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ABSTRACT Materials science skills and knowledge, as an addition to the traditional curricula for physics and chemistry students, can be highly valuable for transition to graduate study or other career paths in materials science. The chemistry and physics departments at Weber State University (WSU) are harnessing an interdisciplinary approach to materials science undergraduate research. These lecture and laboratory courses, and capstone experiences are, by design, complementary and can be taken independently of one another and avoid unnecessary overlap or repetition. Specifically, we have a senior level materials theory course and a separate materials characterization laboratory course in the physics department, and a new lecture/laboratory course in the chemistry department. The chemistry laboratory experience emphasizes synthesis, while the physics lab course is focused on characterization techniques. Interdisciplinary research projects are available for students in both departments at the introductory or senior level. Using perovskite materials for solar cells, WSU is providing a framework of different perspectives in materials: making materials, the micro- and macrostructure of materials, and the interplay between materials to create working electronic devices. Metal-halide perovskites, a cutting-edge technology in the solar industry, allow WSU to showcase that undergraduate research can be relevant and important. The perovskite materials are made in the chemistry department and characterized in the physics department. The students involved directly organize the collaborative exchange of samples and data, working together to design experiments building ownership over the project and its outcomes. We will discuss the suite of options available to WSU students, how we have designed these curricula and research, as well as some results from students who have gone through the programs.
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Unleashing the Problem-Solving Potential of Next-Generation Data Scientists
Data science, an emerging multidisciplinary field, resides at the intersec- tion of computational sciences, statistical modeling, and domain-specific sciences. The current norm for data science education predominantly focuses on graduate programs, which presume a pre-existing knowledge base in one or more relevant sciences. However, this framework often overlooks those who don’t plan to pursue graduate studies, thereby limiting their exposure to this rapidly expanding field. Penn State addressed this gap by establishing one of the first undergraduate degree programs in Data Sciences, a collaboration between the College of Information Sci- ences and Technology, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the Department of Statistics. One key component of this program is a project-focused, writing-intensive course designed for upper-class undergraduates. This course guides students through the entire data science project pipeline, from problem identifica- tion to solution presentation. It allows students to apply foundational data science principles to real-world problems, advancing their understanding through practi- cal application. This chapter details the objectives, rationale, and course design, alongside reflections from our teaching experience. The insights provided could be helpful to instructors developing similar data science programs or courses at an undergraduate level, broadening the influence of this important field
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- PAR ID:
- 10629569
- Editor(s):
- Carroll, John M
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Nature Switzerland
- Date Published:
- ISBN:
- 978-3-031-61289-3
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 87 to 110
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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With grant support from the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences (ASSURE) program funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), we established a program intended to increase the number of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority (URM) and first-generation undergraduate students successfully applying to neuroscience and other STEM-related graduate programs. The Neuroscience Techniques and Research Training (NeuroSTART) Program aimed to increase the number of undergraduate students from the Memphis area involved in behavioral neuroscience research. In this two-semester program, students completed an empirical research project in a neuroscience lab, received individual mentoring from neuroscience faculty, became part of a STEM network, presented at research conferences, and attended specialized professional development seminars. In two cohorts of 15 students, 4 are PhD students in neuroscience-related programs or in medical school (27%), 4 are employed in neuroscience-related research facilities (27%), 3 are employed as clinical assistants (20%), and 1 is employed in the IT field (7%). The remaining three recently graduated and are planning a gap year prior to applying for admission to grad/medical school. The Memphis NeuroSTART program has provided valuable training to participants, making them competitive applicants for jobs in the health sciences and for admittance into graduate neuroscience programs. By providing this training to first-generation and URM students, the broader impact of this program was an increase in the diversity of the health sciences workforce, particularly those specializing in neuroscience-related research and treatment.more » « less
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Book Chapter:
- https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61290-9_8
