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CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
New and Renewed Awards (1998)

One new ATE center was established in 1998; and three others, established in 1995, were awarded funding for a second three-year term. The map on page 26 shows all 11 ATE centers that were active in 1998.

 

Award No. 9813444

Middlesex County College

New Jersey Center for Advanced Technological Education

Award: $2,000,001

(FY1998 $810,804; FY1999 $647,771; FY2000 $541,426)

Engineering Technology

Jack L. Waintraub waintrau@email.njin.net

Middlesex County College (908) 906-2584

Dept. of Physics and Electrical Engineering Technology

Edison, NJ  08818-3050

This award provides renewed funding for the New Jersey Center for Advanced Technological Education (NJCATE), which was originally established under Award No. 9553749.

During its first three years, NJCATE has made substantial progress in reshaping technology education, broadening awareness of the role technicians play in the global economy, and expanding partnerships in center activities. Through the development of the Mecomtronics Engineering Technology Program, NJCATE has produced a model that provides a unique approach to the creation of curriculum for technician programs. The NJCATE curriculum model provides a process and the procedures for the creation of integrated, interdisciplinary engineering technology programs. The development of the new Mecomtronics Engineering Technology program was the vehicle for the design and testing of the curriculum development model which is transferable to all other engineering and science technology disciplines.

NJCATE will continue serving as a resource and catalyst for the continuous renewal and improvement of technician education to prepare graduates for successful employment in a globally competitive marketplace. This will be accomplished by creating and disseminating innovative curricula and instructional materials, and providing high-quality professional development programs for academic and industry personnel and technical assistance services to the educational community. Over the next three years, a major focus of center activities will be to position NJCATE as a national provider of quality educational products and services, moving the center toward an increasing level of self-sufficiency. Working with a business consultant, NJCATE staff have analyzed potential markets for NJCATE products and services, identified and described products and services, and developed a series of strategies to move NJCATE forward.

Award No. 9813445

Chemeketa Community College

Northwest Center for Sustainable Resources

Award: $1,996,949

(FY1998 $834,688; FY1999 $697,932; FY2000 $464,329)

Natural Resources Management

Wynn W. Cudmore wync@chemek.cc.or.us

Chemeketa Community College (503) 399-6514

Dept. of Science

4000 Lancaster Dr.

P.O. Box 14007

Salem, OR  97309-7070

This award provides renewed funding for the Northwest Center for Sustainable Resources, which was originally established under Award No. 9553760.

This center is a collaborative effort of partners from Oregon, Washington, and Northern California, including high schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, private industries, government agencies, and Native American tribes. Its mission is to improve curricula and produce national models for high school and technical natural resource and environmental science programs, as well as to provide an information network for the region and the nation. The center is developing natural resource technology programs which incorporate higher levels of mathematics and science, using an ecosystems-based approach which emphasizes sustainable methods for resource use. Key objectives for the center include (1) curriculum development and dissemination by five "lead site" colleges and six "test site" colleges with natural resource-based associate degree programs; (2) faculty and teacher enhancement institutes which are field- and laboratory-based for teachers from all levels of education around the country, faculty tours of world-class research sites, and other professional development activities; and (3) promotion and dissemination activities including presentations at key national and regional conferences and symposia, distribution of promotional products including a videotape and a report entitled "Visions for Natural Resource Education and Ecosystem Science for the 21st Century," and development of an electronic clearinghouse.

Award No. 9813446

Bellevue Community College

NorthWest Center for Emerging Technologies

Award: $1,999,941

(FY1998 $799,999; FY1999 $699,972; FY2000 $499,970)

Information Technology

Neil R. Evans nevans@bcc.ctc.edu

Bellevue Community College (425) 373-4227

NorthWest Center for Emerging Technologies

3000 Landerholm Circle, SE, N258

Bellevue, WA  98007-6484

This award provides renewed funding for the NorthWest Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET), which was originally established under Award No. 9553727.

NWCET continues its work to be the leader in determining the needs of information technology (IT) employers and students. Partnerships with leadership organizations representing corporations, professional societies, and educational institutions provide direction, development, and implementation of IT skill standards, IT curricula, instructional materials, and professional development of faculty. The center is establishing articulation agreements with four year colleges and with high schools and Tech Prep consortia to ensure seamless transitions for students. The four major goals of the center are (1) to advance model partnerships linking business, education, and government to promote IT education; (2) to provide student pathways to new IT programs and new advanced technology degrees; (3) to develop, test and disseminate IT curricula, curriculum products, and teaching and learning resources; and (4) to contribute to national leadership through dissemination of "best practices" in IT education. The center has established working relationships with the Gartner Group, Harcourt Brace, and the Education Development Center to disseminate materials and professional development workshops. The American Electronics Association is validating the center’s IT skill standards.

 

 

Award No. 9850325

City College of San Francisco

Bio-Link: A National Advanced Technological Education Center for Biotechnology

Award: $2,999,995

(FY1998 $999,999; FY1999 $1,000,000; FY2000 $999,996)

Biotechnology

Elaine Johnson ejohnson@ccsf.cc.ca.us

City College of San Francisco (415) 550-4377

Dept. of Biology

50 Phelan Ave., S-54

San Francisco, CA  94112

Bio-Link, a new ATE center established in 1998, is working with six regional centers, baccalaureate institutions, high schools, national laboratories, and industry. Each region is spearheading a specific element, such as identifying and testing instructional materials; implementing new programs; identifying methods for recruiting and retaining underrepresented minorities; creating student assessment tools; linking to high schools and baccalaureate institutions; strengthening basic mathematics, science, and critical thinking skills; and increasing work-based learning opportunities for students. By relying on the expertise of individuals around the nation, the center is addressing a wide range of issues in biotechnology education.

It will sponsor an annual ten-day summer intensive workshop for 30 fellows across the nation. In addition, each regional center will hold an annual workshop for 30 participants in its region. These professional development activities will include hands-on laboratory training; discussion of legal, ethical, and social issues; industry tours; and pedagogical tools. Each region will also identify paid instructor internships. The center is creating an online network that will provide an opportunity for all interested people to communicate and to evaluate materials, strategies, and issues. In a rapidly changing field such as biotechnology, the ability to communicate quickly speeds the integration of new knowledge and materials into the curriculum. To enhance student learning, the center is also making use of multimedia programs, virtual learning and virtual libraries, CD-ROM materials, and distance learning. The lasting effect is to bring stimulating, cutting-edge, and practical educational programs to the students who will make up the nation’s future workforce.


PROJECTS
New Awards (1998)

Most projects have a duration of two or three years; many of these receive all their funds during the first year (FY1998). The anticipated expiration date for the awards can be found in the index of active and new awards by field of technology, which begins on page 29.

 

Award No. 9850244

Capital Community Technical College

National Aeronautics and Space Administration–American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges Project Coalition

Award: $125,000

Mathematics

John S. Pazdar pazdar@commnet.edu

Capital Community Technical College (860) 520-7851

Dept. of Science and Mathematics

61 Woodland St.

Hartford, CT  06105-2354

This project focuses on the challenge of increasing two-year college students’ level of learning and participation in mathematics. The overarching goal is to provide, in both the near and long term, two-year college faculty and students with a range of classroom materials that foster students’ mathematical learning within a context of authentic applications. The project is a collaboration among the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC), and Capital Community-Technical College.

Twenty two-year college faculty, grouped in two-person teams, will collaborate with Kennedy Space Center scientists and engineers to produce ten Laboratory Technical Activities (LTAs) and twenty "spin-offs." The LTAs are complete learning units that expose two-year college students to the interdependence of technology and mathematics within the framework of the Reform Principles expressed by AMATYC’s Crossroads in Mathematics. The spin-offs range from class-ready learning units to vignettes connecting snapshots of the technological world with mathematics. The development process begins with a 1998 summer workshop at the Kennedy Space Center, extends through four drafting stages with associate reviews, and culminates with dissemination. Dissemination will include presentations at meetings organized by professional associations and will also occur via a Web-based electronic book project.

