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Dakota County Technical College to Serve as Inaugural Pilot of NanoProfessor NanoScience Education Program
College Provides Cutting-Edge Nanotech Education and Training to Students in Meeting the Shifting Needs of the American Workforce
| Source: NanoProfessor
SKOKIE, IL--(Marketwire - November 16, 2009) - NanoProfessor, a division of NanoInk, Inc.®
focused on nanotechnology education, announced today that Dakota County
Technical College (DCTC), in Rosemount, Minn., will serve as the inaugural
pilot site of the NanoProfessor NanoScience Education Program.
The NanoProfessor Program combines NanoInk's state-of-the-art NLP 2000
Desktop Nanofabrication System with a student-friendly AFM, a fluorescence
microscope well-suited for the educational environment, and a timely
curriculum written by nanotechnology experts covering the areas of
Nanotechnology Basics, NanoPhysics, NanoChemistry, and NanoBiology.
NanoProfessor arms educators with a comprehensive program that can be
implemented immediately in community colleges, technical schools, high
schools, and universities to give students an edge to compete for high-tech
jobs in a global environment.
By implementing the NanoProfessor Program in the 2010 academic year, DCTC
has taken an important step in offering students an unparalleled education
in nanoscience that will provide them with the knowledge and skills
necessary to compete for the jobs of the future.
"Our mission at Dakota County Technical College is to provide our students
with education and training that prepares them to compete in the rapidly
changing marketplace," said Ronald E. Thomas, president of Dakota County
Technical College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities System. "We recognize the importance of nanoscience
education, its many applications, and the advantage that the NanoProfessor
Program will provide our students in preparation for future jobs in all
areas of nanoscience."
"Students enrolled in our nanotechnology program at DCTC will benefit from
the NanoProfessor's curriculum, which is focused on concrete applications
of nanotechnology. The suite of equipment also allows the concepts of
nanotechnology such as molecular interactions to be explained and studied
through hands-on experience rather than just charts and simulations," said
Deb Newberry, director of the nanoscience technology program at DCTC. "The
addition of the NanoProfessor Program will help us provide our students
with an unmatched education, giving them the skills and knowledge to find
employment in companies that are applying nanotechnology to product
development, testing, research, and manufacturing design. These companies
and the jobs they offer will enhance economic growth in nanoscale science
and technology."
"Dakota County Technical College is at the forefront of innovation in
education," said Dean Hart, executive vice president, NanoInk. "By
implementing the NanoProfessor Program into the school's existing
nanoscience technology program, students at DCTC will be provided with a
comprehensive, hands-on education that will give them an edge when
competing for jobs in the numerous industries where nanoscience
applications are rapidly emerging. We are thrilled to have DCTC as the
first college to implement the NanoProfessor pilot program, and anticipate
that it will be a driving force in creating a skilled workforce of
nanotechnologists."
According to Career Voyages, a Web site collaboration of the U.S.
Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Education, careers in
nanotechnology are second only to biotechnology in terms of current and
future demand for skilled workers. For students, knowing about these
emerging industries can help formulate an educational path that will
provide focus for college selection and career decisions, offering them an
opportunity to be on the leading edge of a growing professional field.
Career Voyages also lists the nanoscience technology program at DCTC as one
of four, two-year programs nationwide helping to provide students with the
necessary skills to gain employment in the field of nanotechnology.
Students participating in the NanoProfessor Program at DCTC will use
interdisciplinary-focused, hands-on experiments to quickly and easily begin
working at the nanoscale level. These skills can be applied to careers in
virtually every industry that are already using nanotechnology to enhance
everyday products, ranging from printers and automobiles to cosmetics and
sports equipment. New nanotechnology-based applications are emerging every
day including advancements in the fields of medicine and energy.
The NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program will play an important role
in bettering the industry and preparing students for future careers in the
emerging field of nanoscience.
For more information on the NanoProfessor Program, please call (847)
679-NANO (6266) or visit www.NanoProfessor.net.
About Dakota County Technical College (DCTC)
Dakota County Technical College is a public two-year institution of higher
education dedicated to the philosophy that there is dignity in all work and
value in individual growth and learning. It is the philosophy of the
college that all of its students should have access to quality education
that prepares them for rewarding careers. DCTC values its role in
contributing to economic development by providing a knowledgeable and
skilled workforce. The college views itself as a full partner in the
higher education community and recognizes its contribution to lifelong
learning. More information is available at
http://www.dctc.mnscu.edu/index.cfm.
About the NanoProfessor™ Nanoscience Education Program
The NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program aims to advance the field
of nanoscience and address the growing need for skilled workforce of
nanotechnologists. The program utilizes NanoInk's state-of-the-art NLP
2000 Desktop Nanofabrication System to provide students an
interdisciplinary-focused, hands-on approach to quickly and easily build
custom-engineered, nanoscale structures in a classroom setting. The
NanoProfessor Program, including equipment and an expert-driven curriculum,
is available for community colleges, technical schools, high schools and
universities nationwide. More information is available at
www.NanoProfessor.net.