Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. students Huang Tang (advisor: Prof. Shi) and Ishan Wathuthanthri (advisor: Prof. Choi), through the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded GK12 Program New Jersey Alliance for Engineering Education have been working with teachers at Ridgewood High School in developing modules to introduce high students to nanotechnology. Their work was recently highlighted in the Ridgewood Patch, as high school students used the two Ph.D.’s expertise to build a solar-powered calculator.

According to the article, “the class constructed two slides that, when influenced by a light source, could power the calculator. On the first slide, the white powder titanium oxide is baked onto the glass and coated with a plant's dye.” “To gain a counter charge, carbon soot and an iodine solution are used on the other slide. Combined with the first slide, the substances will power the calculators when a light source is introduced, in this case an overhead projector.”

To learn more about nanotechnology application at Ridgewood High School, please visit the Ridgewood Patch.

About NJAEE

Funded through the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) GK-12 Graduate Education Program, a cohort of graduate engineering students (Fellows) will collaborate with engineering professors, education professionals in the Center for Innovation in Science & Engineering Education (CIESE) at Stevens, and high school STEM teachers to design, develop, and implement innovative and motivating educational STEM modules. These modules are based primarily on the Fellows’ research areas spanning various science and engineering disciplines within the broad theme of ‘Multiscale Engineered Systems’. The modules developed through the NJAEE are aligned with the NJ science curriculum requirements and incorporate themes of engineering design, innovation and inventiveness within the STEM curriculum. To learn more, please visit our website.