 

 

Award No. 9850247

Athens Area Technical Institute

Chemical Technology Contextual Learning Curriculum Development Project

Award: $733,372

Chemical Technology

Carol L. White white@admin1.athens.tec.ga.us

Athens Area Technical Institute (706) 355-5033

Dept. of Health Sciences

Athens, GA  30610

This project focuses on the implementation of an educational context for students to develop a meaningful set of competencies recently defined by the American Chemical Society (ACS). These competencies are collectively known as the Voluntary Standards for the Chemical Process Industries Technical Workers. These standards, described in "Foundations for Excellence in the Chemical Process Industries," identify eight major work areas comprising 564 industry-based competencies related to actual tasks performed by laboratory technicians. The new curriculum at Athens Area Technical Institution in chemical technology integrates industry-based competencies into a workplace context for the education of chemical technicians. Specifically, the project is working with (1) Athens Waterworks and Olin Chemical Company to develop a basic scenario on the chemistry of aqueous systems; (2) Hoechst Celanese to develop a quality and process control laboratory associated with polymer synthesis; (3) Athens Waterworks and Olin Chemical Company to develop a quality and process control laboratory for metal recovery; and (4) Hoechst Celanese to develop a quality control laboratory associated with a pharmaceutical company. Three of the four fully developed scenarios are being tested with students at Athens Area Technical Institution. The project is mapping a complete two-year program that includes outlines of seven workplace scenarios with their associated competencies.

 

Award No. 9850249

Johns Hopkins University

Associate Degree for Manufacturing Technicians: Institutionalizing Change in Technician Education by Expanding a "Work in Progress"

Award: $1,009,041

Manufacturing

Arnold H. Packer packer@jhu.edu

Johns Hopkins University (410) 516-4556

Institute for Policy Studies

Wyman Park Bldg., 5th Floor

3400 North Charles St.

Baltimore, MD  21218-2696

Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, in partnership with five consortia of community colleges across the nation, have established a nationwide effort to equip faculty with the tools they need to teach generic manufacturing workplace competencies to community college students. The outcome has been the development of five CD-ROM modules based on the SCANS competencies. The second phase of this project will bring the now-tested concept to reality in a self-sustaining manner through extensive faculty development, assessment, and extension and enhancement of the CD-ROMs. The model of technician education being used to guide the project is integrated (or blended), project-based, collaborative, assessment-guided, and technology-intensive. While the ATE program has been funding models of technician training with some or all of these characteristics, and these models have begun to change community college teaching in selected institutions, four challenges remain: (1) refining the models, (2) institutionalizing the models so that the changes are sustained, (3) building an expanding network of colleges that will use the results not only of this project but of the ATE program’s other successful projects as well, and (4) connecting the network to high schools (via Tech Prep), other colleges, and employers.

 

Award No. 9850257

Bay Shore Union Free School District

Sciences of the Environment and Advanced Technology Education Consortium (SEATEC)

Award: $86,724

Multidisciplinary

Brian Brachio (516) 968-1159

Dept. of Technology

Bay Shore High School

155 Third Ave.

Bay Shore, NY  11706

This is a project to establish a "2+2" program to improve the preparation of technicians and technologists in a broad range of technology and science disciplines. This will be done through intensive summer programs, conferences, and internships. The program begins with an integrated course of study in 11th grade. It will continue with a context-based, interdisciplinary mathematics–sciences–technology learning environment in grades 11 and 12. It will feature a five-week summer program for students during the summer between their senior year in high school and their freshman year in college. This summer workshop will emphasize integrating technology training with workforce skill development. SEATEC also will hold a summer conference for students, educators, and industry representatives. SEATEC will provide internships for students and training for teachers in technology, process education, and integrated learning. Phase I planning will focus on data collection and designing project procedures.

 

Award No. 9850258

Alabama Southern Community College

A Model for Technical Training in the Pulp and Paper and Chemical Process Industries

Award: $870,000

(FY1998 $360,000; FY1999 $310,000; FY2000 $200,000)

Chemical Technology

Christie C. Prout cprout@ascc.edu

Alabama Southern Community College (334) 575-3156

Dept. of Academic Affairs

P.O. Box 2000

Monroeville, AL  36461

This project represents a collaborative effort by Alabama Southern Community College; the Center for Excellence in Forestry, Paper, and Chemical Technology; the Chemical Engineering Department of Auburn University; and the Pulp and Paper Research Education Center at Auburn University. The goal of the project is to develop an industry-responsive pulp, paper, and chemicals process training curriculum focused on chemistry and processes laboratories and industry-based student experiences. The project integrates components from four associate degree programs in technology offered by Alabama Southern: Paper and Chemical Technologies, Electrical Technology, Electronics and Instrumentation, and Industrial Maintenance. The Center for Excellence also facilitates use of project instructional materials for continuing workforce development by making project educational modules available to technicians and operators throughout the nation.

 

 

Award No. 9850269

York Technical College

Alternative Transportation Energy Education System Technology (ATEEST)

Award: $500,000

(FY1998 $200,000; FY1999 $200,000; FY2000 $100,000)

Transportation Technology

Robert Kosak kosak@york.tec.sc.us

York Technical College (803) 325-2865

Dept. of Alternative Energy Transporation

452 S. Anderson Rd.

Rock Hill, SC  29730

Project ATEEST is providing curriculum development and faculty enhancement in alternative energy transportation. Curriculum development activities include an electric vehicle technician two-year certificate program, modules on alternative fuel vehicle environmental applications, secondary school electric vehicle technology materials, and laboratory experiments in electric vehicle technology. Faculty enhancement activities include workshops for secondary teachers and workshops to prepare two-year college faculty to implement the new curriculum.

 

Award No. 9850273

University of Chicago

Exploring Antarctic Technology Through Industrial Design, Engineering Mentorships, and
Problem-Based Learning

Award: $574,699

Multidisciplinary

Randall H. Landsberg randy@oddjob.uchicago.edu

University of Chicago (773) 702-7783

Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics

5640 S. Ellis Ave.

Chicago, IL  60637

This is a three-year project involving students from Gateway Technical College in Wisconsin, Triton College in River Grove, Illinois, and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. Partners in this collaboration also include the Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica (CARA), Trek Bicycle Corporation, and Antarctica Support Associates (ASA). The project will promote a technologically advanced workforce, develop an innovative technology curriculum, and form strong linkages among artists, scientists, and technicians. Using problem-based learning, it will combine collaborative student design and fabrication projects with classroom curricula based on real problems presented by the extreme conditions at Amundson-Scott South Pole Station. The long-range impact of the project is to provide a better working environment for technicians working in extreme environments. Students will hone their high-tech skills through apprenticeships, which will involve Gateway and Triton students working under the direction of polar engineers at the Yerkes Observatory. The project will involve 150 students yearly, including 10 apprentices. Students may earn three academic credits for their participation.

 

Award No. 9850282

Henry Ford Community College

Maintenance Engineering Technology Program

(METPRO)

Award: $500,000

(FY1998 $300,000; FY1999 $200,000)

Maintenance Engineering Technology

James Martini jmartini@mail.henryford.cc.mi.us

Henry Ford Community College (313) 845-6453

Dept. of Energy Technology

5101 Evergreen Rd.

Dearborn, MI  48128-2407

The two-year METPRO project at Henry Ford Community College consolidates resources from education, government, business, and industry to prepare persons to enter, upgrade, or enhance their position in maintenance engineering technology. This program will focus on (1) developing and implementing a national standard and certification system and a related curriculum at the secondary school and community college levels, and connecting these programs with related university programs; (2) ensuring that basic mathematics, science, communications, and SCANS (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) considerations are addressed in maintenance engineering technology programs; (3) providing enhanced vision of the maintenance engineering technology field for high school teachers and college and university faculty; (4) providing direct links through partnerships with business and industry to ensure workplace experiences and competencies that allow the smooth transition of graduates into the workplace; and (5) addressing the upgrade training needs of experienced workers with ease of access to METPRO courses and its certification system.

