The Center for Aviation and Automotive Technological Education Using Virtual E-Schools (CA2VES) recently announced that Dr. Paul Weber, Utah Valley University, received the 2021 Coordination Network Innovation Award.

Dr. Weber is the lead investigator on an NSF ATE grant: Integrating Environmentally Improved Photolithography Technology and Virtual Reality Games into Advanced Nanotechnology Education. He has developed VR simulations using a Scanning Electron Microscope and Photolithography that prepare students to operate equipment more effectively and safely. 

Recently, Dr. Weber provided a workshop on using VR in technical education programs. His dedication to providing nanotechnology students unique learning environments in the virtual world will lead to growth in the use of VR in technical education. Presentations and videos of his work at UVU are here:

• Classroom experiences with VR simulations, assessing effectiveness (scroll down on the page to find this specific video presentation).
• Developing VR Simulations for Teaching Nanotechnology Instrumentation

Paul will receive a $500 prize and free registration at the 2021 HI-TEC Virtual Conference! He was nominated by Dr. Jared Ashcroft of Pasadena City College, principal investigator for the Micro Nano Technology Education Center (team bios). 

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are interested in attending the HI-TEC Virtual Conference, there is still time to register and attend the July 21 and July 22 event. The annual MNTeSIG runs right before HI-TEC and more info can be found here on the MNT-EC Calendar (also loaded with many other useful nanotechnology workshops and webinars). 

Led by AACC and NSF, the competition seeks to create STEM solutions to real-world challenges that benefit society

Pasadena City College placed first out of the 12 finalist teams that participated in the final phase of the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC), an annual national competition, powered by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in partnership with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). CCIC seeks to advance student impact through STEM solutions to real-world challenges that foster the development of students’ innovation, research, and entrepreneurial skills. 

Teams for the CCIC consist of two to four students and a faculty or administrator mentor. The challenge requires teams to assess their innovation’s potential impact, identify its scientific and market feasibility and determine its societal relevance. 

The Pasadena City College team consists of the following students and faculty:

• Dr. Jared Ashcroft (Mentor)
• Kit Cheung
• Kirk Dolar
• Sophia Ibarguen
• Richard Lu

Working together, oftentimes remotely due to COVID-19, the team was able to develop an innovative, effective means to use targeted photo immunotherapy against specific cancer cells while also combating the symbiotic relationship between cancer and bacteria that promotes cancer proliferation. . Their “NanoBio mAB: A Nanoparticle-Antibody Cancer Therapeutic” project abstract explains it well:

“Cancer is one of the leading causes of death all over the world, with nearly ten million children and adults worldwide dying every year. By 2040, the number of new cancer cases per year is expected to rise to 29.5 million and the number of cancer-related deaths is expected to rise to 16.4 million. Antibody conjugated nanoparticles have a multitude of uses in cancer and infectious disease identification and treatment at the cellular level. Gold nanoparticles are commonly used in photothermal nano therapies due to their stable, non-toxic, and non-immunogenic nature. Silver nanoparticles have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal properties, and anticancer properties. The NanoBio mAB is a gold@silver nanoparticle hybrid that capitalizes on the ideal properties of both the gold and silver nanoparticles so that together they maximize efficacy in treating cancer. Conjugation to cell specific monoclonal antibodies (mABs) will provide an effective means for targeted photo immunotherapy to specific cancer cells while also combating the symbiotic relationship between cancer and bacteria that promotes cancer proliferation. Overall, the NanoBio mAB will revolutionize cancer therapies, providing a multifaceted approach in the treatment of cancer.”

On June 14, twelve finalist teams entered a week-long virtual innovation boot camp, learning from industry experts on how to understand the marketability of their innovation, how to communicate effectively about their work, and participated in mock interviews and elevator pitches to hone their message and presentation skills. Teams presented their innovations in a Student Innovation Showcase engaging with STEM leaders and Congressional stakeholders and led 5-minute pitch presentations in front of a panel of industry professionals for a cash prize. 

Started in 2015, CCIC was created to broaden community college participation in STEM and innovation to prepare students for meaningful employment in the high-technology fields that drive our nation’s economy. To learn more about CCIC, visit  www.aaccinnovationchallenge.com or follow the hashtag #CCIChallenge2021 for updates on Twitter. More information is also available on the NSF news page: NSF, AACC announce 2021 Community College Innovation Challenge winners.

NOTE: Some of these same students were part of a team that just submitted another research project: Undergraduate Researchers Share Tools To Help Students Understand Statistics.  May include this link because it is good to link internally between posts.

Statistic analysis is not always easy to understand, especially studying it remotely in the midst of a pandemic. Five undergraduate students at Pasadena City College designed and implemented a program to help their fellow students understand it better.

