Venue

Program Objectives

Although almost everything we encounter on a daily basis is composed of either glass, ceramics, metals, polymers, or a composite structure, the well established discipline of Materials Science and Engineering is relatively unknown compared to other the engineering disciplines and remains a hidden opportunity for many of today's students. This situation exists at many major universities that do not have a focused materials departments. Only at those institutions where strong materials departments or programs exist are the students cognizant of the field of materials and its career opportunities. At most Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's), the discipline of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is virtually unknown at the undergraduate level. To address this void, this workshop has been developed to introduce HBCU faculty and educators from all science disciplines to the field of Materials Science and Engineering.

Participant Support

This no-fee three week workshop will introduce the participants to MSE and familiarize them with the materials field. Participants will receive both a stipend and expenses for room and board for the duration of the workshop. This workshop will provide faculty members and educators from HBCU's with a thorough introduction to MSE and will allow them to relate the significance of materials to the basic principles in the physical science disciplines (e.g., math, physics, chemistry, astronomy, etc). This knowledge will enable them to incorporate various aspects of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) into their mathematical and physical science courses and will additionally aid in alerting students at HBCU's to educational and career opportunities in MSE.

Workshop Format

A three-week summer program, in a Gordon Conference style setting, will be held on the campus of The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This program will introduce HBCU faculty to materials and familiarize them with the materials field. It will allow those HBCU faculty to inform their current and future students about the discipline of materials and make them aware of employment and graduate school opportunities in the field of materials. This program will consist of coupling traditional and non-traditional classes during the mornings with a combination of laboratory experiments and tours of local materials manufacturing plants during the afternoons. A typical day will begin with a traditional lecture in the morning, followed by a group style cooperative learning session with computer involvement to develop computer assisted learning skills. Afternoons will alternate between hands-on laboratory activities and industrial facility visits.

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