 

 

Award No. 9850283

Cuesta College

The California Regional Consortium for Engineering Advances in Technological Excellence (CREATE)

Award: $82,444

Engineering Technology

Christopher Akelian cakelian@bass.cuesta.cc.ca.us

San Luis Obispo County Schools (805) 546-3264

Dept. of Engineering/Technology

Highway One

P.O. Box 8106

San Luis Obispo, CA  93403-8105

This is a project to develop a regional approach to the preparation and training of engineering technicians. These include technicians for the engineering technology fields of robotics, computer servicing and networking, manufacturing, and electronic technologies. The two/three-year program begins with the development of a common core curriculum in engineering technology at the seven community colleges that comprise the CREATE consortium. Each campus will then offer at least one of ten advanced technological specialties. Students from any one of the participating colleges will be able to transfer to any other college in the consortium. In Phase I of the project, planning and pilot work will be done.

 

Award No. 9850287

Western Wisconsin Technical College

Collaborative Training of Secondary, Postsecondary, and Returning Workers in Telemedical Technologies

Award: $420,000

(FY1998 $210,000; FY1999 $210,000)

Telemedical Technology

Glen Skewes skewesg@email.western.tec.wi.us

Western Wisconsin Technical College (608) 785-9279

Dept. of Biomedical Electronics

304 6th St., North

P.O. Box C-908

La Crosse, WI  54602-0908

Western Wisconsin Technical College (WWTC) will introduce telemedical technology support training at three levels. First, it will provide high school students online (Internet and videoconferencing) first-year electronics courses, for which they will receive credit toward high school graduation and advanced standing toward an associate degree in biomedical electronics. Second, the associate degree program in biomedical electronics will be modified to include telemedical technology in its curriculum and to bridge the gap between information systems and biomedical technology. And last, WWTC will offer an Advanced Technical Certificate to update skills of technicians already in the field. Curricula and instructional materials will be developed and offered to the high school students, and high school faculty will be offered a summer workshop on core electronics instruction to prepare them to assist students who are taking courses via videoconferencing and the Internet. Existing biomedical electronics curricula will be modified to include telemedicine, and an Advanced Technical Certificate–Telebiomedical Technician curriculum will be developed for updating technicians on advances in telemedicine. All curricula and teaching materials will be placed on an intranet/Internet. A model telemedicine laboratory at WWTC will be equipped with videoconferencing capabilities, facilitating the delivery of instruction to rural sites.

 

Award No. 9850288

Cleveland State University

Project TEAM (Technical Education for
Advanced Manufacturing)

Award: $206,026

Manufacturing

Frederick C. Schoenig f.schoenig@csuohio.edu

Cleveland State University (216) 687-6970

Advanced Manufacturing Center

1751 East 23rd St.

Cleveland, OH  44115

This project continues the efforts of Project TEAM (Technical Education for Advanced Manufacturing). The partners in Project TEAM include Cleveland State University and its Advanced Manufacturing Center; the Cleveland Advanced Manufacturing Program; Cuyahoga, Lakeland, and Lorain County community colleges and their respective Tech Prep consortia; Youth Opportunities Unlimited; and the 102 manufacturing companies that have sponsored projects. The activities focus on the concept of a teaching factory, called the Manufacturing Learning Center (MLC), that provides hands-on learning for participants who work on industry-sponsored projects. The overarching goals of Project TEAM are to stimulate interest in all phases of manufacturing in the Northern Ohio region and to create a well-educated manufacturing workforce through the development of a continuum of manufacturing education and training programs that will allow multiple entry and exit points. The specific goals are (1) to ensure the sustainability of the newly established MLC locations at Lakeland and Lorain County community colleges as laboratories for hands-on manufacturing learning; (2) to support innovative teaching methods among secondary mathematics, science, and technology teachers and engineering and technology faculty in the community colleges and universities; (3) to support student success in manufacturing-related technology education programs; and (4) to ensure systemic educational reforms by fully integrating curricula additions and revisions into each partner institution.

Award No. 9850289

Catonsville Community College

The Consortium for Statewide Biotechnology Education

Award: $499,897

Biotechnology

Diane A. Jones wrjones1@concentric.net

Catonsville Community College (410) 455-6948

Dept. of Biology

Catonsville, MD  21228-5317

This project focuses on the development of a coordinated response to the statewide need in Maryland for programs to prepare students at the community college level for technician careers in biotechnology, one of the most rapidly growing industries in the state. Catonsville Community College will coordinate the development of a powerful consortium comprised of four community colleges with their articulated high school Tech Prep partners, four University of Maryland Biotechnology Institutes, and statewide biotechnology industry representatives. This consortium will provide community college teaching faculty and their high school teacher partners with rich opportunities to upgrade skills, increase their depth of scientific background, and acquire computer technology skills in order to infuse biotechnology into existing bioscience programs at their schools or develop a comprehensive biotechnician training program. A three-year phased implementation plan ensures a viable model for replication and provides structured opportunities to customize the program to meet the needs of the individual educational institutions. Effective components resulting from the project will be nationally disseminated as models for integrated yet differentiated curricula and training programs preparing the future workforce for jobs in the biotechnology industry.

 

Award No. 9850291

Hillsborough Community College

HCC Interdisciplinary Live Rock Project

Award: $297,906

Multidisciplinary

William W. Falls falls@hcc.cc.fl.us

Hillsborough Community College (813) 253-7781

Dept. of Environmental Programs

1206 N. Park Rd.

Plant City, FL  33566

The purpose of this project is to create a practical, hands-on learning experience for students enrolled in courses in aquaculture, environmental science technology (EST), economics and business, and humanities. This experience will involve students, under the direction of participating faculty, in the research on the culture of aquarium live rock, the environmental monitoring of live rock culture and harvesting activities, the aesthetics of live rock presentation, and the economics and marketing of live rock aquaculture. Recent federal and state restrictions have constrained the collection of natural live rock (a $10,000,000-per-year business) in all state and federal waters. Only aquaculture offers a viable solution to revitalizing this business in the continental United States.

Students and faculty, with the assistance of partners, will work in three teams (aquaculture, environmental, and marketing) over a three-year period to address the research concerns mentioned above. Students working in each team will not only gain applied experience in the particular team discipline but will have the opportunity to transfer what they learn in the classroom to an applied project. They will gain not only the knowledge and skills of the other team areas but also interpersonal and teamwork skills by working closely with partners and the members of the other teams. Evaluation of the project will be accomplished by traditional and alternative assessment measures of student achievement, such as grades, project assignments, field assignments, and testing; student satisfaction surveys; responses to research questions and reports; and yearly reviews by the HCC Aquaculture and EST advisory committees and by the project partners. Knowledge gained from the results of this project will be made available to the aquaculture industry, the regulatory community, and the educational community through workshops, reports, and other publications.

 

Award No. 9850299

Education Development Center

Building A National Employer-Based Technical Education System

Award: $274,667

Electronics

Monika Aring monikaa@edc.org

Education Development Center (617) 969-7100

Dept. of Workforce Development

55 Chapel St.

Newton, MA  02158-1060

Technician education for the electronics industry at community colleges in the United States faces multiple challenges, including inadequately prepared high school graduates, the need for more and higher-quality business–education partnerships, and rapidly changing industry requirements. All of these would be improved by activities which would build a system from the many fragmented programs and projects currently in place. With the support of industry associations such as the American Electronics Association and the National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing, as well as many educational organizations, the Education Development Center (EDC) will work in collaboration with two community colleges and their feeder high schools at the Siemens Youth Partnership sites in Alpahretta, Georgia, to improve the education of electronics technicians. With partner schools and Siemens experts, EDC will be responsible for producing curriculum modules in a standardized format for dissemination. Teams of industry experts and secondary and postsecondary educators at the sites will develop curriculum materials. Instructional strategies, teacher guides, and staff development activities will also be developed to support implementation of the new curriculum materials. The products and processes developed in this project will be useful in technician education projects throughout the United States. Finally, the project will offer a new and exciting model for collaboration between a multinational employer and public schools and community colleges.

