Project Profile
Cross-disciplinary Optics Research and Education (CORE)
University of New Mexico
Abstract
A Cross-disciplinary Optics Research and Education (CORE) program is established at the University of New Mexico to enhance the education and training of graduate students. The program involves the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Physics. The research and educational theme of the CORE project is… more »
A Cross-disciplinary Optics Research and Education (CORE) program is established at the University of New Mexico to enhance the education and training of graduate students. The program involves the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Physics. The research and educational theme of the CORE project is centered about optical imaging and spectroscopic techniques with high spatial and temporal resolution and their application to physical, chemical, and biological problems.
(i) During the project interdisciplinary teams of graduate students will work on various aspects of the CORE research, comprising the design and development of methods and tools and their application in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. The research projects involve the study of fundamental processes in various samples ranging from single molecules, to quantum dots, to living cells, and their utilization for the development of biosensors. (ii) In addition to the current curricula in their respective departments, IGERT students will take a set of cross-disciplinary courses designed specifically for the program. (iii) The IGERT fellows will be offered internships in the local op-tics industry, in local national laboratories, and abroad to widen their horizon and to introduce career opportunities. (iv) A weekly seminar will provide the students with training in technical writing and in presentations of their research in a multi-disciplinary environment. (v) Mentoring undergraduate students will foster team spirit and leadership skills and will help to recruit, retain, and involve undergraduates, in particular those from underrepresented minorities, in research.
The overall goal of our education and training activities is to produce a new cadre of engineers and scientists who are prepared to work in multidisciplinary environments. As experts in their respective home disciplines, the IGERT graduates will share a basic understanding of optics, im-aging and spectroscopy. As such, they will be prepared to work at the forefront of optics-related research, development and education in national labs, academia, and industry.
IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the multidisciplinary backgrounds and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing new, innovative models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. In the fourth year of the program, awards are being made to twenty-two institutions for programs that collectively span all areas of science and engineering supported by NSF. The intellectual foci of this specific award reside in the Directorates for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Engineering; Biological Sciences; and Education and Human Resources.
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