Projects
New Awards (1997)

Several ATE projects listed below are being co-funded by other NSF programs. For those cases, the ATE contribution is listed first, and the total award from all NSF sources is given in parentheses.

Integrated Natural Resources Technology Program

DUE 9751983
FY1997, $169,158
Natural Resources Technology

Andrew M. Jackman
Mount Hood Community College
Dept. of Science
26000 Southeast Stark St.
Gresham, OR 97030
jackman@mhcc.cc.or.us
(503) 667-7365

This program—a two-year, high-tech technician curriculum with a three-year option for students transferring to four-year institutions—will demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach to educating technically advanced field technicians for ecosystem-based management. In contrast to traditional natural resources (and related) programs that focus on individual disciplines such as forestry, fisheries, or wildlife, the Integrated Natural Resources Technology Program will embody a systems perspective toward information gathering, data analysis, and ecosystem management.
          In building this program, project participants will (1) develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate an outcome-driven curriculum; (2) develop and implement a summer institute to assist community college faculty in adopting an integrated perspective; and (3) develop and implement integrated field experiences for students. These activities will be based on a framework of prior work by the project coordinators, who have already identified skills to be acquired by students, conducted an employability survey to ensure that these skills meet employers’ needs and that jobs are available, developed a curriculum framework, and established agreements to collaborate with employers in developing cooperative work experiences for students.
          The program has strong support from local public and private employers in natural resources, as well as from education; it will articulate with natural resources programs at three universities and two high schools.

 

Advanced Technological Education in Plastics Engineering Technology

DUE 9751984
FY1997, $600,735
Plastics Engineering

Timothy E. Weston
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Dept. of Industrial and Engineering Technology
One College Ave.
Williamsport, PA 17701-5799
tweston@pct.edu
(717) 326-3761 x7708

The plastics manufacturing industry has grown at the rate of about 10% per year for each of the last 25 years and now has approximately 250,000 technician-level jobs. Until about 10 years ago most of these were blue collar jobs, requiring little or no technical training. Innovations in processing technology have changed this situation dramatically, and there is now a pressing need for technicians and engineers with two- and four-year degrees. There are very few two-year institutions with plastics technology programs, and only one, Penn College, is TAC/ABET-accredited. The institutions that do have programs (or often just one or two courses) are limited by the absence of instructional materials aimed specifically at technician training.
          The objective of this project is to tackle these problems by developing curricular and instructional materials and providing opportunities for faculty development at two-year institutions. To accomplish these goals, a consortium has been established between Penn College (a predominantly two-year institution), Penn State, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and a number of industrial partners. The project will establish a "modular" educational approach that emphasizes hands-on training and allows students to progress from high school to two-year and four-year programs. A special effort will be made to reach students from underrepresented groups.

 

An Alliance to Prepare Technicians for Careers in Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Materials Technology

DUE 9751987
FY1997, $66,900
Materials Science and Manufacturing

James Jacobs
Norfolk State University
Center for Materials Research
2401 Corprew Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23504
j-jacobs@vger.nsu.edu
(757) 683-8109

This project aims to develop student recruitment and retention techniques, instructional strategies, educational materials, and laboratory activities for precollege and college programs related to manufacturing and engineering materials technology. The project will involve a dynamic alliance among community colleges, public schools, and a university, coupled with business, industry, government, and technical societies. Building on the vast experience of the project team from Norfolk State University, Tidewater Community College, and the Virginia Beach Public Schools, the alliance will synthesize a coherent "2+2+2" model program that moves students into and through the educational pipeline for careers as advanced industrial/engineering technicians.
          The project team will select and develop appropriate materials for both precollege- and college-level technician programs. At the precollege level, the main emphasis will be on using materials science and technology to integrate math, science, and technology concepts. A further emphasis will be on interfacing computers with materials testing equipment. In addition, the team will develop strategies and materials aimed at informing guidance counselors, students, and parents about career opportunities for technicians in materials science and manufacturing. At the A.A.S. and B.S. levels, the team will select from available materials and develop multimedia units related to engineering materials technology and manufacturing.
          During each year of the project, a National Educator’s Workshop on engineering materials technology will provide technical updating to 10 community college faculty members.

