CNS-ASU Report #R09-0001

Heldrich Centers Education Report May 2009

A Profile of Nanotechnology Degree Programs in the United States

Carl Van Horn Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Jennifer Cleary Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Leela Hebbar Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
and

Aaron Fichtner Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development Edward J. Bloustein School for Planning and Public Policy
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

The Center for Nanotechnology in Society

Arizona State University

ThisresearchwasconductedaspartoftheCenterforNanotechnology inSocietyatArizonaStateUniversity(CNSASU).CNSASUresearch, educationandoutreachactivitiesaresupportedbytheNationalScience Foundationundercooperativeagreement#0531194.

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This report is the third in a three-part workforce assessment study series that explores the emerging effects of nanotechnology on the demand for, and educational preparation of, skilled workers. The series was designed to build policy-relevant knowledge of the labor market dynamics of nanotechnology-enabled industries and to foster better alignment of nanotechnology education with the skill needs of employers. The first report, The Workforce Needs of Companies Engaged in Nanotechnology Research in Arizona, used interviews, focus groups, and an on-line questionnaire to profile a single labor market - identifying the skill needs of high-tech companies in Arizona and the types of nanotechnology educational programs being developed at post-secondary institutions in the region. In the second report, The Workforce Needs of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies in New Jersey That Use Nanotechnology, researchers used interviews of representatives from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to understand nanotechnology employer needs in New Jersey. This third report examines the emerging development of nanotechnology degree programs.

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REPORTSUMMARY
Researchsuggeststhatnewdegreeprogramsareonewaythatpostsecondary institutionsrespondtoperceivedlaborshortagesinareasofemerging technology(Stephanetal.,2007).Thisstudyoffersasnapshotprofileof nanotechnologydegreeprogramsintheUnitedStates.Whilenotthemost common,orevennecessarilythemosteffectiveformofnanotechnology postsecondaryeducation,nanotechnologydegreeprogramsrepresent institutionlevelchange,presumablytoaddressnewknowledgeand employmentneedsposedbynanotechnology. Nanotechnologydegreeprogramsaredefinedhereasassociates,bachelors, mastersanddoctoraldegreesthatusethetermnanointheformaldegreetitle. Toensurethemostcompletecoveragepossible,researchersdidnotinclude certificates,minors,tracks,orconcentrationsinnanotechnology.Researchers usedstructuredInternetsearches,expertrecommendations,andexistingdegree programlists,severalofwhicharefundedbytheNationalScienceFoundation, toidentifydegreeprograms(SeeFigure1below).Thestudyalsoinvolvedthe analysisofinstitutionaldata,15interviewswithfacultyassociatedwithactive degreeprograms,andreviewsofprogramrelatedWebsites.Researchersalso conductedatotalof14interviewswithfacultyfrominactiveorineligible programsduringthecourseofthestudytobetterunderstandtheobstaclesto establishingdegreeprogramsinnanotechnology.

Figure1.Comparisonofnanotechnologydegreeprograms,bylistsource
# Nanotechnology Degree Programs*

Nanotechnology Degree Program Lists

This Research The Penn State University Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) National Center for Learning and Teaching Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT)

49 33 14 13

Small Times Survey 2007 9 *Onlyprogramsmeetingthedefinitionestablishedforthisstudywerecountedabove.

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FINDINGS Sevenfindingsemergedfromthestudy,asfollows: Finding1:Thetotalnumberofformalnanotechnologydegreeprogramsinthe UnitedStatesissmall,withassociatesdegreesbeingthemostprevalent, followedbydoctoraldegrees. Researchersidentified49degreeprogramswiththetermnanointhedegree titleat38postsecondaryinstitutionsintheU.S.Thirtytwo(65%)ofthese programsareassociatesdegreeprograms,morethanhalfofwhich(18)arein Pennsylvania.Oneprogramexistsatthebachelorslevel,eightatthemasters level,andeightatthedoctorallevel. Finding2:Nanotechnologydegreeprogramsarenotconcentratedinareasof highnanotechnologypublicationactivity,butrather,clusteredinresponseto federalandstateinvestments. Whilethemajorityofgraduateleveldegreeprogramsarehousedatresearch institutions,researchersfoundnocorrelationbetweenthelocationof nanotechnologydegreeprogramsandmetroareaswithhighlevelsof nanotechnologypublicationandpatentactivity,whichareimportantindicators ofinnovation.Elevenofthesixteengraduateprogramsidentifiedwereoffered byinstitutionsthatperformhighorveryhighlevelsofresearchaccordingtothe CarnegieClassificationsystem. 1 Only2ofthe38institutions,however,werein oneofthetop10nanodistricts,metropolitanareaswiththehighestratesof nanotechnologypublicationandpatentactivity(ShapiraandYoutie,2008). Instead,programsareclusteredinareaswherestateand/orfederalinvestments promotedtheirgrowth.InthecasesofPennsylvaniaandNewYork,needsof currentemployersandeconomicdevelopmentgoalsdrovethecreationof statewidenanotechnologyinitiatives,whichinturnsupportedthedevelopment ofdegreeprograms.IntheMidwest,theNationalScienceFoundationsupported thedevelopmentofNANOLINK,asetofsixassociatesdegreeprogramslinked acrossfivestates.
1 TheCarnegieclassificationsystemisacodingsystemdevelopedbytheCarnegieCommissiononHigherEducationto assistresearchersandpolicyanalyststocategorizeschoolsbykeycharacteristics.Formoreinformationsee: http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/

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Finding3:Workforceandeconomicdevelopmentarekeymotivatorsforthe creationofassociatesdegreeprogramsinnanotechnology,whilereasonsfor creatingothertypesofdegreesaremorediverse. Alltenassociatesdegreeprogramfacultyinterviewedcitedworkforce developmentandbusinessattractionaskeyreasonsforcreatingtheirprograms. Forexample,thePennsylvaniaNanofabricationManufacturingTechnology Network,whichlinks18nanotechnologydegreesacross16institutionstoa capstonesemesteratPennsylvaniaStateUniversity,beganasaresultof employersaskingstateworkforceandeconomicdevelopmentofficialsforhelpin trainingnanotechnologytechnicians.Accordingtoadministrators,theprogram isalsodesignedtoattract more nanotechnology-enabled manufacturers to the state. Atthebachelorslevelandabove,motivationsforcreatingdegreeprograms weremorevariable.Some,suchasTheCollegeofNanoscaleScienceand EngineeringattheUniversityatAlbany,StateUniversityofNewYork,were createdaspartofstateorlocalinitiativestosupportandgrownanotechnology businesses.However,otherprogramscitedadesiretoattractmorestudentsand facultyinterestinformallylinkingnanotechnologyeducationacrossdisciplines. Finding4:Employerinvolvementindegreeprogramsisinconsistent. Employerinvolvementinnanotechnologydegreeprogramsvariesacross programs,evenamongthosewithaworkforcedevelopmentmission.Whileall associatesdegreeprogramscontactedreportedsomelevelofemployer involvement,thedegreeandtypeofinvolvementvariedfrominitialconsultation aboutprogramdesign,toongoinginvolvementincurriculumdevelopment, internships,fundingassistanceandjobplacement.Athigherlevelsofeducation, wheremotivationsforprogramdevelopmentaremorevariable,employer involvementofanykindwaslesscommon.Themajorexceptiontothisisatthe CollegeofNanoscaleScienceandEngineeringinNewYork,wheresixgraduate degreeprogramsinvolvehighlevelsofindustrypartnership. Finding5:Ashortageofqualifiedfaculty,limitedconsensusonlearning needs,andotherfactorscontributetovariedapproachestothe interdisciplinaryaspectsofnanotechnologyeducationindegreeprograms. Allprogramscontactedusepreexistingcoursesfromdifferentdisciplinesan approachknownassyntheticinterdisciplinarity(Lattucca2001).Several, however,involvedfacultyfrommultipledisciplinestocreatenewcoursecontent

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thatemphasizedthecommonelementslinkingvariousdisciplines,knownasa transdisciplinaryapproach(Lattucca2001). Especiallyattheassociateslevel,thelackoftransdisciplinarycourseswaslinked todifficultiesfindingqualifiedfaculty.Thisissueisoftenaddressedthrough partnershipswithfouryearuniversities,wherestudentshaveaccesstomore transdisciplinarycoursework,aswellasadvancedlabequipment.Program purpose,facultyperceptionsofneededknowledge,andstructuralbarriers,such asfacultyrewardstructuresandaccreditationrequirementsalsoappearto contributetodifferencesinprogramapproachestointerdisciplinarity.Some facultyworriedthatoveremphasisoninterdisciplinaryeducationwoulddilute core,disciplinebasedknowledge. Finding6:Partnershipsamongrelatedprogramswerecommon,especially acrossinstitutions. Graduatedegreeprogramsreportedinformaltiestonanotechnologyresearch centersatthesameinstitution,whilepartnershipsacrossinstitutionsatalllevels werebothcommonandformal.TheNSFfundedPennsylvaniaNanofabrication ManufacturingTechnologyNetworkandNANOLINKprogramsdeveloped partnershipsbothamongseveralcommunitycollegesandbetweentheseschools anduniversities.Locallydrivenpartnershipshavealsodevelopedinotherareas onasmallerscale.Interinstitutionalpartnerships,asmentionedabove,include capstonesemestersandlabrotationsofferedatfouryearinstitutionsfor associateslevelstudents,aswellasformalarticulationagreementsthatallow studentstotransitionfromanassociatesdegreeinnanotechnologytoa bachelorsdegreeinatraditionaldiscipline,oftenwithananotechnologyor nanosciencefocus. Finding7:Littleisknownabouttheemploymentoutcomesofnanotechnology degreeprogramgraduates. Fewstudentshavecompletedthenanotechnologydegreeprogramscontacted. Further,fewprogramshavesystemsinplacetotrackgraduateoutcomes. Anecdotalreportsindicatedthatstudentseitherwentontohigherlevelsof educationorfoundrelevantnanotechnologypositionsatcompetitivesalaries. Overall,however,verylittleinformationwasavailableaboutstudentoutcomes.