 

 

Award No. 9850304

CUNY Bronx Community College

Environmental Technology Program

Award: $700,000

(FY1998 $300,000; FY1999 $200,000; FY2000 $200,000)

Environmental Technology

James A. Fahey FaheyChem@aol.com

Bronx Community College (718) 289-5184

Dept. of Chemistry/Social Sciences

University Ave. and West 181st St.

Bronx, NY  10453

The Environmental Technology (ET) program establishes an A.A.S. degree in ET at Bronx Community College (BCC)—the first of its kind in the City University of New York (CUNY) system—and a series of continuing education certificate courses in occupational health and safety. The program addresses a critical employment and public health need throughout the Bronx and other inner-city neighborhoods for trained environmental technicians. It is designed to provide new career pathways for minority students and other individuals and will establish greater awareness of the link between the environment and public health within inner-city neighborhoods. To accomplish these primary goals, the following objectives will be addressed: (1) development of a minimum of 15 partnerships with industrial, private, and public employers; (2) implementation of six new specialized courses in ET; (3) development of summer training institutes and ongoing workshops for ET high school and college faculty; (4) recruitment and enrollment of a first cohort of 24-30 ET degree students; (5) implementation of 13 to 15 field work sites for job observations, job shadowing, and internships; (6) an 80% graduation rate of all ET students in the A.A.S. program; (7) effective job placement of 80% of ET graduates in related fields; (8) enrollment of 200-300 men and women in continuing education certificate courses in ET; (9) full articulation agreements between BCC’s ET program, Bronx High School’s ET program, and senior colleges throughout CUNY that have environmental science/health programs. The A.A.S. degree curriculum is tied to secondary school Tech Prep and School-to-Work programs in the Bronx and to related bachelor’s degree programs in CUNY and other colleges; in this way, the program links an environmental technology educational corridor from high school to associate and bachelor’s degrees to graduate school.

 

 

Award No. 9850306

Cypress College

GIS ACCESS—Geographic Information Sciences Curriculum Clearinghouse and
Faculty Enhancement Project

Award: $799,906

(FY1998 $417,020; FY1999 $382,886)

Geographic Information Systems

Leslie A. Doak doakl@nocccd.cc.ca.us

Cypress College (714) 826-2220 x185

Dept. of Social Science and Geography

9200 Valley View

Cypress, CA  90630-5805

Interest in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) advanced technology education has broadened to the point where exciting, innovative applications are being developed at many levels in schools and colleges. However, the broad applications of GIS and the rapid growth of the field have led to a lack of coordination and awareness among practitioners and educators. Cypress College, a two-year, state-funded community college, is providing GIS training to high school teachers and community college and university faculty in five locations around the nation. These summer workshops are providing technical upgrading, facilitating communication and collaboration, promoting creative teaching, and fostering effective learning environments.

 

 

Award No. 9850307

Nashville State Technical Institute

Southeast Advanced Technological Education Project for Communications Technology

Award: $1,629,004

(FY1998 $597,889; FY1999 $516,763; FY2000 $514,352)

Multidisciplinary

Collin T. Ballance ballance_c@nsti.tec.tn.us

Nashville State Technical Institute (615) 353-3278

Dept. of Technologies

120 White Bridge Rd.

Nashville, TN  37209

This project involves a consortium of five two-year colleges in Tennessee with their associated school districts, along with four-year universities and communications industries that have already worked together to develop and implement case studies. The goals of the project are (1) to provide national leadership in the development and implementation of case studies for technological education; (2) to provide professional development for participating faculty; (3) to evaluate the effectiveness of the case study method in teaching technology-related content; and (4) to disseminate, nationally, information about the case studies and the outcomes of their use. The project will assemble experts in case studies and their use from different disciplines to inform the project. The case studies, which mirror real-world workplace problems from industry, are created by interdisciplinary faculty teams from science, mathematics, engineering and computer technologies, and communications, with input from the industry. Professional development for faculty includes field trips, three-week internships in the communications industry to keep abreast of recent developments, and workshops to learn to teach using cases. Dissemination includes professional development for faculty in two-year colleges in other areas of the nation, and publication of the case studies and the proceedings of forums on the case studies.

 

Award No. 9850309

CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College

BMCC ATE Partnership in Multimedia Programming and Design

Award: $550,000

Multimedia Technology

Alice Cohen bmacdmac@cunyvm.cuny.edu

Manhattan Community College (212) 346-8450

Dept. of Computer Information Systems

199 Chambers St.

New York, NY  10007

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is developing a cohesive and unified curriculum in multimedia programming and design, in partnership with Murry Bergtraum High School and industry representatives. Courses are being developed or redesigned to include the use of collaborative learning and multimedia instructional technology. The curriculum will allow students to move efficiently from secondary education into an associate degree program in multimedia programming and design. In addition, the project provides faculty development, focusing on the use and integration of advanced multimedia technology instruction and collaborative learning, for full-time faculty and high school instructors from the New York City region.

 

Award No. 9850310

University of New Mexico

Cross-Training Technicians and Engineers for Semiconductor Manufacturing

Award: $900,000

(FY1998 $469,051; FY1999 $430,949)

Semiconductor Manufacturing

John E. Wood wood@me.unm.edu

University of New Mexico (505) 272-7150

Manufacturing Engineering Program

Suite 235, MTTC Bldg.

800 Bradbury Dr., SE

Albuquerque, NM  87106

As the technical and role demands for semiconductor technicians increase, their core knowledge in the areas of statistics and unit-process operations increasingly overlaps that of engineers in a semiconductor plant. Conversely, new engineers, who may become responsible for technician oversight in a factory setting, need to better understand the job scope of technicians, as well as receive more hands-on training during their academic program. It is thus advantageous to cross-train semiconductor engineers and technicians in shared factory-like settings for selected equipment-intensive courses, without artificially forcing complete articulation between respective curricula. Such side-by-side training, broken into unit modules, decreases per-student lab costs, and thus training costs, while also facilitating (1) cross-training of existing factory technicians and engineers for lifelong learning, (2) cross-training community college and university faculty, and (3) academic migration of technicians who later choose to pursue engineering careers.

A consortium of three universities and three community college systems in three contiguous states (each of which has semiconductor manufacturing as an economic backdrop) is implementing side-by-side training of technicians and engineers through the development, utilization, and evaluation of computer-aided curriculum modules that are integrated into factory-like labs and related courses. These modules will cover semiconductor unit processes and their facility demands from both technician and engineering perspectives. The multimedia modules are being designed to function either independently or coupled to a multilevel manufacturing simulator package. They can serve training needs in real, mock, or virtual factory-like labs, or they can be used for assessment.

 

 

Award No. 9850311

TERC

Networking Communities

Award: $695,924

(FY1998 $347,200; FY1999 $348,724)

Information Technology

Deborah Muscella deborah_muscella@terc.edu

TERC (617) 547-0430

2067 Massachusetts Ave.

Cambridge, MA  02140

This project addresses the critical need for a well-trained workforce with diverse skills in computer network technologies. Two Massachusetts community colleges are teaming with high school and industry partners (1) to develop and implement a nationally replicable model for infusing computer networking curricula into existing programs; (2) to demonstrate a model for joint professional development of in-school information technology expertise, where high school and community college faculty are assisted by industry; (3) to provide hands-on technical experiences for students, with special emphasis on the creation of school network "tech support" teams and work experiences at local businesses and community organizations; and (4) to encourage timely, widespread replication through national dissemination. At the community college level, the curriculum is specifically designed to conform to the industry-validated "network specialist" skill standards developed by the ATE-funded NorthWest Center for Emerging Technologies. At the high school level, students learn the basics of network technology as part of a school-to-work "career pathway" in information technology.

