Federal stimulus funds help GVSU study of nanotechnology

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Valley State University's School of Engineering has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for support of a project to help integrate nanotechnology into undergraduate engineering and science education.

The project is under the direction of professors Lihong (Heidi) Jiao and Nael A. Barakat.

Nanotechnology — which works with materials that are so tiny as to not be visible to the human eye — is increasingly significant, Jiao said. It is used in more than 800 products on the market, she said.

“It is so important to society. It’s used in medicine, cosmetics, photovoltaic cells and electronics. It’s everywhere,” Jiao said. “We need to teach our students before they graduate how to work with nanotechnology and how to work with nanoscience.

Jiao said the grant will help develop a two-course sequence which will serve as the core of the program. One course will teach the fundamentals of nanotechnology, and the other will teach advanced nanosystem engineering. It will also help provide summer research and senior-level projects, as well as educational opportunities for K-12 students and educators. 

This award, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, is effective January 1, 2010 and expires December 31, 2011.

About Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University, established in 1960, is a four-year public university. It attracts nearly 24,000 students with its high quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley provides a fully accredited liberal undergraduate and graduate education and has campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland, and centers in Muskegon and Traverse City. Grand Valley is the comprehensive regional university for Michigan’s second largest metropolitan area and offers 77 undergraduate and 28 graduate degree programs. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships. Grand Valley employs more than 1,700 people and is committed to providing a fair and equitable environment for the continued success of all.