The education coordinator for the WVNano Initiative at West Virginia University was a keynote presenter last weekend at the Kentucky Nanotechnology Symposium held at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Ky.

Dr. Aniketa Shinde spoke on the education and outreach theme for the prestigious event that brought together micro and nanotechnology researchers from the Southern and Midwest Regions of the U.S. She related examples to key researchers of the outreach and education programs being executed throughout West Virginia with the support of West Virginia EPSCoR and the National Science Foundation Research Infrastructure Improvement grant.

The West Virginia programs, implemented through WVU, Marshall University and West Virginia State University, include a Teacher Research Experiences for the Advancement of Knowledge initiative; Learning Assistants Program; the WVNano Graduate Fellowship Program; NanoDays events; and partnerships with local businesses and the local community.

“The Teacher Research Experience for the Advancement of Knowledge is a yearlong professional development program for middle school and high school science teachers that includes summer research in a university laboratory and three online courses,” she said. “The Learning Assistants program focuses on transforming large-enrollment science courses through peer instruction led by undergraduates and is used as a mechanism to recruit and prepare talented science majors for careers in K-12 teaching.”

Other programs at WVU noted by Shinde include the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, Graduate Fellowship Program, Nanosystems Undergraduate Emphasis area and nanoscience outreach to the local community.

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CONTACT: Gerrill Griffith, WVU Research Corp.
304.293.3743, Gerrill.Griffith@mail.wvu.edu

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