 

 

Award No. 9850313

University of Kentucky Lexington Community College

A Network Systems Administration Program for Kentucky

Award: $849,995

(FY1998 $350,000; FY1999 $300,000; FY2000 $199,995)

Information Technology

Lillie R. Crowley lillie@pop.uky.edu

Lexington Community College (606) 257-2797

Dept. of Mathematics

138 Moloney Bldg., Cooper Dr.

Lexington, KY  40506-0235

Lexington Community College, in collaboration with other colleges in the University of Kentucky Community College System, leads this project to develop an A.A.S. degree in network systems administration. The group is also collaborating with high schools, regional universities, businesses and industries in Kentucky, and other telecommunications and network systems degree programs being developed around the country. The project modernizes and upgrades the core science and mathematics courses required for the degree. It develops the degree-specific courses from a combination of (1) existing courses in science, mathematics, engineering technology, and computer information systems; (2) new courses; and (3) hybrids of engineering technology and computer information system courses. The courses specific to the program are modularized to ensure flexibility and ease of revision. The program targets both traditional and nontraditional students, targets students from underrepresented groups, and recruits students from the Student Technology Leadership and Tech Prep programs. It uses a combination of traditional delivery systems and distance learning via the Internet and interactive video, and it includes student internships and cooperative work-study programs with local businesses and industries.

 

Award No. 9850317

Mount Wachusett Community College

A Program to Educate Technicians for the
Wood Products Industry

Award: $200,000

Woodworking

Nicholas Weidhaas n_weidhaas@mwcc.mass.edu

Mount Wachusett Community College (978) 632-6600 x320

Dept. of Forest and Wood Products

444 Green St.

Gardner, MA  01440-1337

The Advisory Board of the Forest and Wood Products Institute at Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) and the Wood Products Manufacturers Association (WPMA), a 650-member organization, recognize the pressing need for more technicians and skilled workers in the U.S. wood products industry. This project is developing technician certificate, continuing education, and contract training programs that will efficiently provide employers with productive and well-trained employees. This pilot is resulting in the design and development of a unique certificate program for woodworking technicians at MWCC, with the ultimate goal the creation of an associate degree program. Both the certificate and associate degree programs will be linked to regional high school and vocational school programs, and to regional universities and colleges, particularly the Building Materials and Wood Technology Program at the University of Massachusetts. One of the unique components of this program is the creation of a "Corps of Craftsmen," which consists primarily of retired persons who, through their vast experience, are bringing hands-on instruction and mentoring to this educational effort. The program consists of a combination of in-plant, classroom, and multimedia/distance learning. The program initially targets companies and students primarily located in rural areas of the Northeast, in cooperation with the WPMA, with national dissemination to follow the evaluation of the results of this pilot program. The project also serves as a model for application in other industrial sectors, such as the plastics and metalworking industries.

 

Award No. 9850318

Cape Cod Community College

Southeastern Massachusetts Advanced Technological Education Project in Environmental Technology Education

Award: $232,179

Environmental Technology

Mary J. Curran mjcetech@capecod.net

Cape Cod Community College (508) 362-2131 x4392

Dept. of Natural Sciences

2240 Iyanough Rd.

West Barnstable, MA  02668-1599

Since 1994, three higher-education institutions, Cape Cod Community College (CCCC), Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, have collaborated to offer students an environmental technology career path that includes a four-year degree, a two-year degree, and three year-long certificate programs. Now CCCC and Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School are completing this environmental technology education career ladder with an articulated environmental curriculum at the secondary level. The high school students will acquire college credit through Tech Prep courses that will be co-developed by high school and college faculty. These students will have the opportunity to continue their education at CCCC within an A.S. degree program or a transfer concentration that will articulate with a four-year program at Massachusetts Maritime Academy or the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. The project will also develop a mentor–mentee program, which will pair the college and high school students as they receive the field experiences recommended by employers. This mentoring program will be built upon CCCC’s well-established internship program, which emerged through the strong support and commitment of local industry representatives. The final project component will be a summer institute and follow-up workshops for other secondary teachers in southeastern Massachusetts, which will allow them to receive the mentor–mentee training and curricula for implementation at their high schools.

Award No. 9850319

Austin Community College

Foundation Skills—Phase II

Award: $144,947

Physics

Stephen B. Rodi srodi@austin.cc.tx.us

Austin Community College (512) 223-3300

Dept. of Mathematics and Science

1212 Rio Grande St.

Austin, TX  78701-1785

The project implements a sequence of dissemination and teacher training activities over 20 months for instructional materials developed under a previous ATE grant (Award No. 9553689). The materials form a comprehensive two-semester course in physics for technicians and other audiences. The materials emphasize conceptual understanding of fundamental ideas (as opposed to routine application of formulas to template problems) and active learning by students (which makes ideas vivid to the senses, not just leaving ideas as abstract concepts). The course contributes to the core education of technicians, making them more thoughtful in their work, more flexible within their companies, and more adaptable throughout their careers. The dissemination and teacher training activities include a teacher’s manual to guide instructors in the use of the materials; modularization to make the material usable in a custom publishing format and as stand-alone demonstrations; summer workshops to train pairs of community college and high school teachers in use of the materials; "Science Saturdays" conducted in Austin by the development team and by the summer teacher pairs who return home to become "teachers teaching teachers"; workshops at major professional meetings (of the International Technology Education Association, American Vocational Association, National Science Teachers Association, American Association of Physics Teachers, and statewide directors of Tech Prep programs); expansion of a Web site to include a listserv/chat room format in which teachers can share ideas and ask questions; and continued interaction with major publishers.

 

 

Award No. 9850324

Oklahoma State University at Okmulgee

Preparing High-Performance Technicians in Distinctive Manufacturing: An Innovative Approach

Award: $650,000

Manufacturing

Rick R. Allison ralison@okway.okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University at Okmulgee (918) 756-6211

Dept. of Manufacturing Technology

1801 E. Fourth St.

Okmulgee, OK  74447

Today’s global economy is increasingly more complex, technological, flexible, entrepreneurial, and competitive. Many firms are turning to distinctive manufacturing, in which designers, engineers, and production workers collaborate in seamless teams to ensure that products and services meet consumer requirements, that new technologies are applied quickly, and that operations run at optimum efficiency to maximize return on investment. The catalyst is a new type of high-performance technician who employs "buffering and brokering" skills. A team of advanced technological firms, educational institutions, national resource organizations, and minority alliances is re-engineering the failing traditional approach to preparing high-performance technicians for distinctive manufacturing by changing the paradigm from "providing instruction" to "producing learning." The project is also pioneering a comprehensive strategy to recruit and retain underrepresented populations and others who typically overlook advanced technological career opportunities. This innovative program (1) infuses the content of a 90-semester-hour-equivalent A.A.S. degree into interdisciplinary projects set in a real-world manufacturing environment that employs facilitators rather than instructors in a personalized, holistic program of learning; (2) demands mastery of rigorous competencies in workplace effectiveness and personal productivity, as well as in communications, mathematics, science, and technology; (3) ensures that faculty, tutors, and employer-based resource persons are competent in new roles of planning, facilitating, coaching, assessing, and documenting learning; (4) recruits and empowers members of underrepresented groups; and (5) communicates the project’s deliverables and lessons learned.