 

Preserving the Legacy:
A Comprehensive Curriculum and Materials Development Project in Support of Advanced Environmental Technology Education

DUE 9751988
FY1997, $487,873
Environmental Technology

Sally Beaty
INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications
150 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 300
Pasadena, CA 91105
intelecm@cerf.net
(626) 796-7300

Preserving the Legacy is a series of textbooks and videos being produced by a collaboration between INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications, the Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, and Van Nostrand Reinhold Publishers. These materials respond to a pressing need for high-quality, professional-level instructional materials for training two-year community and technical college students, as well as secondary school students, university students, and corporate and government employees. The curriculum is designed for flexible use in a wide variety of curricular programs. For example, educational institutions can incorporate Preserving the Legacy within distance learning programs that link instructors and students through telecommunications, and others can integrate the materials into training programs for business and industry.
          When Preserving the Legacy is complete, textbooks and videos will be available nationally and internationally to present the basics of environmental technology, not only to inform and train students but also to inspire them.

 

Chemical Technology Education Collaborative (ChemTEC): Advanced Technological Education Project

DUE 9751993
FY1997, $425,720
FY1998, $400,000
Chemical Technology

Arlyne M. Sarquis
Miami University at Middletown
Dept. of Chemistry
4200 E. University Blvd.
Middletown, OH 45042
sarquiam@muohio.edu
(513) 727-3278

This project will build on the solidly established Partnership for the Advancement of Chemical Technology (PACT) consortium (funded under DUE 9454518) and the nationally recognized Partners for Terrific Science industrial–academic coalition. Through collaboration among these interested institutions and organizations, the ChemTEC project has six goals: (1) to advance the professional interests of chemical technicians and chemical technology educators; (2) to strengthen and expand existing collaborations involved in chemical technology education; (3) to provide chemical technology educators with conceptual knowledge, pedagogical tools, time, resources, and professional support; (4) to collaborate with industry to keep educators abreast of the latest technological developments; (5) to develop, publish, and distribute content-rich, pedagogically sound curricular materials; and (6) to develop curricular materials for the secondary school level that engage students in laboratory-driven challenges.
          ChemTEC will address the above goals through six areas of activity: "Networking to Build a Community of Practice," the "Research Profile Project," "Curricular Materials for Chemical and Related Technology Education," "Professional Development Opportunities for Educators," "Student Programming," and "Dissemination and Outreach."

 

Assignment: Chemical Technology

DUE 9751998
FY1997, $205,531
FY1998, $192,948
Chemical Technology

John Kenkel
Southeast Community College
Dept. of Environmental Laboratory Technology
8800 O St.
Lincoln, NE 68520-1227
jkenkel@sccm.cc.ne.us
(402) 437-2485

This project, entitled "Assignment: Chemical Technology—II," or ACT-II, will continue work begun in 1995 in the NSF-supported project "Assignment: Chemical Technology—I," or ACT-I (DUE 9553674).
          Southeast Community College (SCC), in partnership with the University of Nebraska, the DuPont Company, 36 other community colleges across the country, 7 industry representatives, and an advisory board, is continuing to spearhead efforts to reform the curriculum and materials for chemical technology education programs in community colleges. ACT-I targeted the curriculum and student materials for the first-year chemistry course in these programs. The ACT-II project targets three major areas: (1) the laboratory program for the first-year chemistry course, (2) the analytical chemistry and organic/biochemistry courses, including laboratories, found in the second year of these programs, and (3) multimedia materials, including World Wide Web supplements and CD-ROM materials, to complete the work already begun for the first-year course and also to address the second-year courses.
          The curriculum and materials under development are being guided in part by the Voluntary Industry Skill Standards for the chemical process and bioscience industries, good laboratory and management practices (GLP and GMP), and safety and occupational health issues.

