PREM Partnership with Penn State


The Penn State MRSEC partners with and supports the education and outreach activities lead by the following organizations:

American Association of University Women (AAUW) State College Branch

- Center staff serve on the AAUW-SCB STEM Committee and engage Center members and outreach partners in the organization's STEM programs.

Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization (CNEU)

- Center members participate in CNEU workshops and utilize their educational resources; the CNEU provides workforce development and career information, and remote access capabilities to teachers via the Nanotechnology Teacher Workshop.

Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS)

- Center outreach staff participate in a monthly CSATS program; CSATS staff present content at the annual Nanotechnology Teacher Workshop.

Discovery Space of Central PA - Children's Science Museum

- Center members present educational activities within museum program offerings.

Eberly College of Science - Outreach Office

- Center members serve as volunteers and presenters for programs such as Haunted-U, Envision, Higher Achievement, Exploration-U, and Science U summer camps.

Eberly College of Science - Center for Excellence in Science Education (CESE)

- Center faculty and graduate students are encouraged to participate in the professional development and educational programs offered by CESE.

The Franklin Institute (TFI)

- TFI staff and Center members have worked together to develop, build, distribute and train recipients of, and present museum show kit activities for nationwide audiences at museums and science centers since 2001. More recently, the same approach, experience, and expertise is being put towards a digital platform via the Mission: Materials Science interactive website.

Materials Research Institute (MRI)

- MRI staff and facilities provide support, resources, and physical space for educational programs; the MRSEC Tour Guide Team leads general educational facility tours for audiences upon request; members are encouraged to present at the weekly interdisciplinary research Millennium Cafe hosted by MRI.

Penn State Materials Characterization Laboratory

- MCL staff join Center members in the development and implementation of activities and workshops for science camps, visiting groups, programs lead by other outreach programs, etc.

MRSEC Education Directors Network

- Center staff join outreach representatives from other MRSEC organizations at an annual meeting and participate in network-wide committees.

Penn State Nanofabrication Laboratory

- NanoFab staff join Center members in the development and implementation of activities and workshops for science camps, visiting groups, programs lead by other outreach programs, etc.

National Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net)

-  the Center has been an annual recipient of NanoDays kit activities for many years; Center members use the activities throughout the year at both MRSEC-lead and partner-lead outreach programs.

PA Space Grant Consortium

-  Center members are encouraged to participate in programs lead by the PA Space Grant Consortium such as MURE: Minority Undergraduate Laboratory Research Experience and WISER: Women in Science and Engineering Research.

Science-U Summer Camps

- The Center sponsors the "Make it Matter" Science U high-school summer camp and its associated scholarships to underserved applicants; researchers host a series of labratory "research snapshots", activities, and tours.  Member researchers also participate in a Scientist Mixer.