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CONCLUSIONS Severalconclusionsareimportantforpolicymakerstoconsider.Theseinclude: Thedevelopmentofnanotechnologydegreeprogramsreflectstheemerging natureofthetechnologyitself. Whilemuchhasbeenwrittenaboutthepotentialofnanotechnologytotransform industriesandeducation,onlyearlysignsoftransformationareevidentinboth today.Stephanetal.(2007)foundthatmostnanotechnologypostsecondary educationisoccurringinformallyinuniversitylabenvironments,notwithin formaldegreeprograms.Researchwithemployersalsosuggeststhatemployers trainmanynanotechnologyworkersonthejob(VanHornandFichtner,2008; VanHornetal.,2009).Thisresearch,whichrevealsfewformalprogramsand variationsinfocusandcontentamongthem,demonstratesthat,likethe technologyitself,educationalapproachestonanotechnologyarestillemerging. Notsurprisingly,thevalueofformaldegreeprogramsformeetingemployer needsisunclear. Becausemanynanotechnologydegreeprogramsarenew,littleisknownabout thesuccessofgraduatesinthelabormarket.Recentstudieshaverevealed limiteddemandforskillednanotechnologyworkers(Stephanetal.2007)and manyemployersdonotyetseevalueinananotechnologyspecificdegree(Van HornandFichtner2008;VanHorn,Fichtner,andCleary2009).Plus,thefactthat degreeprogramsarenotassociatedwithpublicationandpatentactivitysuggests that,atleastascurrentlystructured,theymaynotplayasignificantroleinthe innovationprocess. Employerinvolvementinmanyassociatesdegreeprograms,however,may indicateanemergingneedfortechnicianlevelskilldevelopmentin nanotechnology.Further,justasfewemployerssawvalueinaninformation technologydegreein1972,limiteddemandforworkerswithananotechnology degreemayreflectemployerslimitedunderstandingofthefutureskill implicationsofanemergingtechnology.Asaresult,nanotechnologydegrees mayprovetobemorevaluableinthemarketplaceasthetechnologyitself matures.

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POLICYIMPLICATIONSANDFUTURERESEARCHOPPORTUNITIES Theresearchhasimplicationsforcurrentpoliciesthatsupportthedevelopment ofeducationalapproachestonanotechnologyandsuggestsareasforfurther research.Basedontheresultsofthisstudy,policymakersattheNationalScience Foundationshouldconsiderthefollowing: Continuesupportforexperimentalapproachestonanotechnology postsecondaryeducationuntilprovenmodelsemerge, Encourageemployerinvolvementincurriculumdevelopment,the creationofmoretransdisciplinarycontent,andcontinuedpartnership development, Supportfurtherresearchonpostsecondarydegreeprogramprocessesand outcomes,aswellasthoseforothertypesofnanotechnologyeducation.

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FULLREPORT
INTRODUCTION Expertspredictmoderatetostronggrowthintheemergingfieldof nanotechnology,especiallyafter2010(Hullman,2006;M.C.Roco,2003).While thecurrentinternationalrecessionmayslowthepaceofdemand,Hullman arguesthatitcouldeventuallybecomeaspervasiveasinformationand communicationtechnologies. Asdemandforproductsthatincorporatenanotechnologyrises,American collegesanduniversitieswillcomeunderincreasingpressurefromemployers andpolicymakerstoprepareaskilled,nanoliterateworkforce.Manyscientists, employers,andeducatorsagreethatnanotechnologyrequiresinterdisciplinary skillsandknowledgeknowledgethatmaytranscendtraditionaldisciplinary boundaries(VanHorn&Fichtner,2008;VanHornetal.,2009;Wansometal., 2008). Whilethereisnoconsensusyetonthebestformormethodtoteachfuture nanotechnologyworkers,collegesanduniversitiesaredevelopingavarietyof courses,certificates,minorsanddegreemajorsthatfocusonnanotechnology (Stephanetal.,2007;Wansometal.,2008).Currently,mostnanotechnology educationoccursinformallyinuniversitylabs,aswellasthroughelective courses(Stephanetal.,2007).Thisstudyshedslightononeofthenewest,most visible,andmostformalincarnationsofnanotechnologyeducationatthepost secondarylevelintheUnitedStatesnanotechnologydegreeprograms. Thepurposeofthisstudyistobuildnewpolicyrelevantknowledgeabout nanotechnologydegreeprogramsatcollegesanduniversitiesintheUnited States.Itidentifiesexistingprograms,aswellastheinstitutionsand departmentsthathousethem,anddescribeskeyprogramcharacteristicsand trendsacrossprograms.Thisworkaddstothesparseknowledgethathasbeen developedregardingthewaysthatAmericancollegesanduniversitiesare adaptingtotheeducationandworkforcepreparationchallengesnanotechnology presents. Thereportwilladdressthefollowingresearchquestions: Atwhateducationlevelsdodegreeprogramstendtooccur?

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Whichtypesofinstitutionsareimplementingdegreeprograms? Whereareprogramslocated?Towhatextentareprogramsclusteredin areaswithstate,regional,orlocalnanotechnologyinitiativesorhigh nanotechnologypublicationactivity? Howareprogramsstructuredtodealwiththeinterdisciplinaryaspectsof nanotechnology? Whatistheroleofemployersintheseprograms? Whatfactorswereimportantinthedevelopmentoftheseprograms? Whatpartnershipsexistamongnanotechnologydegreeprogramsand othereducationandresearchprogramsinnanotechnologyandrelated fields? Whatisknownabouttheemploymentandeducationoutcomesof students? Whilelittleisknownaboutthemosteffectiveformofnanotechnologyeducation giventheemergingnatureofthefield,formalnanotechnologydegreeprograms arenonethelessimportanttostudy.Degreeprogramsrepresentinstitutionlevel changetoaccommodatenanotechnology,aswellasapublicstatementonthe partoftheinstitutionthatthisisanimportantnewareaofknowledge.The processthroughwhichadegreeprogramisaddedislengthyandtime consuming,requiringcommitmentonthepartoffaculty,administrators,and staff.Nanotechnologydegreeprogramsarealsosomewhatmorecomparable acrossinstitutionsthanotherformsofnanotechnologyeducation. Limitationsofthestudyincludethefactthatitcoversonlyasmallportionof nanotechnologyeducationpracticesintheU.S.Itdoesnotaddressotherforms ofnanotechnologyeducationatthepostsecondarylevel,nordoesitcover educationalpracticesatotherlevelsofeducation,whichsomescholarsbelieve arenecessarycomponentstopreparingaskillednanotechnologyworkforcefor thefuture(M.C.Roco,2003;Wansometal.,2008).Inaddition,whilemanysteps weretakentoensureadequatecoverageofallcurrentdegreeprograms,the difficultiesandcostinvolvedinsurveyingallhighereducationinstitutionsand

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departmentsmakeitdifficulttoknowifthislistrepresentsacomprehensive reviewofalldegreeprograms. Asnewresearchoneffectivepedagogy,programstructure,andcoursecontent associatedwithnanotechnologyworkforceeducationemerges,thevalueofthe degreeprogrammodelsdiscussedinthisreportwillbecomemoreapparent.In themeantime,thisresearchprovidespolicymakersandeducatorswith importantinformationaboutthenumberandtypesofnanotechnologydegrees currentlyinplaceintheU.S.,aswellaskeytrendsassociatedwiththeir development.Thestudyalsoaddstothesparseliteratureavailableontheways thatcollegesanduniversitiesarerespondingtotheeducationalchallengesposed bynanotechnologyandthedemandforskillednanotechnologyworkers.

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LITERATUREREVIEW Thissectiondiscussesareasofthescholarlyliteraturethatinformedthe developmentandimplementationofthisstudy.Inincludesareviewofstudies thatdiscusstheemergingdemandforaskillednanotechnologyworkforce, implicationsofnanotechnologyforU.S.highereducation,andthecurrentstate ofknowledgeregardingtheeducationalapproachestonanotechnologybeing developedatU.S.postsecondaryinstitutions. DemandforNanotechnologyWorkers AnoftenquotedestimatepromulgatedbytheNationalScienceFoundation projectsthat2millionnanotechnologyworkerswillbeneededworldwideby 2015,including800,000to900,000intheU.S.alone(M.C.Roco&Bainbridge, 2001).Whilethecurrentinternationalrecessionmayslowthepaceofdemand, Hullman(2006)notesthatarangeofstudiesagreethatgrowthislikelytosurge after2010. Today,however,demandforskillednanotechnologyworkersappearslimited.A studyofjobpostingsfromseveralprominentsourcesconductedbyStephanetal. (2007)indicatedthatdemandfornanotechnologyworkerswithabachelors degreeorabovewasintherangeofhundredsofworkersnationwidein2005. Whilethisrepresentedannualgrowthratesofupto43%peryearoverathree yearperiod(20022005),theoverallmarketisstillsmall.Positionswerespread acrossacademic,governmentandnonprofitorganizations,aswellasprivate firms.Yet,thestudyfoundthatmostadvertisementswereplacedbylarge, establishedfirmsasopposedtosmallcompanies.Thismaybeafunctionofthe costofplacingads,butitcouldalsorepresentlimitednanotechnologywork amongsmalloremergingfirms. Stephansfindingsareconsistentwithcasestudiesperformedaspartofthe largerNSFfundedCNSASUworkforceassessmentprojectthatfundedthis research.Ananalysisofthehiringneedsoffirmsusingnanotechnologyin Arizonafoundlimitedemployerdemandforhighlyskillednanotechnology workers(VanHorn&Fichtner,2008).Limitedcasestudiesofpharmaceutical andbiotechnologyfirmsinNewJerseyrevealedthatevenlargefirmsarehiring veryfewnanotechnologyworkersandareunsureoftheirfuturehiringneedsin thisregard(VanHornetal.,2009).