 

Advanced Technology Education Program in Manufacturing Information Systems

DUE 9752004
FY1997, $199,944
Information Technology

Nabil A. Ibrahim
San Jose State University
Dept. of Engineering
San Jose, CA 95192-0106
nibrahim@isc.sjsu.edu
(408) 924-3968

This project will create and deliver curricula that enable students from diverse educational backgrounds to enter either the workforce or a community college program in manufacturing information systems engineering. The project has four components: (1) development of curricula and instructional materials, (2) articulation with other programs, (3) faculty development, and (4) an industry internship program for students.
          The manufacturing information systems program will emphasize system integration and seamless transitions among curricula. The curricula will lead first to a Certificate in Information Technology (CIT) at the high school level, and then to an Associate of Science degree in Manufacturing Information Systems Technology (MIST) at the community college level. Both curricula will lead seamlessly into an existing Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree program in Manufacturing Information Systems Engineering (MISE). A certificate of Technical Preparation in Information Technology (TPIT) for working technicians will also be developed. These curricula will be designed and delivered by an alliance of high schools, community colleges, a four-year university, and several high-tech companies in the Silicon Valley.
          Participating companies will play an active role in designing curricula, developing case studies, providing internships and training for both students and faculty, making available state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, organizing industry-based team projects, and committing matching funds.
          Products of the project (curricula, laboratory manuals, other instructional materials, and results of cooperative learning workshops for faculty) will be disseminated nationally through publications, annual workshops, and the Internet.

 

Study of Present and Future Skill Levels of Visualization Technicians

DUE 9752014
FY1997, $96,959
Visualization Technology

Sue L. Mitchell
John C. Calhoun State Community College
Dept. of Computer/Office Information Systems
P.O. Box 2216
Decatur, AL 35602-2216
sue@calhoun.cc.al.us
(205) 306-2655

Northern Alabama is identified as a high-technology area, having a large number of businesses, industries, and government agencies that need technicians educated at the two-year college level with skills in visualization technology, virtual reality programming, and multimedia applications. In this project, government agencies, businesses, and industries will be contacted to identify the common core of skills needed by visualization technicians and to assess future trends in the skills needed. Two-year colleges will be contacted to determine what level of education is being offered and to share curricula. Information will also be gathered at various conferences on visualization and related topics. A Web page will present the collected information, which will be used to establish skill standards and curricula for community colleges educating visualization technicians.

 

Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Technology

DUE 9752015
FY1997, $100,000
Industrial Technology

Shepherd M. Anderson
Sinclair Community College
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Technology
444 W. Third St.
Dayton, OH 45402
sanderso@sinclair.edu
(937) 226-7921

This project will be a cooperative effort between Sinclair Community College, General Motors Delphi Chassis (a leading manufacturer of automotive and light truck chassis, in Dayton, OH), KMC Controls (a leading manufacturer of process control equipment, in New Paris, IN), and Stratasys (a leading manufacturer of rapid prototyping systems, in Eden Prairie, MN). During the summers of 1998 and 1999, these four collaborators will sponsor a series of one-week, comprehensive professional development programs for two-year college engineering technology, science, and mathematics faculty. Offerings will include (1) a rapid prototyping course at Sinclair Community College at the Advanced Integrated Manufacturing Center (Dayton, OH), in cooperation with Stratasys; (2) a workcell simulation course at Sinclair Community College at the Advanced Integrated Manufacturing Center, in cooperation with General Motors Delphi Chassis; and (3) a process control course at KMC Controls. Participating faculty will attend the courses and work hand-in-hand with their colleagues from industry and universities while learning about the latest technology in the areas represented by the courses.
          The project will target 20 engineering technology, science, and mathematics faculty each year (a total of 40 people) from two-year colleges across the country.