 

 

Award No. 9850326

New Hampshire Technical College at Berlin

Project COMPACT (Career-Oriented Materials for Physics and Contemporary Technology)

Award: $238,270

Physics

Doyle V. Davis d_davis@tec.nh.us

New Hampshire Technical College at Berlin (603) 752-1113

Dept. of Physics

2020 Riverside Dr.

Berlin, NH  03570

Project COMPACT will develop, test, and disseminate a new type of application-oriented, integrated curriculum software for introductory physics. This material will be designed to address a wide audience including (1) two-year college students enrolled in science, technology, and engineering programs; (2) non-science majors seeking scientific and technology literacy in anticipation of workplace demands; and (3) high school students taking physics—particularly those in Tech Prep or vocational education programs. The software will have a multilevel structure and flexible format to accommodate students with poor backgrounds in science and mathematics, those with some knowledge of algebra and geometry, as well as advanced students. The project materials, developed from existing prototypes, employ a "learning situation-focused" approach rather than a conventional domain-centered approach to involve students of various backgrounds and abilities in learning physics, science, and technology. The goal is to engage students in exploring learning situations associated with their career goals. Each lesson will start with an exploration phase where students will see a real-world example of applied physics. They will then enter a theory phase where they will be presented with the underlying physics concepts and laws related to the example. The learning cycle will be completed with an "application" phase where they will learn a systematic, expert-like approach to solving scientific and technical problems. The initial software packages will focus on three broad career-oriented themes and will include eight interconnected components. Teachers can modify and expand an open-ended collection of problems, solution plans, tests, queries, and leading questions using their own experience or incorporating diverse curriculum resources, including those available on the Web.

 

 

Award No. 9850327

University of Illinois at Chicago

A Bridge to Advanced Technological Education

Award: $968,187

(FY1998 $363,966; FY1999 $311,219; FY2000 $293,002)

Multidisciplinary

Davis Jenkins davis@uic.edu

University of Illinois at Chicago (312) 996-8059

Great Cities Institute

322 S. Green St., Suite 108

Chicago, IL  60607

The University of Illinois at Chicago and Wayne State University are leading teams of community colleges, community-based organizations, universities, and industry groups in Chicago and Detroit to develop curricula for programs designed to provide a bridge to advanced technological education for adults who lack the requisite basic skills and knowledge. An "Advanced Technology Bridge" program that prepares educationally disadvantaged adults for two-year college certificate and associate degree programs in manufacturing technology has been piloted in Chicago. The groundwork has been laid for a similar program in Detroit. This ATE project builds on these two efforts. The project’s specific objectives are (1) to develop a model Bridge curriculum suitable for national dissemination; (2) to produce multimedia instructional software to enhance learning of the fundamentals of technical literacy by ESL students; (3) to pilot a curriculum for training Bridge program instructors; and (4) to publish a Bridge program implementation guide. Formative evaluation of the project is being carried out by advisors from industry and from community college and university manufacturing and engineering technology programs, who will ensure that the Bridge curriculum provides the foundation for career-long learning both in postsecondary technical education and in the workplace. A nationally known evaluation organization will be commissioned to conduct a summative evaluation of the project’s outcomes and impacts. Dissemination is integral to the project, which will adapt, for Detroit, a model initially developed in Chicago and will facilitate knowledge sharing between the "Bridge-building" efforts in the two cities. The funds requested from NSF for curriculum development will leverage more than $2.6 million already raised by the project partners for piloting of the Bridge curriculum and other program operations.

 

 

Award No. 9850334

Westark College

Western Arkansas Advanced Manufacturing Project

Award: $314,278

Manufacturing

Sidney G. Connor sconnor@systema.westark.edu

Westark College (501) 788-7764

Dept. of Business

P.O. Box 3649

Fort Smith, AR  72913-3649

This project is developing and delivering manufacturing instruction at the bachelor’s degree level which is founded in the contextual application of mathematics, science, and technology principles and which builds on the associate degree program already in place at Westark. Collaboration with local public high schools is providing a pipeline for sharing project innovations with high school faculty. A pilot program, the Ford Academy of Manufacturing Sciences (FAMS), will provide high school students a foundation from which to enter the manufacturing technology program. The result is a seamless "2+2+2" program which has strong industrial backing in the community and which can be a national model. The program is developing curricula based upon manufacturer-identified competencies, and focuses on learning rather than teaching. Both high school graduates and current manufacturing employees are target audiences. The project includes development of learning modules that are both self-paced and team-based, with a focus on outcome competencies rather than "seat time." Pre-assessment tools for proper placement and the awarding of advanced credit upon demonstrated competency are components of the project. Small clusters of employer-identified competencies will be delivered as self-paced learning modules that include authenticating activities allowing students to experience the manufacturing applications. Also supported is an advanced manufacturing laboratory, in which many of the authenticating activities are taking place.

 

 

Award No. 9850337

Evergreen Valley College

Advanced Information Technology Project

Award: $375,000

Information Technology

Henry Estrada hestrada@sjeccd.cc.ca.us

Evergreen Valley College (408) 274-7900 x6582

Dept. of Computer Science

3095 Yerba Buena Rd.

San Jose, CA  95135

In response to industry need, this project is developing and delivering a rigorous, transferable curriculum for an associate degree in computer and information technology (IT). This program serves as a school-to-work model for community colleges, meets the needs of students seeking entry-level jobs and IT professionals seeking to upgrade their technical skills, and provides the necessary foundation for students who decide to transfer to four-year institutions. In particular, the project is developing and validating certification standards for entry-level positions in high-performance companies. IT representatives are selected from industry, academia, and the public sector to identify the needed skill sets; soft skills are incorporated into the curriculum; internship experiences are made available to students; and certifications of skill acquisition are to be based upon industry standards. The new curriculum is being delivered via technology-mediated learning (interactive CD and the Internet). The target audiences for this project include students in high schools, community colleges, and universities, particularly Latino students; IT workers retraining for jobs in emerging high-tech fields; and faculty at high schools and community colleges. Collaborators in the project include Evergreen Valley College, East Side Union High School District, Foothill–De Anza Community College District, San Jose State University, Workforce Silicon Valley, Sun Microsystems, Oracle Corporation, CBT Systems, and Waite Group Press.

 

Award No. 9850341

East Los Angeles College

Los Angeles Bioscience Project (LAB-Pro)

Award: $305,000

Biotechnology

Carcy L. Chan chancl@laccd.edu

East Los Angeles College (213) 265-8602

Dept. of Chemistry

1301 Cesar Chavez Ave.

Monterey Park, CA  91754

LAB-Pro represents a partnership of East Los Angeles College (ELAC), a community college; California State University, Los Angeles (CSLA), a comprehensive public university; two public high schools, Wilson High School and Roosevelt High School; four bioscience companies; and the Southern California Biomedical Council, an association of bioscience companies). The project will achieve two complementary goals: (1) to provide direction and career opportunities for minority community college students, many of whom never complete their studies, and (2) to help meet the employment needs of the booming bioscience industry, which has more openings than it can fill with qualified personnel. LAB-Pro has been designed as a multifaceted program that is achieving its goals in three primary ways. First, it is preparing high school and community college students for technical careers in bioscience by exposing them to career opportunities in the field and giving them the skills and practical experience needed to succeed in those careers. Second, it is enhancing the knowledge of high school science teachers and community college instructors in bioscience. Finally, it is establishing a pipeline of qualified bioscience technicians, primarily from underrepresented minority groups, to fill the numerous jobs available within the growing bioscience field in Southern California.

 

Award No. 9850343

University of Hawaii Maui Community College

Transporting Science, Computer, and Engineering Curricula to Rural Minority Students Through Telecourses and Internet

Award: $137,893

Distance Learning

G. Robert Converse Bob.Converse@mauicc.hawaii.edu

Maui Community College (808) 984-3447

Learning Center

310 Kaahumanu Ave.

Kahului, HI  96732

This project is delivering an Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET) curriculum to Maui Community College (MCC) outreach students on Molokai, Lanai, and Hana. Extending efforts of an earlier award, this project focuses on the implementation and evaluation of the distance learning delivery system for the curriculum. Development of multimedia modules will continue. In addition, the project will develop practical online resources that illustrate electronics and computing principles. These resources will include a weather station and student-designed software. A workshop on the development of self-paced laboratory courses will be offered for Maui County science and mathematics teachers in March 1998.