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Overall,itisdifficulttopredicttherateatwhichthedemandfornanotechnology workerswillgrow.AsnotedinHullmanswork,areviewofmarketanalysis studiesshowsconsensusregardingthepotentialforgrowth,butsignificant variationinthepaceandtimingofthisgrowth,especiallypriorto2010. ImplicationsofNanotechnologyforHigherEducationintheUnitedStates Severalstudieshaveexploredthetypesofskillsandknowledgethatemployers requireofnanotechnologyworkers.Whilespecificsvarybyindustryand application,employersandacademicsagreethatnanotechnologyrequiresa significantamountofinterdisciplinaryknowledgeacrossmultiplescienceand engineeringareas(M.C.Roco,2003;VanHorn&Fichtner,2008;VanHornetal., 2009;Wansometal.,2008).Thiswillrequirecollegesanduniversitiestodevelop studentswhohavethebreadthanddepthofscientificknowledgeneededto enablebothresearchbasedandcommercialadvancementsinnanotechnology. In2006and2007,theNationalCenterforLearningandTeachingNanoscale ScienceandEngineering,whichisfundedbytheNationalScienceFoundation, supportedseveralworkshopstoidentifybigideasandkeygoalsfor nanotechnologyrelatededucation.Theseworkshopsidentifiedninebroad knowledgeandskillareasimportanttonanotechnologyeducationincluding: sizeandscale;surfacetovolumeratio,surfacedominatedbehavior;self assembly;quantummechanics;sizedependentproperties,tools/instrumentsand characterizations;modelsandsimulations;andsocietalimpact(Wansometal., 2008).Muchhasbeenwrittenontheethical,legalandsocialimplicationsof nanotechnologyandtheimportanceofteachingstudentsaboutthese(Kjolberg& Wickson,2007;Mnyuswalla,Daar,&Singer,2003;M.C.Roco&Bainbridge, 2001;M.C.Roco,2003;M.C.Roco,2003). Thisstudydidnotincludeanexaminationoftheseknowledgeelementsand whethertheywerepresentinnanotechnologydegreeprograms.However,as employersandexpertsagreethatinterdisciplinaryeducationisnecessaryto achievetheseknowledgeobjectives(VanHorn&Fichtner,2008;VanHornetal., 2009;Wansometal.,2008),thisstudylooksbroadlyathoweducational institutionsapproachedtheissueofinterdisciplinaritywithintheirdegree programs.

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Lattuca(2001)providesausefulframeworkforunderstandinguniversity approachestointerdisciplinarity.Sheidentifiedthreekeytypesof interdisciplinaryeducation.Thefirst,andweakest,formiscalledinformed disciplinarity,whichinvolveseducationbasedinacoredisciplinethat includesadditionalinformationaboutanotherareaofknowledge.Lattuca describesthesecondform,Syntheticinterdisciplinarity,asasidebyside presentationofconceptsfromvariousdisciplines.Finally,transdisciplinarity stressesunderlyingconnectionsamongdisciplines.Itappearstobethis thirdformthatsomevisionaryexpertsinthefieldofnanotechnology espouse(M.C.Roco,2003;Wansometal.,2008).However,notallfaculty andemployersappeartoagreethatthislevelofinterdiscipliarityisrequired orpreferable(Stephanetal.,2007;VanHorn&Fichtner,2008;VanHornet al.,2009;Vogel&Campbell,2002). Whilethereissomeemergingagreementamongemployersandscienceexperts onthebroadtypesofskillsandknowledgefuturenanotechnologyworkersneed tohave,thereisnoconsensusonhowbesttostructureundergraduateand graduateteachingandresearchactivitiestopromotethatlearning.Thedebate abouttheextentofinterdisciplinaryknowledgestudentsneedandthebestways tostructureteachingisstillactive. EducationalResponsestoNanotechnologyinAmericanCollegesandUniversities HowareU.S.collegesanduniversitiesrespondingtothechallengeofproducing studentswhoarepreparedtohelpAmericanbusinessesandresearchcenters realizethepotentialofnanotechnology?Whilenanotechnologyisrelativelynew intheprivatesector,academicshavebeenadvancingknowledgeabout nanotechnologyfordecades.Asearlyas1959,RichardFeynmangaveaclassic talktotheAmericanPhysicalSocietyattheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology (Caltech)entitled,TheresPlentyofRoomattheBottom,wherehedescribed themanipulationofmatterdowntotheatomiclevel.(Feynman,1960 engineeringandsciencereference)Theinventionofthescanningtunneling microscopein1981,whichallowsresearchersaclearviewofatomicsurfaces,and theatomicforcemicroscopein1986,whichallowsviewingatthesubatomic nanoscale,providedimportanttoolsfortheadvancementofnanotechnology research.

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Academicdepartmentsrangingfromphysicstomaterialssciencehave,over time,developedbothformalandinformalwaystoteachstudentsabout nanotechnology. Whileverylittleisknownaboutnanotechnologyeducationincollegesand universities,Stephanetal.(2007)foundthatmostnanotechnologyeducation occursinformallyinlaboratories.Othernanotechnologyeducationpractices rangefrommodifiedcoursecontenttonewclasses,aswellascertificate programs,minors,concentrationsandtrackswithindegreeprograms,andsome formalmajordegreeprograms(Stephanetal.,2007;Wansometal.,2008). Wansomet.alfoundwidevariationsinthecontentandstructureofcoursework indegreeprogramsandminorsacrossseveralpostsecondaryinstitutions. Stephanetal.andothersidentifiedseveralpotentialbarrierstoestablishing formalnanotechnologydegreeprogramsincludingthefactthattheyneedto spanseveraldisciplines,whichrequiresinterdepartmentalcooperation.Other keybarriersincludedthelackoffacultywiththeinterdisciplinarybackground neededtoteacheffectivelyandtheoftendauntingdegreerequirementsfor nanotechnologywhichmayaddontocourseworkincoredisciplines(Stephanet al.,2007).Otherdifficultiesincludedtheconcernsamongfacultyaboutthe curriculaofnanotechnologydegreeprogramsbeingmoregeneralthanis neededtogivestudentsdepthofknowledgeincoredisciplines,aswellasa concernthatthefieldistoonascenttowarrantitsowndegreeprograms(Vogel& Campbell,2002).Wansomet.al(2008)alsofoundthatdegreeprogramscentered onparticulardisciplinesfacedthechallengeofhavingfewfacultymembers properlytrainedintheinterdisciplinaryaspectsneededtoteachallnecessary nanotechnologyconcepts.Theseauthorsalsonotedthataccreditationbodiesand structuralbarrierswithinuniversitieslimitedtheabilityofprogramstospan multipledisciplineswell.

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METHODSANDDATA

Thissectiondescribesthemethodsanddatasourcesthatresearchersusedto defineandidentifynanotechnologydegreeprograms,andtoidentifysalient characteristicsofprogramsandtheinstitutionsthatofferthem. DefiningNanotechnologyDegreePrograms Forthepurposesofthisstudy,researchersdefinednanotechnologydegree programstobepostsecondarydegreeprogramsattheassociates,bachelors, masters,ordoctorallevelthatcontainedthetermnanointheformaldegree title.Thisdefinitionexcludesdegreeminors,tracks,andothertypesofsub specializations.Inaddition,itdoesnotincludeothertypesofpostsecondary credentials,suchasgraduateandprofessionalcertificates,nordoesitinclude standalonenanotechnologycoursesormodules,orinformalresearchbased nanotechnologyeducationperformedatcollegesanduniversities. Thisnarrowdefinitionofnanotechnologydegreeprogramswaschosenfor severalreasons.First,asindicatedintheintroduction,establishingamajorarea ofstudyintheformofanewformaldegreeprogramrepresentsasignificant institutionalcommitmenttoanewareaofknowledgedevelopment.Addinga trackoraminortoapreexistingdegreeprogramislesssignificantinthis regard.Theuseofthetermnanointheformaldegreetitleisassumedto reflectaseriousintentionbytheinstitutionandtheprogramtoestablisha primary,ratherthanasecondary,focusonnanoscienceand/ornanotechnology. Also,giventheWebbasedsearchmethodsavailabletoidentifyprograms(see belowformoreinformation),thisdefinitionenhancedthelikelihoodthatthis studywouldresultinacomprehensiveidentificationofdegreeprogramsinthe UnitedStates.Finally,focusingonprogramswiththetermnanointhetitle offeredadegreeofcomparabilityamongprograms,especiallygiventhewide rangeinthetypesofnanotechnologyeducationprovidedatpostsecondary institutions. IdentificationofNanotechnologyDegreePrograms Researchersusedmultiplemethodstoidentifynanotechnologydegree programs.Duetodifficultiesidentifyingthecorrectcontactpersonsacrossthe

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manyinstitutions,departmentsandschoolswherenanotechnologydegree programsoccur,researcherscouldnotreasonablyconductsurveyresearchwith collegesanduniversitiesasameansofidentifyingprograms. 2 Instead, researchersreliedonseveralnationaldatabasesandlistsofnanotechnology degreeprograms,extensivestructuredWebbasedsearches,areviewofthe scholarlyliteratureonnanotechnologyeducationintheUnitedStates,andthe recommendationsofexperts. First,researchersusedpubliclyavailabledataonnanotechnologydegree programs,includinglistsanddatabasesmaintainedbythefollowing organizations: TheNationalCenterforLearningandTeachinginNanoscaleScienceand Engineering(NCLT)throughtheNanoEdResourcePortal (http://www.nanoed.org/degree/degree_by_subject_list) TheNationalNanotechnologyInitiative (http://www.nano.gov/html/edu/eduunder.html) ThePennStateUniversityCenterforNanotechnologyEducationand Utilization(http://www.nano4me.org/) TheSmallTimes2006UniversityRankingsSurvey,aspublishedinaMay 2007articleonSmallTimes.com (http://www.smalltimes.com/display_article/292542/109/ARTCL/none/non e/1/Educatingsmalltech%E2%80%99srevolutionaries/) Second,researchersconductedstructuredWebbasedsearchesfor nanotechnologydegreeprogramsintheU.S.usingvariouscombinationsofthe followingsearchterms. Nanotechnology,Nanoscience,Nano; degree,education,program; associates,bachelors,masters,Ph.D.,doctoral;and university,communitycollege,college Researchersalsoconductedareviewofthescholarlyliteratureon nanotechnologyeducationtoidentifynanotechnologydegreeprogramscitedin previousstudies.Areviewofthesestudiesisincludedintheintroductionofthis paper.Finally,researchersconsultednanotechnologyeducationexpertsata

Initially,researchersattemptedtosurveymajorU.S.universitiesandcommunitycollegesbydistributing anonlinesurveyinstrumentthroughseveralnationalassociations,includingtheCouncilofGraduate Schools,theAmericanAssociationofUniversities,andtheAmericanAssociationofCommunityColleges. However,theseorganizationsdidnotagreetodistributethesurveytotheirmembership.