 

Water on the Web: Monitoring Minnesota’s Lakes on the Internet

DUE 9752017
FY1997, $301,840
FY1998, $200,000
FY1999, $154,736
Environmental Science

Bruce H. Munson
University of Minnesota at Duluth
Dept. of Education
120 Montague Hall
Duluth, MN 55812-2496
bmunson@d.umn.edu
(218) 726-6324

Increased pressure on natural resources worldwide and shrinking budgets are causing environmental management organizations to rely increasingly on advanced technology. There is a clear need for the training of highly skilled, multidisciplinary environmental professionals, who will be able to utilize advanced technology to achieve environmental management goals.
          The purpose of this project is to contribute to a more scientifically and technologically competent workforce through a comprehensive educational program for high school and community college students and teachers. This goal will be achieved by developing curriculum modules that teach basic science concepts illustrated through the use of real-time remote sensing technology, geographic information systems, and the Internet. Multidisciplinary teams of academic, science, and technology specialists (including representatives from universities, community and tribal colleges, secondary schools, natural resource and research agencies, and industry) will cooperatively develop this curriculum. In this project, students will conduct interactive inquiries of widespread environmental systems using newly developed, real-time, remote sampling technology linked with classrooms through cellular communication and the Internet, and they will also participate in industry-sponsored internships.
          Final curricula will be disseminated through printed materials, an interactive CD-ROM distributed through the National Sea Grant network, materials available on the Internet, in-service training workshops, presentations at professional conferences, and finally, a national conference on the use of real-time data and emerging technologies in undergraduate science education.

 

Reinventing Computer-Aided Drafting and Design in a Total Modeling Environment

DUE 9752021
FY1997, $300,000
FY1998, $150,000
FY1999, $150,000
Computer-Aided Drafting and Design

G. Edward Pittman
Piedmont Community College
Dept. of Science and Technology
501 College Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22902-7589
gep2d@jade.pvcc.cc.va.us
(804) 961-5256

This project will revise the curriculum in drafting and design in order to ensure that community colleges can educate students to current and projected industry standards.
          An in-depth study of the design process in a 3-D modeling environment and of the new package of skills that this process demands will culminate in the creation and piloting of a new curriculum, which will include rapid prototyping and CNC machining. The resulting curriculum manual will be disseminated nationally. To insure the successful implementation of the curriculum, the project will sponsor workshops and internship opportunities for faculty.

 

Southeast Michigan Alliance for Reinvestment in Technological Education (SMARTE):
Advanced Technologies in Product Design

DUE 9752024
FY1997, $450,000
Product Design

Mulchand Rathod
Wayne State University
Division of Engineering Technology
Detroit, MI 48202
rathod@et1.eng.wayne.edu
(313) 577-0800

SMARTE is a consortium of five community colleges, Wayne State University, K–12 school systems, community-based organizations, government agencies, and labor, business, and industry interests in southeastern Michigan. Its activities have been funded previously under DUE 9553692.
          The overall goal in the current phase of the SMARTE project is to assist community colleges, school districts, and universities to prepare skilled technicians in product design by offering programs and delivery systems that are partnered with business and industry. The major initiatives are (1) to develop regional product design curricula based upon skill standards, mathematics and science applications, information technologies, and work-based learning and (2) to develop programs and delivery systems for the recruitment, retention, and placement of nontraditional students in learning communities. To accomplish these initiatives, SMARTE will (1) develop or enhance regional product design programs, using the industry standards and criteria (SCANS, ABET, NAIT, Advanced Manufacturing) which were established during the first phase of the SMARTE project and which resulted in core competencies for product design; (2) implement work-based learning experiences as part of technical programs; (3) integrate information technologies into instructional delivery; (4) develop simulation programs that incorporate skills needed by the advanced manufacturing industry; (5) conduct enrichment programs for students to increase competencies in math, science, computers, and product design; (6) develop and deliver an enrichment program for middle school teachers in product design; (7) work with college faculty and K–12 teachers to share training resources on technological skills, core competencies, and recruitment and retention programs for nontraditional students.

