Teaching Nanotechnology Across the Undergraduate STEM Curriculum

Nanotechnology is an exciting emerging field of research with applications in all STEM disciplines including the physical, chemical, life, Earth and environmental sciences and allied disciplines in materials science and engineering. Nanotechnology provides unprecedented opportunities for frontier research at the interfaces between these STEM disciplines by studying the properties of materials on the nanoscale (~1 billionth of a meter!).

This website serves as an on-ramp to providing the fundamental concepts of nanotechnology education across the STEM curriculum, primarily developed for undergraduate instructors.

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An Emerging Science

Nanotechnology has enabled development of entirely new materials and devices...

Needs & Opportunities

Needs and Opportunities for Nanoscience in Earth and Environmental Science.

Career Preparation

Guidance for preparing for nanoscience careers in Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Emerging Teaching Opportunity

There is a high demand for students who are prepared...

Instructor Background Resources

A compilation of resources to assist in teaching about nanotechnology.

Earth & Environmental Science Lit

Nanoscience Literature relevant to Earth and Environmental science.

Instruments & Analytical Methods

Common instruments and methods in Nanoscience.

Ethics & Nano

General ethics topics of interest for STEM

National Nanotechnology/Science Initiatives

Explore national nanotechnology programs and a selection of educational resources they have to offer, including:

Recently published: Review articles on nanoscience in the Earth and Environmental Sciences by Hochella, M. F., Mogk, D. W., Ranville, J., Allen, I. C., Luther, G. W., Marr, L. C., McGrail, B. P., Murayama, M., Qafoku, N. P., Rosso, K. M., Sahai, N., Schroeder, P. A., Vikesland, P., Westerhoff, P., and Yang, Y., 2019, Natural, incidental, and engineered nanomaterials and their impacts on the Earth system: Science, v. 363, no. 6434, p. eaau8299. DOI: 10.1126/science.aau8299.
This is the most comprehensive, up-to-date review of the many occurrences of nanoparticles in the Earth system, and the impacts they have on Earth processes and environmental and human health.

See also: Hochella, M. F., Lower, S. K., Maurice, P. A., Penn, R. L., Sahai, N., Sparks, D. L., and Twining, B. S., 2008, Nanominerals, mineral nanoparticles, and earth systems: Science, v. 319, no. 5870, p. 1631-1635.

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