Nanotechnology Careers

The career prospects look bright for CS graduates and according to the Kiplinger Management Group Letter there is an exciting reason for the news.
Amazing new computer chips are in the works as American chip makers, universities, and the US Government have ramped up semiconductor research and development. The new chips will revolutionize existing products such as mobile phones and medical equipment. Research centers are popping up across the US. Over $200 million in investments (public and private) will go to dedicated microchip research centers including the University of Michigan, Notre Dame, the University of Minnesota, the University of California at Berkeley, UCLA, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Nanotechnology will get a boost from all of this and this is great news for your students! Exciting new nanotechnology careers will emerge. Think about:

  • Human implants to deliver cancer-fighting drugs.
  • Bioelectronics in which microscopic circuitry is paired with biological components to create artificial eyes or repair spinal injuries.
  • Optoelectronics that include remote sensors and flexible 3D displays.
  • A quick web search yielded many sites on nanotechnology. I found this one particularly interesting for K-12 teachers. The National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN). In addition to resources for computer scientists, there are many classroom resources including curriculum resources, projects, and the Nanooze magazine for students. Most items appear to be created by teachers (many of whom have participated in Research Experience for Teacher (RET) programs in Atlanta, Phoenix, Santa Barbara, and Minneapolis).
    One more exciting topic for your CS classroom.
    Pat Phillips
    Editor, Voice