 

Engineering Prep: A Model School-To-Work Curriculum to Support ATE Programs in Semiconductor Manufacturing

DUE 9752025
FY1997, $205,224
Semiconductor Manufacturing

Alan J. Miller
Hillsboro School District
Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction
561 SE Oak St.
Hillsboro, OR 97123
millera@hsd.k12.or.us
(503) 693-4096

The Hillsboro School District, in partnership with Portland Community College, has developed an excellent precollege program called "Engineering Prep," which can serve as an effective precursor to ATE programs in semiconductor manufacturing. This project will support replication of the Engineering Prep program locally and nationally through the publication of curriculum materials, faculty enhancement workshops to equip high school teachers and community college faculty to implement the curriculum, and follow-up consultancies for each implementation site.
          Products to be disseminated include a curriculum guide and classroom-ready instructional materials. These products, combined with the faculty enhancement workshops, will enable quicker implementation of precollege programs supporting associate and baccalaureate degree programs in semiconductor manufacturing and related fields.



Biotechnology Technicians for the Future: Replicating the Wisconsin Model

DUE 9752027
FY1997, $360,000
Biotechnology

Joy McMillan
Madison Area Technical College
Agriscience, Apprenticeship, Technology, and Industrial Division
3550 Anderson St.
Madison, WI 53704
jmcmillan@madison.tec.wi.us
(608) 246-6001

This project will expand and disseminate successful activities that were developed and implemented in a previous project funded through the ATE program, "An Advanced Biotechnology Education Partnership Program" (DUE 9454555). The overall goal of the project is the improvement of technical education in biotechnology.
          Efforts in the project to date include the development and dissemination of curriculum materials for technician training at the two-year associate degree level; teacher enhancement activities for associate degree instructors and high school teachers; and school-to-work experiences for high school students. Through this new grant, these activities will be significantly enhanced by (1) continuing curriculum development and dissemination, (2) expanding participation geographically through collaboration with other University of Wisconsin system campuses and other technical and community colleges in the state and in the broader Midwestern region, (3) increasing participation by students and faculty at all levels, from middle school through baccalaureate programs, (4) offering opportunities for lifelong learning to technicians already employed, and (5) increasing the participation of qualified women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
          This project represents a collaborative effort among the Biotechnology Laboratory Technician Program at Madison Area Technical College, the University of Wisconsin Teacher Enhancement Program, and the industry-supported BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute. This partnership, coupled with the extended network of collaborators being developed through project activities, is poised to effectively meet the challenge of recruiting, training, and providing continuing education for biotechnology technicians—a task that is critical to the continued prosperity of the industry.

 

Measure Up! Dimensional Metrology and ISO 9001

DUE 9752032
FY1997, $299,900
Metrology and Machine Tool Technology

Barbara Anderegg
Madison Area Technical College
Dept. of Machine Tools
3550 Anderson St.
Madison, WI 53704
banderegg@madison.tec.wi.us
(608) 246-6840

This project aims to provide opportunities for lifelong learning to machine tool and metrology technicians so they can develop and maintain skills to meet the needs of industry. To achieve this goal, a partnership consisting of Madison Area Technical College (MATC), the University of Wisconsin Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement, and the Madison Metropolitan School District will collaborate with a network of industry and education representatives who have a stake in highly skilled metrology technicians and qualified teachers.
          The project will pursue the following objectives: (1) Establish and maintain active collaborations with representatives from education, business and industry, and government. (2) Incorporate employers’ needs, mathematics and science standards, and quality standards into a metrology curriculum for middle school, high school, and undergraduate students, as well as employees. (3) Develop and implement professional development opportunities for faculty and technicians. (4) Adopt and develop strategies to increase the enrollment and success of students, particularly those from underrepresented groups; increase work experiences for students and faculty; enhance the professional status of technician careers; and provide lifelong learning opportunities for technicians. (5) Facilitate the exchange of ideas among students, educators, employees, and employers. (6) Evaluate project implementation through proactive third-party evaluators.
          The stakeholders will exchange ideas and collaboratively develop metrology curricula at metrology institutes. They will also develop strategies as prescribed in Objective (4). Finally, they will gain work and hands-on laboratory experience in the MATC Metrology Laboratory and in the proposed Mobile Metrology Laboratory.