Corey Whitt and Mike Owens share a deep interest in nanotechnology─but for very different reasons. Whit’s mother has multiple sclerosis, so he’s intrigued by the medical applications of the technology that could someday improve his mother’s quality of life. Owens is an older-than-average student looking for a career change, and he’s attracted to the emerging job opportunities nanotechnology offers.
Yet neither Whitt nor Owens thought he would ever have a chance to follow up on his interest in nanotechnology─the manipulation of atoms and molecules at the nanoscale level, a billionth of a meter. Until recently, no community colleges in North Carolina offered degree programs in the field.
That changed in 2005, when Forsyth Technical Community College announced that it would offer an Associate in Applied Science degree in nanotechnology. It is the first degree of its kind in a North Carolina community college and among only a handful in the nation.
“Nanotech education at the community college level is important to provide the support necessary for further nanotechnology operations in manufacturing and research,” says Cynthia Bioteau, the former chief academic officer and vice president of Forsyth Tech. Bioteau was instrumental in the initial development of Forsyth’s nanotechnology degree.
Forsyth Tech’s nanotechnology program teaches students how to examine and manipulate materials at the atomic level. The program’s interdisciplinary curriculum includes coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, math, and manufacturing engineering technology. It teaches students the skills necessary to manufacture products that use nanotechnology, such as plastics, batteries, paints and fabrics. When these students graduate, they may be working in the textiles industry creating softer fabrics, or in a plastics company producing soda bottles with longer shelf lives.
The program also stresses safety and ethics, which will help ensure that employees working with nanotechnology do so safely and responsibly. It will also prepare some graduates for jobs with regulatory organizations.
“The shelf-life of knowledge in nanotechnology is about 18 months, so our curriculum must continue to develop in response to changes in marketed products, economic trends, and research publications,” says Kevin Conley, a professor in Forsyth Tech’s nanotechnology program.
By responding quickly to the constantly changing field of nanotechnology, community colleges are proving that they are well-suited to offer degree programs in the field. Community colleges are also relatively affordable, making them ideal for training skilled workers for entry-level positions in North Carolina’s modernizing economy. “For a two-year community college degree, success equals jobs,” says David Carroll, director of the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at Wake Forest University.
Wake Forest played a critical role in the creation of Forsyth Tech’s nanotechnology program, investing both money and time into this innovative effort.
Wake Forest continues to play an active role in the day-to-day operation of the program. Some postdoctoral students at the Wake Forest Center for Nanotechnology teach classes at Forsyth Tech. And Carroll, who was invaluable in the development of the degree, still works with several of the instructors on a regular basis, keeping the curriculum in line with current industrial needs.
“For the cost of community college in-state tuition, students will gain experience with the most precise measurement instruments available anywhere in the world; develop a foundation in the economics, ethics, and soft skills required to be competitive in the current workplace; and also have access to measurement and fabrication equipment from Wake Forest University,” says Conley.
For now, Forsyth Tech students can use the microscopy suite at Wake Forest’s Center for Nanotechnology for some of their coursework. But Forsyth Tech is also quickly developing its own nanotechnology facilities. It recently received a $500,000 grant from the Wachovia Foundation to establish an atomic-force microscopy laboratory right on Forsyth’s campus. The devices in the lab have atomic-sized resolution, so students can actually see the atomic structure of a surface, in color, on a computer screen.
Forsyth Tech is also collaborating with Shaw University to give students in the nanotechnology program the opportunity to transfer easily from Forsyth to Shaw to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree. Community colleges often serve as springboards into four-year programs such as Shaw’s.
“Forsyth Tech has done exactly what community colleges are charged to do,” says Bioteau. “We looked forward five to eight years to see where the jobs and necessary skill sets would be, and then we developed programs to train current students.”
Bioteau is now working to develop another nanotechnology degree program at Salt Lake Community College in Utah, where she is now president. The program will be similar to Forsyth Tech’s, but with a greater focus on advanced manufacturing.
Community colleges in other states, such as Texas and New York, are developing similar nanotechnology degrees. Some colleges are building partnerships with local businesses. Forsyth Tech’s new program is currently working on developing such relationships.
Dwaine Davis, head of the physical sciences department at Forsyth Tech, notes that business relationships are beneficial because “partnerships with local industry allow students the opportunity to experience the ‘real world’ work environment.” He hopes that Forsyth Tech students will be able to get a similar experience through internships with local businesses, which will soon be required for graduation.
Many feel that Forsyth Tech’s program will be successful not only in employing graduates in well-paying positions but also in improving the economic future of our state. “I feel that our program will help in the recruitment and relocation of nanotechnology companies to North Carolina. The availability of a qualified workforce is always a driving factor in business location. These companies will employ residents and hopefully give added value to traditional North Carolina products such as textiles and agricultural materials,” says Davis.
Leon Phillips, professor of nanofabrication of mixtures at Forsyth Tech, says that he “has never had a group of such enthusiastic students.” Hopefully when Whitt, Owens, and their peers graduate this coming spring, their enthusiasm will carry over into their careers and future academic pursuits. These graduates will be the new generation of skilled workers in North Carolina’s transforming economy.
By Kate McDonald
Originally from Davidson, North Carolina, Kate is currently a senior majoring in public policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As part of her public policy studies, she is performing an internship for the Office of Science and Technology in the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