Initially, “Jupyter notebooks,” built by Project Jupyter, a non-profit, open-source project created in 2014, were to be introduced and used in chemistry lab courses. COVID-19 made it more difficult to use those lab notebooks so the project shifted, with a “new goal to provide students with the statistical analysis skills they would otherwise miss out on acquiring without the in-person lab component of their course. Statistical analysis is extremely important in all fields of STEM and a strong background in it truly helps students in their coursework,” undergraduate student and researcher Sophia Ibarguen said. 

Pasadena City College Chemistry professor, Dr. Jared Ashcroft, explained that these students were involved in creating and leading this research project Sophia Ibarguen, Janet Teng, Sophia Barber, Chloe Sharp, Alex Gonzalez, and Daisy Kim (four presented in the above video). As part of their efforts, they submitted their project to the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) that hosts an annual conference to celebrate and promote “undergraduate student achievement; provides models of exemplary research, scholarship, and creative activity; and helps to improve the state of undergraduate education.”

All of the students shared that, equally as important as presenting at a national conference, was the learning they gained from working together. 

“The best part of this project was the experience of learning how to work with fellow student researchers to create modules and assessments to help strengthen students’ understanding of different statistical analysis tools. The statistical analysis research project was the very first project I joined and it gave me a chance to learn how to work in a research group while also contributing independent work,” student and researcher Janet Teng said. 

Fellow student and researcher, Sophia Barber, shared a similar thought: “The connections I have made with the other members of the team, the invaluable support and mentorship I have received through working with Dr. Ashcroft, Dr. Chang, and Dr. Faltens, and the newfound passion for research I discovered while working on both this project and the hB-NPc project, which ultimately convinced me to pursue an MD/PhD. I am beyond grateful for being able to work on this project.”

As seen in the screenshots below, the students built methods and leveraged several platforms to make statistical analysis far more accessible for remote-learning but even for in-person classroom experiences as well. 

The research project used the following tools that educators and students can visit and use:

• Data Classroom 

• Jupyter Notebook

• Google Colaboratory “Colab”

The initial motivation of helping their fellow students at Pasadena City College understand how to properly conduct statistical analysis was rewarded by strong results. Sophia Ibarguen summarized the project perfectly: 

“I think the best part of the project for me was the data analysis once each cohort of students had completed the modules. Seeing how the students’ scores increased each time and how their survey responses concerning statistical analysis also spoke more favorably of the subject provided me with instant gratification. Seeing how much our work helped our peers made all those months of early mornings and late nights completely worth it because it meant our work mattered, that we made even the smallest difference. That realization alone was priceless for me.” 

Technical degrees often lead to better paying jobs. “Will this help me get a good job?” is often one of the first questions a student has about a technical degree or certificate program.

The Talking Technicians podcast with Peter Kazarinoff from Portland Community College supported by the Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC) is setting out to answer that question by asking the people working in the field: Who they are, what they do, and how they got there. Perhaps like you, they also wondered about which technical degree path to pursue. 

Every month, Peter talks to real technicians working in a variety of technical industries. Many industries have entry-level jobs that do not require a 4-year college degree, or any degree, but most trade and technical jobs want their employees to have a basic understanding of technical and safety concepts, at minimum. A two-year technical degree offered at most community colleges around the nation is

Peter actively teaches technicians and engineers at Portland Community College. In each episode, roughly 15 minutes in length, you will meet a working technician and hear their story. In addition to the uplifting personal stories from these technicians, at the end of each episode,  Peter shares steps you can take to become a technician, too. 

You can listen directly here on the MNT-EC Talking Technicians page or find it on Apple or Google podcasts, or the Talking Technicians YouTube Playlist (here are a few listed in order): 

• Laser Technicians at Lawrence Livermore National Lab
• Nano Technicians at Medtronic
• Vitaliy is a technician at ARC Nano
• Danil is a technician at Intel
• Mike came from the Army Rangers

Stay tuned and Subscribe for more stories and details about how technicians around the USA have pursued a technical degree or certificate and found a great job that they love. 

The MNT-EC, including the Talking Technicians podcast, is funded by the National Science Foundation. 

In 2020, Pasadena City College (PCC) received a $7.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation ​Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program to develop new approaches to teaching students about micro nano technology. 

The new “Micro-Nano Technology Education Center” (MNT-EC) will be a collaborative center that brings together various educational institutions (30 and counting) and private corporations in micro-nano technology fields. PCC Natural Sciences professor Jared Ashcroft will lead the effort, drawing together researchers, scientists, educators, and industry professionals from a growing network of schools and industry.