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varietyofinstitutionsaroundthecountrytoidentifygapsinthelistofdegree programscompiled. SeveralprogramsinexistingdegreeprogramlistsoridentifiedininitialWeb searcheswereexcludedfromthefinallistofactivenanotechnologydegree programsforoneofthefollowingreasons:1)Theprogramhadbeencancelled2) Theprogramwasonlyaproposed,butnotanapprovedandactiveprogramor3) Theprogramdidnotactuallymeetthecriteriaforananotechnologydegree programestablishedforthisstudy. IdentifyingDegreeProgramCharacteristics Researchersconductedmorethan28structuredinterviewswithdegreeprogram facultyandadministratorstounderstandkeyprogramelementsand characteristics.ResearchersalsoexaminedprogramrelatedWebsites,including courserequirements,programandcoursedescriptions,newsarticles,andother documentsdescribingtheprograms. Thoughonlyactiveprogramsthatmetthecriteriaestablishedforthisstudywere countedindegreeprogramtotals,researchersconductedinterviewswithfaculty frombothactiveandinactive,cancelledorproposedprogramsinordertobetter understandtheobstaclesfacultyandinstitutionsfaceestablishing nanotechnologydegreeprograms.Atotalof15interviewswithfacultyfrom active,eligibledegreeprogramswereconducted,alongwithanadditional14 interviewswithfacultyfromprogramsthatwereeithercancelled,plannedbut notimplemented,ordeemedineligiblebasedonthecriteriafora nanotechnologydegreeprogramestablishedforthisstudy. Keyinformationcategoriesexploredthroughstructuredinterviewsincluded: Factorsthatledtodevelopingtheprogram Keyobstaclestoestablishingtheprogram Employerinvolvement Programapproachtointerdisciplinaryaspectsofnanotechnology education Connectionstonanotechnologyresearchcentersandotherrelevant academicprogramswithinandoutsideoftheinstitution Employmentexperiencesofprogramgraduates

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Inadditiontointerviews,researchersexaminedWebsitesrelatedtoeach nanotechnologydegreeprogram,includingthosethatcontainedprogram descriptions,newsstories,andotherinformationaboutthedegreeprograms. ThroughtheseWebsites,researcherssupplementedtheinformationobtainedin interviews.Coursedatawasnotexaminedinthisstudy,asthiswasconsidered tobeoutsidethescopeofthisresearchandrequiressignificantexpertiseto categorizeeffectively. IdentifyingInstitutionalCharacteristics ResearchersusedpubliclyavailabledatafromtheIntegratedPostsecondary EducationDataSystem(IPEDS)toidentifyseveralcharacteristicsof postsecondaryinstitutionsthatdelivernanotechnologydegreeprograms.Data elementsexaminedincludedlocationandCarnegieclassification.TheCarnegie classificationsystemisacodingsystemdevelopedbytheCarnegieCommission onHigherEducationtoassistresearchersandpolicyanalyststocategorize schoolsbykeycharacteristics.Originallydevelopedin1970,thesystemwas modifiedin2005.Carnegieclassificationdatausedinthisreportisbasedonthe 2005classificationcategories.FormoreinformationontheCarnegieclassification system,see:http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/ Inordertodetermineifnanotechnologydegreeprogramswerelocatedinareas ofhighnanotechnologypolicyandpublicationactivity,researcherscross referencedthedataoninstitutionlocationwithdataonthisactivityfromtwo sources.First,researchersuseda2003reportreleasedbytheNational NanotechnologyInitiativedocumentingstate,localandregionalnanotechnology initiatives(NationalNanotechnologyInitiativeWorkshop,2003).Second, researchersconsultedalistofthetop10nanodistrictsintheU.S.,metropolitan areasfeaturinghighlevelsofnanotechnologypublicationactivity,compiledby researchersattheSchoolofPublicPolicyattheGeorgiaInstituteofTechnology (Shapira&Youtie,2008).Thedatawascreatedaspartofarelatedresearch projectalsofundedbytheCenterforNanotechnologyandSociety,ArizonaState University(CNS/ASU)undercooperativeagreement#0531194withthe NationalScienceFoundation.

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Limitations Everyeffortwasmadetoidentifyandverifyactivenanotechnologydegree programsintheUnitedStatesusingthemethodsdescribedabove.Thereisno waytoensure,however,thatthelistprovidedinthisstudyisentirely comprehensive.Inaddition,theprogramsthathavebeenidentifiedmaynot existbeyondthetimeframeofthisstudy. Itispossiblethatnanotechnologydegreeprogramsthatmeetthecriteria establishedinthisstudywerenotcapturedthroughotherdegreelists,Web basedsearchesandothersourcesusedtoidentifyprograms.Inaddition,for programswhereaninterviewwasnotcompleted,itispossiblethattheprogram isnotcategorizedcorrectly,especiallyifinformationontheInternetregarding theprogramisoutofdate,incomplete,orinaccurate.Aswasmentionedabove, severalprogramsidentifiedasformalnanotechnologydegreeprogramsbyother lists,reports,andevenprogramWebsitesdidnotaccuratelycharacterizethe operatingstatusand/orthenatureoftheprogram. Giventhenumberofprogramsidentifiedthathavebeencancelled,aswellas thosethathavebeenproposedbutnotyetimplemented,itisevidentthatthe numberofnanotechnologydegreeprogramsisinfluxandsubjecttochange. Whilethisiscertainlythecasewithalltypesofdegreeprograms,thecreation anddestructionofnanotechnologyprogramsmaybemorepronouncedthan moreestablisheddisciplinesduetotheemergingnatureofnanotechnologyand theuncertaintysurroundingthebestwaytoteachnanotechnologyconcepts.

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RESULTS Thefollowingsectionsdescribekeycharacteristicsofnanotechnologydegree programsintheUnitedStatesandthepostsecondaryeducationalinstitutions thatofferthem.Thissectionisdividedintonineareasincludingprevalenceof nanotechnologydegreeprogramsandnanotechnologydegreegranting institutionsintheUnitedStates;degreetype;institutiontype;geography, includingtheintersectionofnanotechnologydegreegrantinginstitutionswith areasthathavestatenanotechnologyinitiatives,andhighlevelsof nanotechnologypublicationactivity;factorsinvolvedinprogramdevelopment; keychallengesandobstacles;employerinvolvement;partnershipswithrelated programs;andstudentoutcomes. Forthepurposesofthisstudy,nanotechnologydegreeprogramsaredefinedas majordegreeprogramsatalllevelsofpostsecondaryeducationthatincludethe termnanointheformaldegreename.Thisdefinitionexcludescertificate programsanddegreeminors,concentrationsandtracks,aswellascourse clustersthatdonotcompriseadegreeprogram.So,ananotechnologytrack withinaPhysicsPh.D.wouldnotbecounted,whereasanAssociatesdegreein nanofabricationwouldmeetthedefinitionalcriteria. Readersshouldnotethatthenumberofprogramsandinstitutionsidentifiedin thisreportisdifferentthanthatwhichmaybefoundinotherinventoriesof nanotechnologydegreeprograms.Thisisduetotwofactors.First,degree programsweredefinedsomewhatnarrowlyinthisstudyforpurposesof comparability.Also,formaldegreemajorsarethemostdifficultnewprograms tosetupinmostinstitutions,thusmakingthemanindicatorofinstitutional commitmenttoanewbodyofknowledge.Asaresultofthisnarrowdefinition, however,severalprogramsandsetsofthatarecountedbyothersourcesarenot includedhere.Thetablebelowprovidesasummaryofthenumberof nanotechnologydegreeprogramsidentifiedinthisresearchcomparedtothe numberidentifiedinothersourceswhenthedefinitionusedinthisstudyis applied.Overall,however,thisstudyidentifiesmoreformaldegreeprograms thanotherlists.

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Figure2.Comparisonofnanotechnologydegreeprograms,bylistsource
# Nanotechnology Degree Programs*

Nanotechnology Degree Program Lists

This Research The Penn State University Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) National Center for Learning and Teaching Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT) Small Times Survey 2007

49 33 14 13 9

*Onlythoseprogramsthatmetthedefinitionofadegreeprogramestablishedforthis studywerecounted. Thesecondreasonwhytheidentificationofnanotechnologydegreeprograms differsamongvariousinventoriesisthatseverallistscountplannedprogramsor programsthatbeganearlystagesofimplementationbutwerecancelledor delayedintheiropening.Uponcompletinginterviewsforthisstudy,several programsincludedonothersliststhatmetthetechnicalcriteriaestablishedfor thisstudywerefoundtonotbecurrentlyfunctionalduetolackoffunding,lack ofemployerdemand,orotherfactors.Becauseunderstandingtheissuesthat contributetoprogramfailureareimportantforpolicymakerstounderstand, interviewresultsfromnonfunctionalprogramsarediscussedinthissection,but theprogramsthemselvesarenotcountedintheprogramandinstitutiontotals provided. PrevalenceofNanotechnologyDegreeProgramsandNanotechnologyDegreeGranting InstitutionsintheUnitedStates Thisstudyidentifiedatotalof49currentlyfunctioningdegreeprogramsthat containthetermnanointheformaldegreetitle.Thesedegreeprogramsare awardedby38institutionsofhighereducationintheU.S.Thesenumbersare smallcomparedtothehundredsofthousandsofdegreeprogramsofferedat postsecondaryeducationalinstitutionsintheU.S.Infact,institutionsthatoffer nanotechnologydegreeprogramsintheU.S.compriselessthan1%ofalldegree

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grantinginstitutionsinthecountry(PostsecondaryEducationDataSystem, 2008). DegreeTypes Themajorityofnanotechnologydegreeprogramsidentifiedinthisstudyare associateslevelprograms.Thirtytwo,or65%,ofthe49programsareassociates degreeprograms(SeeFigure3below).Allbuttwooftheseprogramsare AssociatesofAppliedSciencedegrees(30).Theremainder(2)comprise AssociatesofScienceorAssociatesofArtsdegreeprograms. Figure3.Nanotechnologydegreeprograms,bydegreelevel