Award No. 9850344

Houston Community College

GIS/GPS Laboratory Exercises Using

Workplace Data Sets

Award: $394,318

(FY1998 $160,555; FY1999 $148,573; FY2000 $85,190)

Geographic Information Systems

Osborne B. Nye nye_o@hccs.cc.tx.us

Houston Community College (713) 718-7773

Dept. of Math/Science/Technology

P.O. Box 7849

Houston, TX  77270-7849

Houston Community College System (HCCS) is producing an instructor’s guide and a package of Geographic Information Systems/Global Positioning System laboratory exercises using workplace data sets for the PC environment. These interactive laboratory exercises may be accessed on the HCCS Web site <http://www.hccs.cc.tx.us> and also on CD-ROM. Project materials incorporate interactive features with workplace data sets and objectives into the laboratory exercises. The laboratory exercises enhance available instructional resources based upon currently available curriculum guidelines. Six collaborating community colleges in six states have agreed to test the interactive exercises prior to the final external evaluation. After field-testing, the CD-ROMs will be available for use by community colleges and four-year institutions.

 

Award No. 9850350

Ohio University

The Teacher Empowerment for Success in Technology Project

Award: $90,135

Multidisciplinary

Martha A. Kline klinem2@ohiou.edu

Ohio University, Lancaster Branch (614) 654-6711

Dept. of Tech Prep

c/o Leigh Trapp

1570 Granville Pike

Lancaster, OH  43130

This project will enable a core of high school teachers currently engaged in the delivery of technical education to enhance classroom instruction based on cutting-edge technology. During Phase I, pilot work for the professional development will be done. The professional development will have four components: (1) teacher in-service development through formal graduate course work, (2) industrial work site experiences with emerging technologies, (3) dissemination that uses electronic networking, and (4) improvement of equity and diversity in the future workforce. Initial dissemination will be through several high schools, all part of the Heart of Ohio Tech Prep Consortium. The long range goal is to recruit teams of four teachers from the consortium high schools; the ideal team would include a science teacher, a mathematics teacher, a communications skills teacher, and a technical education teacher. Work site experiences will be bracketed with active-learning, project-based college courses and other workshops.

 

Award No. 9850351

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Advanced Technological Education Program in Composite Manufacturing

Award: $284,800

Manufacturing

Serge Abrate abrate@engr.siu.edu

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (618) 453-7826

Dept. of Technology

College of Engineering

Carbondale, IL  62901-6603

Focusing on the composite manufacturing industry, which is both new and economically important in southern Illinois, two community colleges—John A. Logan College (JALC) and Rend Lake College (RLC)—and Southern Illinois University (SIU) are engaging in activities designed to promote technology and improve technological education in the region. RLC is introducing high school students and teachers to state-of-the-art composite manufacturing processes used in the boat-building industry. This is done in a modern facility recently developed with major industrial support. Participants in the courses gain hands-on experience with these processes. Teachers receive kits and instructions to be used in their classes the following year. JALC is promoting technical careers in secondary schools using modem, interactive, audio, video, and computer communication facilities. JALC is offering summer camps for students and summer courses for teachers in computer-aided drafting, robotics, and electronics. These topics are directly relevant to the overall theme of the project, since most products are designed on computers, manufacturing processes are highly automated, and sensors and computer data acquisition systems are used extensively to monitor manufacturing processes. High school teachers are developing lesson plans to incorporate what they learn into their own teaching the following year. SIU is promoting this project and technological education from high school, through two-year programs at community colleges, to four-year programs and master’s degree programs at the university level. This is being accomplished through several means, including presentations using a distance learning facility that provides two-way audio and video interactive communication with virtually every high school in southern Illinois. SIU is also offering summer camps for high school students, short courses for high school teachers, and a course for SIU students.

Award No. 9850353

Diné College

Information Engineering Technology Program

Award: $819,994

(FY1998 $369,877; FY1999 $236,915; FY2000 $213,202)

Information Technology

Charles Coffey ccoffey@crystal.ncc.cc.nm.us

Diné College (520) 724-6718

Dept. of Mathematics and Science

Tsaile, AZ  86556

The Diné College Information Engineering Technology Program (IETP) is designed to prepare students to enter the high-tech workforce addressing the need on the Navajo Nation for computer technicians and network specialists. Close collaborations with existing ATE programs ensure that Diné College faculty and support personnel have the skills necessary to offer training consistent with national skills standards. IETP students have the option of either achieving vendor-specific certification to enter the workforce or continuing with a four-year engineering program. Partnerships with Navajo Nation programs, Arizona and New Mexico school districts, and regional high-tech industry guarantee that the course content remains sensitive to regional employers and that the program remains consistent with, and linked to, other regional initiatives.

 

Award No. 9850355

Amarillo College

Technical Sciences Academy: A Partnership Model

Award: $200,000

Multidisciplinary

Therese A. Jones tjones@actx.edu

Amarillo College (806) 371-5091

Dept. of Sciences and Engineering

P.O. Box 447

Amarillo, TX  79178-0447

The Technical Sciences Academy (TSA) was established through an ATE grant in 1994. TSA has resulted in a highly successful partnership between Amarillo College (AC), Amarillo Independent School District (AISD), and leading area industries. This new project will build on the solid foundation of the 1994–1997 project in the following ways: it will develop a new biotechnology program, strengthen articulation agreements with partner institutions, upgrade TSA’s technology resources, and enhance the faculty development program. These activities will elevate TSA to a regional or national model. Dual credit agreements between AC and AISD will be augmented. Articulation agreements will be negotiated among TSA, AC, and regional universities to further a seamless education from the 9th grade through the baccalaureate degree. Collaborative faculty development efforts, directed toward pre-service and rural in-service teachers, will be implemented. Activities emphasizing technology applications will be available on-site and via ITV. The education–industry partnership procedures now implemented at TSA will be refined into a system and distributed through various means, including consultancies, on-site workshops, and distance learning applications.


SPECIAL PROJECTS
New Awards (1998)

 

Award No. 9811926

Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters

Improving Science and Technology Education at Community Colleges—Round II

Award: $307,847

Multidisciplinary

Rod A. Risley rod.risley@ptk.org

Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters (601) 957-2241

Office of the Executive Director

1625 Eastover Dr.

Jackson, MS  39211

Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for community colleges, in cooperation with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), will conduct a second round of its ATE-supported, multi-component curriculum development and faculty enhancement project. The objective of the project is to improve and strengthen the teaching of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) at the nation’s community colleges. As in the project’s first round (1996–1998), this objective will be accomplished through a set of activities that extend, for replication, the knowledge, experience, and quality materials achieved by seven exemplary NSF-supported projects, first to twenty-one competitively selected colleges, and ultimately to community, technical, and junior colleges nationwide. Activities will include (1) the establishment of a core group of seven mentors—experienced SMET educators in the following areas: GIS (Patricia Cunniff, Prince George’s Community College), mathematics (Alan Jacobs, Scottsdale Community College), precision agriculture (Terry Brase, Hawkeye Community College), biotechnology (Kathy Frame, National Association of Biology Teachers), image processing and using technology in the classroom (Melanie Magisos, Center for Image Processing in Education), computer networking technology (Catherine Cotten, Jones County Junior College), and engineering technology "mecomtronics" (Jack Waintraub, Middlesex County College); (2) a national competition to select twenty-one colleges; (3) National Science and Technology Education Conferences, at which mentors and their selected college teams will develop action plans; (4) mentoring services, including site visits, throughout the project; (5) networking newsletters to report on the progress of the selected colleges; (6) a case study monograph for distribution to presidents, academic deans, and science faculty; and (7) a broad range of other dissemination activities though Phi Theta Kappa and AACC conferences and publications.

