UVa MRSEC News:Nuggets

On November 13-14, 2003 the Education Directors of all twenty-eight centers came together at the University of Virginia for a Director’s Meeting, in order to share their approaches and successes in the field of Education & Outreach. Each center presented information on its activities through a combination of posters and short presentations. The Director’s Meeting was the first national gathering of all Education Directors since the Making Connections Workshop sponsored by the University of California, Santa Barbara, October 21-23, 1998. The result of the 2003 Meeting was an inspiring introduction to the myriad of emerging developments across the spectrum of science and mathematics education in America. It is the goal of this publication to provide a much-needed resource introducing the Education and Outreach Programs of each current NSF MRSEC. As each center strives to expand and improve its efforts, such a reference provides information regarding activities already attempted at other centers as well as points of departure for the creation of entirely new programs and activities. It is also a way to track activities to their sources, so that the Education Directors from every center may be in closer contact for support, ideas, and potentially for future collaborative efforts between centers.

In order to foster easy-access to each center, a Contact Information section is included in the publication, listing current Center Directors, Education Directors, and web addresses for each center. An Overview Page of the Education and Outreach activities of each center follows, alphabetized by home institution of each MRSEC. The content of this publication was collected during the year following the November 2003 Directors Meeting. The synopsis of activities is meant to be a snap-shot introduction to the outreach initiatives of that center. The synopsis represents highlights of a center’s work up to the 2003-2004 period of time. As each center grows and changes constantly, it is encouraged for users of this guide to visit the web-site of the center for the most current and comprehensive program information, or to contact the Education Director or Center directly.

As implied by the title of this publication, the outreach efforts of America’s MRSECs create a picture of Emerging Education in the field of materials science and engineering. This quick desk reference can serve as a tool for bringing these efforts together and for enabling easier information exchange while simultaneously inspiring the education and outreach efforts of the future.