Doctoral Degrees,8 Master's Degrees,8

Associate's Degrees,32
Bachelor's Degrees,1

N=49

Thesecondhighestnumberofdegreeprogramsisfoundatthegraduatelevel, where8Ph.D.andeightmastersdegreeprogramswerefound,eachcomprising 16%ofallnanotechnologydegreesidentified.Onlyonenanotechnologydegree program,or2%ofallidentifiedprograms,iscurrentlyavailableatthebachelors degreelevel. Degreenamesrevealedavarietyofconcentrationsamongnanotechnology degreeprograms.AsFigure4belowindicates,16ofthe32associateslevel degreesareinananofabricationarea.Severaldegreesatvariouslevelsare focusedbroadlyinnanoscalescienceandnanoscaleengineeringandrelated

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technologies.Otherdegreesspanfieldsrangingfromnanobiotechnologyto materialsandmolecularscience. Figure4.Nanotechnologydegreenames,bydegreelevelanddetailedtype

Nanotechnology Degree Program Name Bionanotechnology Nanobiotechnology Engineering Technologies Nanoscientific Instrumentation Technology Materials and Nanotechnology Micro/Nanotechnology and Micro/Nanoelectronics Molecular Science and Nanotechnology Nanofabrication Nanofabrication Manufacturing Technology Nanofabrication Technology Nanoscale Engineering Nanoscale Materials Technology Nanoscale Physics Professional Master of Science Nanoscale Science Nanoscience & Nanoengineering Nanoscience and Microsystems Nanoscience Technology Nanoscience Professional Master of Science Nanosystems Engineering Nanotechnology Total AAS 1 1 1 1 9 6 1 4 6 30 AS 1 1 AA 1 1 BS 1 1 MA 1 1 MS/ MBA 1 1 1 3 MS 1 1 1 1 4 PHD 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 8 Total 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 9 6 3 1 1 4 1 2 5 1 8 49

InstitutionTypes Twentyofthethirtyeightpostsecondaryinstitutionsofferingnanotechnology degrees(56%)areclassifiedwithintheCarnegieClassificationsystemaspublic, twoyeardegreegrantinginstitutions.Anothertwo(classifiedasotherinthe figurebelow)arecommunitycollegesthatarenotincludedintheCarnegie system.Together,thesecommunityandtechnicalcollegesoffer26ofthe32 nanotechnologyassociatesdegreesfound.Theremainingsixassociatesdegree programsareconferredbypublicbachelors(4)andmastersdegreegranting institutions(2).Figure5belowprovidesasummaryoftheinstitutionsthatoffer nanotechnologydegreesatthebachelorslevelandabovebytheirCarnegie classificationstatus.

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Figure5.U.S.PostsecondaryInstitutionsOfferingNanotechnologyDegreesat theBachelorsLevelandAbove,byCarnegieClassification

ResearchUniversities(VeryHigh ResearchActivity)

Carnegie Class

ResearchUniversities(High ResearchActivity)

ResearchUniversities

SpecialFocusInstitutions 0 1 Schoolsofengineering

8 # ofPrograms

10

12

Bachelor's

Master's

Doctoral

N=17 Source:CarnegieclassificationsfromIntegratedPostsecondaryEducationDataSystem (IPEDS),2008,CarnegieClassificationdata,2005categories. Mostoftheinstitutionsofferinggraduatedegreesinnanotechnologyare classifiedasveryhighorhighresearchinstitutionswithintheCarnegie classificationsystem.TheonebachelorsleveldegreeisofferedbyLouisiana TechUniversity,classifiedintheCarnegiesystemasauniversitythatperforms highlevelsofresearch.Sevenoftheeightmastersdegreeprogramsandfourof theeightPh.D.programsareofferedbyinstitutionsclassifiedasveryhigh researchinstitutions.TheremainingmastersprogramandtwoPh.D.degrees areofferedbyahighresearchactivityinstitution,whileone research/doctoraluniversityandonespecialfocusengineeringschoolofferthe remainingtwoPh.D.s.

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Geography Nanotechnologydegreeprogramsarehighlyconcentratedintwostates, includingPennsylvaniaandNewYork(SeeFigure6below).Pennsylvania, especially,isauniquecase.ThestateishometothePennsylvania NanofabricationManufacturingTechnologyPartnership(PNMTP),anetwork ofpostsecondaryinstitutionsthroughoutthestatethatofferdegreesorcourses relatedtonanofabrication.Thenetworkincludes16institutionsthatoffer18 nanotechnologyassociatesdegreesthatmetthecriteriaforthisstudy. PennsylvaniaStateUniversitysUniversityParkcampus,whichdoesnotoffera nanotechnologydegreeitself,providesan18creditcapstonesemesterthatis requiredforcompletionoftheassociatesdegreeatallnetworkinstitutions. Figure6.NanotechnologyDegreePrograms,byState
PA(n=18) NY(n=7) TX(n=4) MN(n=4) LA(n=3) WA(n=2) ND(n=2) NC(n=2) NM(n=2) WI(n=1) OK(n=1) IL (n=1) SD(n=1) AZ(n=1) 0 5 10 15 20 Bachelor's Graduate (MS or PhD) Associate's

Source:IntegratedPostsecondaryEducationDataSystem(IPEDS),2008 Bycontrast,nanotechnologydegreeprogramsinNewYorkareconcentratedat theUniversityofAlbanysCollegeofNanoscaleScienceandEngineering,which offersallsixnanotechnologydegreeprogramsinthestate.

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ThefournanotechnologydegreeprogramsinTexasarespreadacrossfour separateinstitutions.AmastersprogramisofferedatRiceUniversity,whilethe remainingthreeinstitutionsincludethreecommunityandtechnicalcollegesin differentareasofthestate.Minnesotasfourprogramsaredistributedamong threecommunitycolleges.ThesecollegesarepartofaNationalScience FoundationeducationalpartnershipcalledNANOLINK,thatissimilarin designtothemodelinPennsylvania,butwhichlinkssixassociatesdegree programsacrossfivestates.NANOLINKprogramsincludeacapstone semesterattheUniversityofMinnesota.However,theuniversityitselfdoesnot offeraformalnanotechnologydegreethatmeetsthecriteriaestablishedforthis research. Louisianahasthreeprograms,alllocatedatLouisianaTechUniversity.The remaining11programsaredistributedacross8differentstatesincluding Washington,NorthDakota,NorthCarolina,Wisconsin,SouthDakota, Oklahoma,NewMexico,andIllinois. PresenceofState,Regional,andLocalNanotechnologyInitiatives In2003,theNationalNanotechnologyInitiativeidentified19state,regional,and localnanotechnologyinitiativesdesignedtopromoteeconomicgrowthin nanotechnologyenabledindustries.Noteverystateorareathathassuchan initiativehasananotechnologydegreeprogramestablishedwithinitsborders. However,manyoftheinstitutionsthatoffernanotechnologydegreesarelocated instatesorareasthathavesuchaninitiativeinplace. Allthreestateswiththehighestnumbersofnanotechnologydegreeprograms Pennsylvania,NewYork,andTexashavestatewidenanotechnologyinitiatives inplacedesignedtostimulateeconomicdevelopmentthroughworkforce educationandotherprograms.PennsylvaniaestablishedthePennsylvania NanotechnologyInitiative(PNI)touniteeconomicandworkforcedevelopment effortstopromotegrowthinthenanotechnologysector.Thestatesbusiness attractionwebsite,NEWPA.comdescribestheprogramas,astatewidestrategy thatcurrentlycombinestheeffortsofthePennsylvaniaDepartmentof CommunityandEconomicDevelopment(DCED),theCommonwealthsresearch universities,thePennsylvaniaStateSystemofHigherEducation,over125 companies,andeconomicdevelopmentorganizations.PNIisleveraging Pennsylvaniasclustersofresearch,industry,andworkforcedevelopmentassets

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tomakePennsylvaniaagloballeaderinnanotechnologyresearch, commercializationandeconomicdevelopmentactivities.(NEWPA.com,2009) TheNewYorkStateFoundationforScience,Technology,andInnovation establishedtheCenterforAdvancedTechnologyinNanomaterialsand NanoelectronicsattheCollegeofNanoscaleScienceandEngineeringatthe UniversityofAlbanytobeastrategicpartnershipbetweenpremierresearch universitiesandthenanoelectronics,optoelectronics,telecommunications, defense,andnanobiotechnologyindustryclustersinNewYorkState.The Centersmissionistoprovideindustrywithcriticalresearchanddevelopment, businessassistance,workforcetraining,andeconomicoutreachwithina technicallyaggressiveandfinanciallycompetitiveenvironment.(Collegeof NanoscaleScienceandEngineeringWebsite,2009) TheTexasNanotechnologyInitiativewasbegunin2000(Nanotechnology InitiativeWorkshop,2003).GovernorRickPerrylaunchedanindustrycluster projectin2004tofocusstateresourcesonpromotingjobgrowthinsixcore industryareas,includingadvancedtechnologies.Further,thestatelegislature launchedtheEmergingTechnologyFundtopromotethedevelopmentof educationalcentersofexcellenceinkeytechnologyareas,including nanotechnology(Texasnano.org,2009). PresenceofHighNanotechnologyPublicationActivity Thereislittlecorrelationbetweenthelocationofdegreeprogramsandother typesofnanotechnologyactivity.AsFigure7belowindicates,only2ofthe38 institutionswithactivenanotechnologydegreeprogramswerelocatedinoneof thetop10nanodistrictsintheU.S.Nanodistricts,asidentifiedbyShapiraand Youtie(2008)areU.S.metropolitanareaswiththehighestlevelsof nanotechnologypublicationactivity.Researchersforthisstudycomparedthe locationofnanotechnologydegreegrantinginstitutionstothetop10 nanodistricts.Thetop10nanodistrictsidentifiedbyShapiraandYoutie include: 1.NewYorkNewarkBridgeport,NYNJCT 2.SanJoseSanFranciscoOakland,CA 3.BostonWorcesterManchester,MARINH 4.WashingtonBaltimoreNorthernVirginia,DCMDVAWV 5.LosAngelesLongBeachRiverside,CA 6.ChicagoNapervilleMichiganCity,ILINWI

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7.PhiladelphiaCamdenVineland,PANJDEMD 8.RaleighDurhamCary,NC 9.ChampaignUrbana,IL 10.SantaBarbaraSantaMaria,CA Figure7.NanotechnologyDegreeProgramsandTop10Nanodistricts

