Interdisciplinary Materials Science at a Small Liberal Arts College: Integration of Curriculum and Research

Faculty members from the departments of Physics and Chemistry at Goucher College have begun an NSF-funded project to increase the exposure of undergraduates to topics in materials science. The centerpiece of the project was development of a team-taught course offered jointly by two departments. The hands-on projects in the course use investigative methods that model modern research collaborations in physics and chemistry and include study of metals, semiconductors, superconductors and other materials presented from the perspective of both disciplines. In this presentation we will report on the progress in the curriculum development as well as discuss the impact that the project has had on the interdisciplinary student/faculty summer research at a small liberal arts college.