Award No. 9814210

Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education

Articulation of the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Program with the Oceanographic Research Community

Award: $70,598

Marine Technology

Richard W. Spinrad spinrad.richard@hq.navy.mil

U.S. Naval Observatory (202) 762-1000

3450 Massachusetts Ave., NW

Washington, DC  20392-5421

The Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) and the NSF Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center in Monterey are coordinating a series of activities designed to target articulation between MATE and the community of research universities and institutions involved in oceanographic science and technology. These universities and other institutions represent a current and future employer for the graduates of marine technology programs. The project is identifying opportunities, tools, and mechanisms for establishing and maintaining a long-term relationship among the oceanographic basic research community and the network of community colleges involved in the MATE program.

Marine technicians who are the primarily beneficiaries of two-year college marine technology education programs work in a wide variety of jobs and represent a major portion of the workforce at the oceanographic research universities and institutes in the United States. Three primary areas involving marine technicians are being addressed in the project: demographics, curriculum development, and infrastructure and management of the workforce. The workshop organized by CORE will use a multifaceted approach to address issues in these areas. Activities will include (1) surveying the research community to establish baseline data on duties, responsibilities, and education of marine technicians, (2) bringing together a steering committee to define the structure of, and final questions to be addressed in, the workshop, (3) organizing and convening the workshop itself, and (4) developing and widely disseminating products relating to workshop activities.


PROJECTS MANAGED BY OTHER NSF PROGRAMS
AND CO-FUNDED BY ATE
New Awards (1998)

In 1998 the ATE program contributed funds to several proposals that were submitted to and funded through other programs. The ATE co-funding will ensure that these projects make the education of technicians a priority. Below, the ATE contribution is listed in parentheses after the estimated total award.

 

Award No. 9752688

Erie Community College

GIS Curriculum Development

Award: $126,000 (ATE: $25,000)

Geographic Information Systems

Jason L. Steinitz steinitz@nstaff.sunyerie.edu

Erie Community College (716) 851-1305

Dept. of Social Sciences

6205 Main St.

Williamsville, NY  14221-7095

As technology diffuses through local government agencies and industries, the need for trained Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technicians and analysts continues to expand. So does the need for individuals in other fields to become aware of GIS and how it applies to their workplace. This project, developed jointly by Erie Community College (ECC) and the State University of New York at Buffalo's Geography Department, addresses these needs using a two-pronged approach. First, the GIS Curriculum Development Project will create a GIS certificate program for students to complete either as part of their two-year degree program or as a stand-alone certificate. The project will develop a core of three GIS-specific courses and a three-credit-hour internship to provide students with a field experience component in their GIS studies. Second, this project will establish a GIS infusion program to train faculty in a variety of curricula to use GIS in their own courses. This will allow ECC students to develop experience and awareness of GIS and to learn how GIS technology relates to their own fields of study. The GIS infusion program will also develop a process for supplying GIS output directly to faculty for use in their classrooms. This will allow GIS technology to reach a broader audience. Two leading GIS educational institutions, the State University of New York at Buffalo and the University of California at Santa Barbara, have agreed to lend their expertise in GIS technology, curriculum development, and faculty training to this project. The National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis at the University of Buffalo will be also serve as project site for ECC students enrolled in the newly created GIS courses.

 

 

Award No. 9752787

Sinclair Community College

Instrumentation Workshop for Two-Year College Chemistry Faculty

Award: $185,000 (ATE: $23,000)

Chemical Technology

Richard F. Jones rjones@sinclair.edu

Sinclair Community College (937) 226-7907

Dept. of Chemistry

444 W. Third St.

Dayton, OH  45402

In recent years, advances in electronics have posed a challenge to undergraduate chemistry faculty to incorporate modern chemical instrumentation into undergraduate laboratories. To meet this challenge, undergraduate faculty members must use and understand the capabilities of modern instrumentation. This project will update the chemical instrumentation skills of two-year college chemistry faculty who teach in university transfer and chemical technology courses. Sinclair Community College, George Mason University, the University of Dayton, and Western Washington University will sponsor a series of one-week chemistry instrumentation workshops. Participants will be selected from two-year colleges across the United States, with an emphasis on attracting women and minority faculty members. Instruction will focus on instrument applications in undergraduate general and organic chemistry, introduction to instrumental analysis, associate degree chemical technology course applications, and applications of environmental chemistry. Participants will select instruction in the following areas: Fourier-transform infrared, gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy, vapor phase and high performance liquid chromatography, computerized data acquisition and treatment, multimedia approaches to chemical education, and environmental chemistry.

 

 

Award No. 9814135

National Academy of Sciences

Making the Case for Technological Literacy

Award: $600,000 (ATE: $35,000)

General Technology

William A. Wulf wwulf@nae.edu

National Academy of Engineering (202) 334-3200

National Academy of Sciences

2101 Constitution Ave., NW, Suite 218

Washington, DC  20418

The National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council’s Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education are increasing public awareness for the need for technological literacy. They are sponsoring three workshops and a symposium to define technological literacy, its importance to the nation, and how it is best achieved. The workshops and commissioned papers on "Teaching," "Tools and Resources," and "Implementing Technological Literacy" will facilitate constructive dialogue and information exchange among the principal stakeholders—teachers and educators in K-16, instructional materials developers, businesses, and foundations. The four interconnected challenges to achieving technological literacy are (1) increasing the public understanding of technology; (2) infusing K-12 teaching with technology-relevant curricula, materials, assessments, and teacher resources; (3) creating stronger and more meaningful links among educators, policymakers, industry leaders, and foundations; and (4) effectively integrating educational technology into the classroom. The outcome will be a widely disseminated, visible, well-supported document that "makes the case" for technological literacy and a plan for achieving it.

 

Award No. 9816812

Illinois State University

PI Conference for NSF Projects in Technology Education

Award: $40,879 (ATE: $9,145)

Multidisciplinary

Franzie Loepp (309) 438-2620

Illinois State University

CeMaST

Normal, IL  61761

The goal of the Principal Investigators conference for NSF projects related to technology education is to create and enhance linkages among ATE, Instructional Materials Development (IMD), and Teacher Enhancement (TE) programs. The conference was held in Washington, D.C., on November 18 and 19, 1998. Approximately 40 PIs had an opportunity to showcase their projects. Selected leaders from the ATE and technology education communities were invited to participate as well. NSF program officers discussed relationships among ATE, IMD, and TE projects. Panels of three PIs addressed issues such as developing standards-based curricula, strategies for enhancing the impact of projects, and working with publishers. A "rapporteur" made reflective comments concerning the issues addressed. The rapporteur also made recommendations for further research. Based on the rapporteur’s report, the panelists’ one-page comments and reports, and the conference evaluations, a manuscript is being prepared for submission to a national journal.

 

Award No. 9851385

Lakeland Community College

Lakeland Bioscience Technology Laboratory Improvement

Award: $60,000 (ATE: $30,000)

Biotechnology

Joseph C. Deak jdeak@lakeland.cc.oh.us

Lakeland Community College (440) 975-4766

Dept. of Bioscience Technology

7700 Clocktower Dr.

Kirtland, OH  44094

Lakeland Community College’s Bioscience Technology Program, developed in response to the growing demand for bioscience technicians in the region, is the only associate degree biotechnology program in northern Ohio. The program is being developed in a joint effort by scientists in the biotechnology industry and researcher–educators in academic institutions. The curriculum provides students with the fundamental scientific knowledge and practical experience necessary to function as competent bioscience technicians. This laboratory improvement project impacts bioscience majors, science majors and non-majors, as well as health science students. It (1) provides state-of-the-art equipment to train and retrain bioscience technicians, (2) establishes a summer institute for college and high school faculty, (3) effects systemic changes in high school and college science curricula, (4) conducts biotechnology workshops for high school students, and (5) develops a biotechnology Tech Prep program. Programs and laboratory exercises developed within this project are being made available to the scientific community through the Internet and public discussion.


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