N=38

Thelackofcorrelationbetweenareasofhighnanotechnologypublication activityandthelocationofdegreeprogramsisconsistentwiththeresultsofa studybyStephanetal.(2007),whichfoundthatonlythreenanotechnology degreeprogramswerelocatedacross14laboratoryuniversitiesthathad multipleresearchcentersandlaboratoriesdedicatedtonanotechnology. Accordingtothatstudy,thistrendstandsincontrasttopreviousfindingsinthe fieldofbioinformatics,wherethepresenceofformaldegreeprogramsand laboratorieswerehighlycorrelated.Overall,thestudynotedthatfederal

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fundingthatprioritizesresearchanddevelopmentovereducationin nanotechnologymaycontributetothislackofconnection. MotivationsforProgramDevelopmentandEmployerInvolvement Severalthemesappearedamongnanotechnologydegreeprogramsregardingthe factorsthatmotivatedinitialprogramdevelopment.Theseincludeeconomic development,workforcedevelopment,studentattraction,andfaculty recognitionofand/orinterestintheinterdisciplinarynatureofnanotechnology. Severalprogramsalsonotedthattheirnanotechnologydegreeprogramsgrew outofprogramsinrelatedfieldsthatareincorporatingnanotechnology,suchas materialsscience,biotechnology,orsemiconductorprograms. Motivationsfornanotechnologydegreeprogramdevelopmentandemployer involvementvarybydegreetype.Amongassociatesdegreeprograms, motivationswereclearlyrelatedtoworkforceandeconomicdevelopmentand directemployerinvolvementwascommon.However,amonggraduate programs,motivationsforprogramdevelopmentandemployersinvolvement weremorevariable. Nearlyallassociatesdegreeprogramsweredesignedtotrainnanotechnology technicians,accordingtointerviewswithprogramfacultyandadministrators. Alloftheassociatesdegreeprogramscontactedreportedsomelevelofemployer involvement.Thisinvolvementrangedfrominitialconsultationwithemployers atthestartoftheprogramswithlittletonofurtherdirectemployercontact,to highlevelsofongoingcontactwithemployers.Amongthosecollegesthat reportedhighlevelsofemployerinvolvement,activitiesincludedregularinput intocoursecurricula,donationsoffundingandequipment,provisionof internshipand/orpostprogramjobplacementopportunitiesforstudents. Interestingly,severalassociatesdegreeprogramsmentionedthattheirdegree programswereinitiallyfundedororganizedbylocaluniversitiesandthatthese universitiescontinuedtobeimportantpartners.However,noneofthesepartner universitiesofferformaldegreeprogramsattheundergraduatelevelorabove. InbothPennsylvaniaandMinnesota,universitiesprovidedacapstone semesterthatwasrequiredforthecompletionoftheassociatesdegree. Employersaregenerallyinvolvedinthesecapstoneprograms,andthe universitiessupportthepracticaltrainingofferedbytheassociatesdegree grantinginstitutionbyprovidingaccesstoequipment,facilities,andthefaculty

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andclassroomspaceforthemoreadvancededucationprovidedinthecapstone courses.Inotherassociatesdegreeprograms,universitypartnerswere somewhatlessinvolved,providingaccesstolabsandequipmentor complementarycourses,orworkingwiththecommunityortechnicalcollegeto ensurearticulationbetweenthenanotechnologyassociatesdegreeandamore traditionaldisciplinarydegreeattheundergraduatelevel. Amonggraduateprograms,studentattractionandfacultymotivationto establishinterdisciplinaryeducationinnanotechnologywerecommonthemesin programdevelopmentandemployerinvolvementwaslesscommon.TheSouth DakotaSchoolofMinesstatedthateconomicdevelopmentwasaninitial motivationforestablishingthePh.D.program,butactualemployerinvolvement intheprogramhasbeenlimitedtodate.However,boththeSouthDakotaSchool ofMinesandtheUniversityofNewMexicodiscussedinvolvementwith governmentresearchlaboratoriestodevelopcurriculaandhelpshapeprogram development. Themostnotableexampleofgraduateprogramsthatappeartohaveastrong linktoeconomicandworkforcedevelopmentisfoundatTheCollegeof NanoscaleScienceandEngineeringoftheUniversityatAlbany,StateUniversity ofNewYork.AsnotedonitsWebsite,theschoolhasdevelopedaNanoTech Complex,a$4.5billionmegaplexthathasattractedover250globalcorporate partnersisthemostadvancedresearchcomplexatanyuniversityinthe world.(TheCollegeofNanoscaleScienceandEngineering,2009)Asmentioned above,thecollegewasestablishedaspartofastatewideinvestmentin nanotechnologyeducationandresearchthatwaspartofalargerstateeconomic developmentinitiative. Severalproposed,butnotyetfunctioning,programswerefoundinthecourseof theresearch.Twoprogramsthatarelikelytoopen,butthatarestillinthe planningstagesincludeajointschoolofnanotechnologyinvolvingNorth CarolinaAgriculturalandTechnicalStateUniversityandtheUniversityofNorth CarolinaatGreensborothatistobedesignedsimilarlytotheCollegeof NanoscaleScienceandEngineeringattheUniversityofAlbany(NorthCarolina BoardofScienceandTechnology,2007).TheUniversityofCaliforniaatSan DiegoalsoplanstolaunchaDepartmentofNanoengineeringthatwilloffer bachelors,mastersanddoctoralleveldegreeprogramsinnanotechnology (UniversityofCaliforniainterview,2009).Itisanticipatedthatbothofthese plannedprogramswillopenby2010.Otherprograms,suchasanassociates degreeprogramatFoothillCollegeinCalifornia,andseveralassociates

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programsatcommunitycollegesintheSantaBarbararegionofCaliforniawere settoopen,butdidnotreceivefunding(FoothillCollegeinterview,2009; VenturaCountyCommunityCollegeDistrictinterview,2009). KeyObstaclesandChallenges Accordingtointerviews,keyobstaclesinstitutionsfacedwhenstarting nanotechnologydegreeprogramsincludedlackoffunding,bureaucratichurdles, lackofstudentinterest,difficultiesconvincingfacultyofthemeritofthe program,lackofqualifiedfacultytoteachcourses,inadequatestudent preparation,andlackofemployerinterest. Atcommunityandtechnicalcolleges,concernscenteredaroundlackofstudent interestinandawarenessofnanotechnology,inadequatemathandscience preparationofincomingstudents,anddifficultyfindingqualifiedfaculty. Somealsoreporteddifficultiesfundingequipmentpurchasesorotherfunding barriers.Severalschoolsaddresstheissueofalackofqualifiedfacultyand limitedaccesstoequipmentthroughpartnershipswithfouryearinstitutions. Amongthefourassociatesdegreeprogramsthatwereproposed,butnotbegun, lackoffunding,notlackofemployerinterest,wastheprimarybarrier. Amonghigherleveldegreeprograms,issuesthatactedasbarrierstodegree programdevelopmentweremorerelatedtofacultyconcernsandbureaucratic hurdles.Forexample,oneuniversitymentionedthattheyhadtoconvince facultythatimplementingananotechnologydegreeprogramwouldnotbea zerosumgametheprogramwouldnottakeresourcesfromexisting departments.(UniversityofNewMexicointerview,January2009)Facultyat severalinstitutionswerealsoconcernedaboutlosingtherigorofexisting disciplinaryprogramsbyimplementinganinterdisciplinaryprogramthatistoo general(UniversityofWashingtoninterview,2008)Theneedtogetapproval fromseveralschools,departments,,oradministrativeunitswithintheuniversity wasalsoachallengeforsomeprograms.ProponentsoftwoB.S.levelprograms thatwereproposedbutneverimplementedcitedlackofafacultyleader, institutionalbarriers,andalackoflocalemployersupportasreasonsfornot pursuingtheprogramsfurther(CaliforniaPolytechnicStateUniversityinterview, 2009;RutgersUniversityinterview,2009).

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ProgramApproachtoInterdisciplinaryAspectsofNanotechnologyEducation Approachestotheinterdisciplinaryaspectsofnanotechnologyvariedamong programs.Manyfacultymembersinterviewedstressedthatstudentsmaintaina stronglinktoacore,traditionaldisciplineordepartmentwhilepursuingthe nanotechnologydegree.Programsatalllevelsrequirestudentstotakeamixof preexistingcoursesfromavarietyofcoredisciplines,suchasphysics,biology, chemistry,ormaterialsscience,anapproachknowninthescholarlyliteratureas syntheticinterdisciplinarity(Lattucca,2001).Themixofrequiredcourseswas variableanddependedpartiallyonthefocusoftheprogram.Forexample,a programinnanobiotechnologyrequiresmoreemphasisonbiologythatother programstendtorequire.Fewprogramsnotedrequirementsforlearningabout thesocialandethicalimplicationsofnanotechnology. Atseveralinstitutions,however,facultydiscussedmoreintensivecollaboration acrossdepartmentsandevenschoolstocreate,andsometimestocoteach, nanotechnologyspecificcoursesandlabwork.Thesecoursesweregenerally offeredorrequiredinadditiontoasetofpreexistingcoursesacrossdisciplines. Knownasatransdisciplinaryapproachinthescholarlyliterature(Lattucca, 2001),thesenewlydevelopedcoursesorsequenceofcoursesaremeantto emphasizethecommonelementsthatlinkvariousdisciplinestogether.For example,attheUniversityofNewMexico,facultystatedthatthe nanotechnologydegreeisaprogramwithoutadepartment,becausewesit betweentheCollegeofEngineeringandtheCollegeofArtsandSciences (UniversityofNewMexicointerview,2009).Facultyfromthisprogramnoted thatfouroftheirrequiredcoursesweredevelopedcollaborativelyamongfaculty fromvariousdepartments,withonebeingdevelopedbasedonanexisting course,andthreebeingentirelynewmaterialthatstressedtheinterdisciplinary natureofnanotechnologyandcorenanotechnologyskills. Overall,giventheconcernamongmanyfacultyaboutdilutingtherigorofcore disciplines,manydegreerequirementsarerelatedtotraditionaldisciplines. Giventhatadetailedanalysisofcoursedatawasoutsidethescopeofthisstudy, itwasdifficulttogaugetheexactnatureandextentofinterdisciplinary approacheswithinprograms.Furtherstudyofthisaspectofnanotechnology degreeprogramsisrequired.

