or Senior standing |
|
|
|
|
UN 2600 |
None |
4. New Course Descriptions
Two
new courses are required for the nanotechnology minor and have been through the
new-course review process, independent of the success of this Minor proposal.
Fundamentals
of Nanoscale Science and Engineering
(2 credits)
Course
numbers: UN2600
Description:
Team-taught introduction to the fundamentals of nanotechnology, emphasizing the
interdisciplinary nature of this field. Modern instrumentation, key scientific
foundations, and current and potential applications will be discussed. Real and
potential societal implications of nanotechnology will be explored.
Semesters offered: spring.
Comments:
This was a direct product of the funded NSF-NUE project. It was offered in
spring 2004 as a special topics course, and was cross listed by six
departments. The initial instructors were hoping for approximately 25 students
to register. Over 90 students, ranging from freshmen to graduate students,
registered and completed the course. A survey conducted at the end of the year
showed that almost 90% of the students thought the class should be offered
again and that nearly 40% of the students suggested that if be offered for more
than one credit. We are planning to offer the class again in spring 2005 under
special topics listings. In order to encourage in-class discussion and to keep
instructional responsibilities (grading) by the primary instructors to a
manageable level, we plan to cap enrollment at 25 in the future. This should
not be too severe since one reason for the high initial enrollment was that
this was the first time such a class had been offered at MTU.
Societal
Implications of Nanotechnology (2
credits)
Course
number: SS 3820
Description: Nanotechnology, considered by many to be
the “next big thing” in the realm of science and engineering, involves natural
phenomena where at least one dimension is at the nanoscale – 10-9
m. This course examines in a seminar
format some of the likely implications of these developments for society. Attention will be given to the economic, social,
ethical and moral, and political consequences of the unfolding development of
science and engineering fields at the nanoscale.
5. Estimated
Costs
The
immediate initiation of this minor has no direct new costs. Participating faculty
will continue to pursue external funding to purchase equipment to enhance
educational experiences in the classroom and laboratories, and to provide
funding for external speakers to visit campus for UN 2600 and public lectures,
but such additional support is not necessary to run the program.
The
offering of a new minor in nanotechnology and potentially offering other
nano-related educational programs (for example, a graduate certificate is being
developed for future consideration) provide exciting opportunities for MTU.
With ever increasing interest in nanotechnology among young, bright high school
students, it is anticipated that this new minor will be valuable in recruiting
excellent students to Michigan Tech. Although no additional costs are needed to
start the program immediately, small to modest support internally and
externally could provide significant dividends to MTU. Examples for the
near-term which do not necessarily require general
fund support but could come from the overhead return to the
"Nanotechnology Institute" include the following:
Enhanced
publicity for nano-related educational programs (1st year).
Web support (already initiated through the
NSF grant at nano.mtu.edu) $1,000.
Brochure design, printing and mailing $4,000.
Educational
laboratory equipment.
Portable
AFM system and STM system $30,000.
(for
outreach education, recruiting, and MTU teaching laboratories)
6. Planned Implementation
This minor is planned to be offered starting fall semester
2005.
Adopted by the PAC
(formerly Senate): 9 February 2005
Approved
by President Mroz: 21 February 2005