According to a recent PCC article by Alexander Boekelheide, PCC to lead $7 million effort to expand nanotechnology education, in an interview with Dr. Ashcroft: “Community colleges have to evolve in what they teach. We need to converge these different technologies so we can prepare students for future jobs, not the jobs in the field of five years ago. Industry and research are driving nanotechnology forward and it’s time for us to have our teaching be a part of that,” he said.

From the NSF grant award, there are four major objectives (you can also read more on the About page) for the new Micro Nano Technology Education Center. Dr. Ashcroft clarified how the Center is continuing to learn and adapt in comments below.

1. Develop coordinated national approach to advance Micro- Nano Education.
2. Deliver professional development to enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities.
3. Conduct strategic outreach, recruitment, and retention of traditional and under-represented faculty and students.
4. Create a deep industry/education alliance that supports student success.

Develop coordinated national approach to advance Micro- Nano Education

There are currently several advanced technological education programs in nano. It is very challenging for a community college or K-12 school to know which programs curriculum and activities are optimal. The MNT-EC will bring the current curriculum and activities to one site and delineate appropriate grade levels for each activity. If we can get a consistent approach to MNT education that is vetted and organized to grade level so it is easier for educators to implement in the classroom it will be a success.

Deliver professional development to enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities

Success in this area will be if we can find 10 partner sites that utilize the professional development in their classrooms and to have 5 actively engaged community college MNT-based technical education programs that are each awarding a minimum of ten certificates.

There are several current professional development opportunities in MNT through all the partners. The MNT-EC goal is to support these professional development activities, but more importantly once the workshops are over to continually engage the participants to keep the interest in nano tech education implementation in their coursework or programs going. 

Conduct strategic outreach, recruitment, and retention of traditional and under-represented faculty and students

The goal of MNT-EC is to provide opportunities to all students in micro and nano technical education. The majority of students, especially at community colleges are unaware of the opportunities in technical education and do not have any idea what a nano-based career can look like.

In addition, we want to increase awareness and participation in MNT-based academic and career paths with a focus on recruitment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). We will utilize undergraduate research opportunities as a means to provide hands-on experiences in micro and nanotechnology, which has been shown to increase success in all students, but especially with underrepresented students.

Create a deep industry/education alliance that supports student success

In terms of student awareness and success, the Center’s emphasis is on showcasing the jobs available in microtechnology and nanotechnology. There are several major organizations or corporations looking for technicians: Intel, Micron, national government labs, such as, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, among others. If we’re honest and practical, when a student evaluates a degree path, they are ultimately asking — Can I get a job in this field? If the answer is not obvious and the path clear, they are not likely to even take the first step. Colleges with micro and nano programs need to change that. 

Currently we are organizing a Business Industry Leadership Team. Success will be that industry partners actively engage with the MNT-EC and provide insight on what technologies we should be preparing our students so they are ready when entering the micro nanotechnology workforce.

The MNT-EC, in less than a year, has started collaborations with the following institutions and organizations. You can visit the MNT Partner Page, or feel free to peruse the list shared below. Partners are a group of educators and professionals who contribute to MNT-EC’s products and services. They provide vetted content, professional development opportunities, and expert mentoring services through MNT-EC.            

Academic Partners

• Northwest Vista College
• Edmonds College
• Portland Community College
• University of New Mexico
• University of Minnesota
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute
• Purdue University
• Oak Crest Institute of Science
• The Pennsylvania State University

ATE Partners

• InnovateBIO
• National Center for Autonomous Technologies
• CAST
• Center for Occupational Research and Development
• ATE Central
• Mentor-Connect
• National Convergence Technology Center
• National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure
• Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative
• Project Vision
• Pathways to Innovation
• Materials Science Technology Education
• Micro Nano Technology Education Special Interest Group
• Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge Network
• Support Center for Microsystems Education
• Northeast Advanced Technological Education Center
• Remotely Accessible Instruments in Nanotechnology Network

Industry Partners    

• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• HT Micro
• ASML
• CIVCO Medical Solutions
• Sandia National Lab
• Lockheed Martin
• Boeing
• Rogue Valley Microdevices
• Bruker Nano Surfaces
• TDK InvenSense
• Malvern Instruments
• Global Foundries
• Phygen Coatings
• DNP123 Nano
• MANCEF
• SEMI
• Pratt & Whitney
• LKD Aerospace
• TowerJazz
• DiPaola Consulting
• Cagent Vascular

Affiliates

• Indian Hills Community College
• Erie Community College
• Ivy Technical College
• Pasadena Rosebud Academy
• National Nanotechnology Initiative
• Salt Lake Community College
• nanoHUB
• Omni Nano
• Normandale Community College
• Princeton University
• University of Southern California
• American Association of Community Colleges
• Rio Salado College
• The Freeman Center
• Southern University of Shreveport, Louisiana
• John Muir High School