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PartnershipswithOtherAcademicandResearchPrograms Anumberofprograms,especiallythoseattheassociatesdegreelevel,have establishedpartnershipswithothereducationalinstitutions.Twokeymulti institutionpartnershipsthatwerestimulatedthroughfundingfromtheNational ScienceAssociationincludethePennsylvaniaNanofabricationManufacturing Technology(NMT)PartnershipandNANOLINK.Eachlinksseveraldegree programstoarequireduniversitybasedcapstonesemester. ThePennsylvaniaNanofabricationManufacturingTechnology(NMT) Partnershiplinksthe18nanotechnologyassociatesdegreeprogramsin Pennsylvaniathatwereidentifiedinthisstudy,aswellasseveralotherprograms inthestateatvariouseducationlevelsthatdidnotmeetthecriteriaforformal degreeprogramsestablishedforthisstudy.ThePartnershipinvolvesan18 creditcapstonecurriculumofferedatPennsylvaniaStateUniversitysUniversity Parkcampusthatisrequiredfordegreecompletionatmembercolleges.This programwasfundedbytheNationalScienceFoundationandiscoordinated throughthePennStateCenterforNanotechnologyEducationandUtilization. AccordingtoitsWebsite,theCenteristhehomeofthePennsylvania NanofabricationManufacturingTechnology(NMT)Partnershipandthe NationalScienceFoundation(NSF)RegionalCenterforNanofabrication ManufacturingEducation,anNSFsponsoredregionalAdvancedTechnology Education(ATE)Center.(PennStateCenterforNanotechnologyEducationand Utilization(CNEU)Website,2009) TheMidwestRegionalCenterforNanotechnologyEducation,knownasNANO LINK,isasimilarlydesignedprogramthatlinkssixassociatesdegreegranting institutionsacrossfiveMidwesternstatesNorthDakota,Minnesota,Wisconsin, IllinoisandMichiganwiththeUniversityofMinnesotaandNorthwestern University.Currently,onlyfiveofthesixassociatesdegreeprogramsin NANOLINKofferdegrees,includingChippewaValleyTechnicalCollegein Wisconsin,DakotaCountyTechnicalCollegeandMinnesotaStateCommunity andTechnicalcollegeinMinnesota,HarperCollegeinIllinois,andNorthDakota StateCollegeofScienceinNorthDakota.Asixthassociatesdegreeprogramis underdevelopmentatLansingTechnicalCollegeinMichigan (Nanotechbuzz.com,2008).LikethePennsylvaniamodel,theNANOLINK offersacapstonesemesterattheUniversityofMinnesota.AccordingtotheNSF awardabstractfortheNANOLINK:

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NANOLINK focuses on seven key goals: establish a Midwest Regional Industry Advisory Board; develop multidisciplinary nanoscience programs; partner with the University of Minnesota to provide remote access delivery for nanoscience experiences in precapstone and capstone courses; partner with theNSFNationalCenterforLearningandTeachingTechnology in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT) at Northwestern University to provide professional development for secondary educators and college faculty; establish a clearinghouse infrastructure for undergraduate instructional materials; develop outreach activities to enhance recruitment of students into nanoscience programs, with an emphasis on underrepresented students; and provide venues for dissemination including an annual nanoscience conference for faculty,students,alumni,andindustry. (NSFAwardAbstract#0802323 MidwestRegionalCenterforNanotechnologyEducation (NANOLINK http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumb er=0802323) Interestingly,theuniversitiesofferingcapstonesemestersforassociatesdegrees inthePennsylvaniaNMTandNANOLINKpartnershipsdonotofferformal nanotechnologydegreesatthebachelorsorthegraduatelevel.However, minors,certificates,orotheroptionswereavailable.Inbothcases,associates degreeprogramsweredesignedtoarticulateintorelated,buttraditional, disciplinebaseddegreesatthefouryearpartnerschool. Otherassociatesdegreeprogramsaroundthecountryreportedsharinglab facilitieswithfouryearinstitutionsandestablishingarticulationagreementto traditionalnanotechnologydegreeprograms.Suchrelationshipswerefoundat schoolsinNorthCarolina,NewYork,Washington,Texas,andotherstates. However,whileformalpartnershipsorlinkagesamongdifferentinstitutionsand levelsofeducationwerecommon,linkageswithrelatedresearchcenters/other educationalactivitieswithinschoolstendedtobeinformal.Thismayberelated tothedecentralizedandlooselycouplednatureofmosthighereducation institutions(Meyer&Rowan,1977).

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StudentOutcomes Themajorityofprogramsreportedthateithertherehadnotbeenanygraduates yettotrack,orthatnodatawasavailableonthosethatdidgraduate.Ofthose thathadgraduates,reportsofemploymentandeducationoutcomeswere anecdotal.Mostprogramsthathadgraduatesandknewsomethingaboutwhat happenedtothemaftertheprogramreportedthatsomestudentscontinuedtheir studies,whilestudentsthatenteredthelabormarkethadlittledifficultyfinding relevantjobsandthatsalariesweresimilartothoseofothergraduates.Faculty attheUniversityofWashingtonevenmentionedthatsomestudentshave droppedtheprogram,whichrequirestwoyearsofadditionalworkontopofa traditionalPh.D.program,topursuenanotechnologyjobopportunities (UniversityofWashingtoninterview,2009). Somefacultythatwereinterviewednotedthatdefiningananotechnologyjob orananotechnologyemployerisdifficult,makingitdifficulttoeasily determineifgraduatesareobtainingemploymentrelatedtotheir nanotechnologyfocusededucation.First,employersthemselvesdonotalways labeltheworkasnanotechnology.Inaddition,sincenanotechnologyis employedinsomanydifferentarenas,employersthatusenanotechnologyare generallydefinedbysomeotherfeatureoftheirwork.Asonefacultymember notedOnewouldnotconsiderHaggarorEddieBauerasnanotechnology companies.(RichlandCommunityCollegeinterview,2009)Anotherfaculty memberatanassociatesdegreegrantingschoolnotedthat,akeytosuccess withnanostudentshasbeentheirabilitytoengageininternshipswithlocal defensecontractorsthatrecognizethevalueofnanotechnologyskillsinavariety ofbusinessactivities.(HarrisburgAreaCommunityCollegeinterview,2009)

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CONCLUSIONS,POLICYIMPLICATIONS,ANDOPPORTUNITIESFOR FUTURERESEARCH Nanotechnologyeducationis,likethetechnologyitself,stillemerging.With onlythebeginningsofconsensusaroundthebigideasthatareimportantto teachinnanotechnology(Wansometal.,2008)thereisstillconsiderableworkto bedonetoidentifythemosteffectivecontent,form,andteachingmethodsinthis area. Thefindingsnotedinthisstudy,therefore,arereflectiveoftheemergingnature ofnanotechnology.Nanotechnologydegreeprogramsarelargelyexperimental endeavorssupportedlargelybystateandfederalinvestments.Thevariation amongprogramsineverythingfromcontent,toteachingmethods,tolevelof employerinvolvementisneithersurprising,norproblematic.Itissimplythey waythatpostsecondaryinstitutionsattempttodealwithnew,illdefinedareasof knowledge.

Giventhatthereissomereportedlevelofemployerinvolvementinallassociates degreeprogramscontactedandsomeprogramsreportanecdotalsuccessin placinggraduatesinemployment,thesedegreesmaybeausefultoolfor addressingthetechnicianlevelskillneedsofnanotechnologyemployers. Additionalresearchontheeffectivenessoftheseassociatesprogramswould helpinformthepossibleexpansionofnanotechnologyeducationincommunity colleges. Overall,however,itisdifficulttodeterminehowimportantformal nanotechnologydegreesaretoaddressingtheskillandworkforceneedsof employersformorehighlyskilledworkers.Previousresearchontheskillneeds ofnanotechnologyemployersindicatesthat,atleastinthepresentjobmarket, employersprefertohirehighlyskilledworkerswhohaveearnedadegreeina traditionaldiscipline(VanHorn&Fichtner,2008;VanHornetal.,2009). Further,whileformaldegreeprogramsrepresentaninstitutionlevel commitmenttoimpartingnanotechnologyknowledge,themotivationsfor startingnanotechnologydegreeprogramsatthebachelorslevelandaboveare oftennotdirectlyconnectedtomeetingtheskillneedsofemployers.Inaddition, mostuniversitiesinterviewedforthisstudythatpartnerwithassociatesdegree programsreporthighlevelsofemployerinvolvement,butdonotofferfull nanotechnologydegreesthemselves.Thismaybefurtherindicationthatthereis littledemandforworkersabovetheassociatesleveltoearnnanotechnology specificdegrees.Thecurrentlackofalignmentbetweenthelocationof

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nanotechnologydegreeprogramsandareasofhighnanotechnologypublication alsocallsintoquestiontheimportancethatdegreeprogramsplayinsupporting innovationinnanotechnology. Degreeprogramsmay,however,provetobemoreusefulasthefieldof nanotechnologymatures.Employersthemselvesareonlyjustbeginningtotap intothepotentialofthenewtechnology,somanymaynotbeabletoaccurately gaugethetrueeducationrequirementsfornanotechnologypositionsinthe future. Tofurtherthegoalofcreatingaskillednanotechnologyworkforce,TheNational ScienceFoundation(NSF)shouldconsidersupportingdegreeprogramsthat havestrongemployerinvolvement.Policymakersshouldalsopromotegreater involvementofemployersinnanotechnologycurriculumdevelopment. Evidenceofinterdisciplinarycooperationacrossdepartmentsanddisciplines,as wellasstrongconnectionstonanotechnologyresearchfacilitiesandrelated degreeprogramsatotherlevelsofeducation,mayalsobeimportant considerationsfortargetingprograms,and/orareaswhereNSFmaywishto directadditionaltechnicalassistanceforprograms.Suchpartnershipsmaybe importantforestablishingcareerladdersthatallowstudentstoacquire increasinglevelsofskill,knowledge,andacademiccredentialsovertime. Furtherresearchontheemploymentandeducationoutcomesofnanotechnology degreeprogramgraduatesisalsorecommended. Tobetterunderstandthevalueofnanotechnologydegreesandotherformsof nanotechnologyeducationtopreparingananoliterateworkforce,furtherstudy oftheseprogramsisneeded.NSFshouldconsidersupportingfurtherprocess andoutcomesbasedresearchonthevariouseducationalresponsesthatcolleges anduniversitiesaredevelopinginresponsetonanotechnology.Researchon effectiveapproachestonanotechnologyeducationattheprimaryandsecondary levelsofeducationisalsoneeded. Specificallyinregardtonanotechnologydegreeprogramsandother postsecondaryapproaches,moreinformationontheemploymentandeducation outcomesofgraduatesisneededtounderstandhoweffectivevariousprogram modelsareatmeetingtheemergingskillandworkforceneedsof nanotechnologyemployers.Policymakersalsorequireamoredetailed understandingofhoweducatorsarestructuringtheirapproachtothe interdisciplinaryaspectsofnanotechnology.

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Duetothefactthatmanynanotechnologydegreeprogramsarenewandthefact thatgraduatesmaynotenterthelabormarketforsometime,processstudiesof postsecondaryeducationapproachesinnanotechnologyareparticularly important.Inparticular,studiesthatidentifystructural,humanresources,and otherfactorsthatfacilitatevariousprogrammodelsatcollegesanduniversities canbehelpful.Suchstudiesmayhelppolicymakerstoidentifyprogram elementsthatareimportanttofostertodevelopparticulartypesofprogram modelsinthefuture.

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AppendixAListofHigherEducationInstitutions,

NanotechnologyDegrees,andInterviewsConducted
Note:Theasterisk(*)andthenumberfollowingtheinstitutionindicatethenumberof interviewsthatwereperformedatthatinstitution. ArizonaStateUniversity PSM:Nanoscience BucksCountyCommunityCollege:Newtown,PA*(1) AAS:NanofabricationTechnology ButlerCountyCommunityCollege:Butler,PA AAS:NanofabricationTechnology ChippewaValleyTechnicalCollege:EauClaire,WI AS:NanoscienceTechnology DakotaCountyTechnicalCollege:Rosemount,MN AAS:NanoscienceTechnology DelawareCountyCommunityCollege:Media,PA AAS:NanofabricationManufacturingTechnology ForsythTechnicalCommunityCollege:WinstonSalem,NC*(1) AAS:Nanotechnology HarperCollege:Palatine,IL AAS:NanofabricationManufacturingTechnology HarrisburgAreaCommunityCollege:Harrisburg,PA AAS:NanofabricationManufacturingTechnology LehighCarbonCommunityCollege:Schnecksville,PA AAS:NanofabricationTechnology LockHavenUniversityofPennsylvania:LockHaven AAS:NanofabricationTechnology LouisianaTechUniversity:Ruston,LA BS:NanosystemsEngineering MS:MolecularScienceandNanotechnology PHD:Micro/NanotechnologyandMicro/Nanoelectronics

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LuzerneCountyCommunityCollege:Nanticoke,PA AAS:NanofabricationTechnology MinnesotaStateCommunityandTechnicalCollage:Moorhead,MN AAS:NanoscienceTechnology MontgomeryCountyCommunityCollege:BlueBell,PA AAS:Nanobiotechnology AAS:NanofabricationTechnology NormandaleCommunityCollege:Bloomington,MN AAS:Nanotechnology AS:Nanotechnology NorthDakotaStateCollegeofScience:Wahpeton,ND AAS:NanoscienceTechnology NorthDakotaStateUniversityMainCampus:Fargo,ND PHD:MaterialsandNanotechnology NorthamptonCommunityCollege:Bethlehem,PA*(1) AAS:NanofabricationManufacturingTechnology NorthwestVistaCollege:SanAntonio,TX*(1) AAS:Nanotechnology OklahomaStateUniversity:Okmulgee,OK AAS:EngineeringTechnologiesNanoscientificInstrumentationTechnology PennStateFayetteCampus:Uniontown,PA AAS:NanofabricationManufacturingTechnology PennStateHazletonCampus:Hazleton,PA AAS:NanofabricationManufacturingTechnology PennStateWilkesBarre:Lehman,PA AAS:NanofabricationManufacturingTechnology PennStateYork:York,PA AAS:Nanofabrication

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PennsylvaniaStateUniversityGreaterAllegheny:Mckeesport,PA AAS:NanofabricationManufactruingTechnology ReadingAreaCommunityCollege:Reading,PA AAS:NanoscienceTechnology RiceUniversity:Houston,TX*(2) MA:NanoscalePhysicsProfessionalMasterofScience RichlandCommunityCollege(DallasCountyC.C.District):Dallas,TX*(1) AAS:Nanotechnology SchenectadyCountyCommunityCollege:Schenectady,NY AAS:NanoscaleMaterialsTechnology SeattleCommunityCollegeNorthCampus:Seattle,WA*(1) AAS:Nanotechnology SouthDakotaSchoolofMinesandTechnology:RapidCity,SD*(1) PHD:Nanoscience&Nanoengineering TexasStateTechnicalCollegeWaco:Waco,TX *(1) AAS:Nanotechnology UniversityofAlbany,StateUniversityofNewYork:Albany,NY MS:NanoscaleEngineering MS:NanoscaleScience MS/MBA:NanoscaleEngineering+MBA MS/MBA:NanoscaleScience+MBA PHD:NanoscaleEngineering PHD:NanoscaleScience UniversityofNewMexico:Albuquerque,NM*(1) MS:NanoscienceandMicrosystems PHD:NanoscienceandMicrosystems UniversityofNorthCarolinaCharlotte:Charlotte,NC PHD:NanoScaleScience UniversityofWashingtonSeattleCampus:Seattle,WA*(1) PHD:Nanotechnology

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WestmorelandCountyCommunityCollege:Youngwood,PA AAS:NanofabricationManufacturingTechnology AAS:Bionanotechnology AdditionalInterviewsConducted

Three additional interviews with directors of active degree programs were conducted at Pennsylvania State University, University Park Campus (2) and the University of Minnesota. While neither institution offers a degree program, administrators and faculty at these schools are directly involved in active degree programs offered at other institutions in partnership with the universities. Interviewees discussed degree programs in the Pennsylvania Nanofabrication Manufacturing Technology Network and NANOLINK , respectively. In addition, researchers conducted a total of 14 interviews with representatives from 13 institutions that were later determined to have inactive or ineligible programs under the criteria established for this study. The following is a list of these inactive degree institutions. California Polytechnic State University : San Luis Obispo, CA College of the Canyons : Santa Clarita, CA Drexel University : Philadelphia, PA Foothill College : Los Altos Hills, CA Johns Hopkins University Baltimore Rutgers University : New Brunswick, NJ Santa Barbara City College : Santa Barbara, CA Stanford University : Stanford, CA University of California-Berkeley : Berkeley, CA University of California-Santa Barbara: Barbara, CA (2) University of California-San Diego : La Jolla, CA University of Central Florida : Orlando, FL University of Michigan : Ann Arbor, MI MD

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http://www.nanotechbuzz.com/50226711/introducing_nanolink.php NationalNanotechnologyInitiativeWorkshop(2003)Regional,StateandLocal NanotechnologyInitiatives.Accessedon10/4/08at: http://www.nano.gov/041805Initiatives.pdf NationalScienceFoundation(2009)NSFAwardAbstract#0802323 MidwestRegionalCenterforNanotechnologyEducation(NANOLINK). Accessedon4/3/09at: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0802323) NEWPA.Com(2009)PennsylvaniaNanotechnologyInitiative.NEWPA.Com Websiteaccessedon3/15/09at:http://www.newpa.com/buildyour business/locate/keyindustries/hightechnology/nanotechnology/index.aspx NorthCarolinaBoardofScienceandTechnology(2007).UNCGandNCA&T partnertocreatejointprograminnanotechnology.NCnanotechnology.com. Accessedon1/8/09at ncnanotechnology.com/default.asp?pf=1&locid=20656. PennStateCenterforNanotechnologyEducationandUtilization(CNEU)(2009) Website accessed on 1/6/09 at: http://www.cneu.psu.edu/abOverview.html Roco,M.C.(2003).Broadersocietalissuesofnanotechnology.Journalof NanoparticleResearch,5,181189. Roco,M.C.,&Bainbridge,W.(2001).Societalimplicationsofnanoscienceand nanotechnology.Arlington,VA:NationalScienceFoundation. Roco,M.C.(2003).Convergingscienceandtechnologyatthenanoscale: Opportunitiesforeducationandtraining.NatureBiotechnology,21(10),1247 1249. Shapira,P.,&Youtie,J.(2008).Emergenceofnanodistrictsintheunitedstates. EconomicDevelopmentQuarterly,22(3),187.

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Stephan,P.,Black,G.C.,&Chang,T.(2007).Thesmallsizeofthesmallscalemarket: Theearlystagelabormarketforhighlyskillednanotechnologyworkers. Unpublishedmanuscript.from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V77 4NBR3PJ 1&_user=526750&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C 000023759&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=526750&md5=6ce37c8e3ad f5a773ca61fa028f694e5 Texasnano.org(2009)TexasNanotechnologyInitiative.FrequentlyAsked QuestionsAbouttheTexasEmergingTechnologyFundAccessedon 3/13/09 at: http://www.texasnano.org/pdfs/FAQs_TETF.pdf VanHorn,C.,&Fichtner,A.(2008).Theworkforceneedsofcompaniesengagedin nanotechnologyresearchinArizona.NewBrunswick,NJ:JohnJ.Heldrich CenterforWorkforceDevelopmentRutgers,TheStateUniversityofNew Jersey. VanHorn,C.,Fichtner,A.,&Cleary,J.(2009).Theworkforceneedsofnewjersey basedbiotechnologyandpharmaceuticalcompaniesthatusenanotechnology.New Brunswick,NJ:JohnJ.HeldrichCenterforWorkforceDevelopment Rutgers,TheStateUniversityofNewJersey. Vogel,V.,&Campbell,C.T.(2002).Educationinnanotechnology:Launchingthe firstPhD.program.InternationalJournalofEngineeringEducation,18(5),498 505. Wansom,S.,Mason,T.O.,Hersam,M.,Drane,D.,Light,G.,Cormia,R.,etal. (2008).Arubricforpostsecondarydegreeprogramsinnanoscienceand nanotechnology.Unpublishedmanuscript.

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