When Harrisburg University of Science and Technology wanted to expand its biotechnology program to include nanotechnology, there was no need to come up with millions to spend on labs and equipment. With the Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization less than 90 miles away at Penn State University, the choice for HU was a clear one.
HU and PSU announced late last month the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions. It’s the first for HU, which opened in 2001, that allows students–juniors and seniors in good standing–to take 12 credit hours elsewhere and apply them toward graduation.
“We look it as a chance for students who come to HU to get an education in a field that is rapidly developing,” says Dr. Eric Darr, vice president and provost at HU.
PSU’s center, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is dedicated to research, development and education across the entire micro- and nanotechnology field. Among its bells and whistles is a multi-million dollar standing electron microscope. The center is also an NSF Region Center for Nanofabrication Manufacturing Education, a higher education collaborative dedicated to creating and updating a workforce in Pennsylvania trained in nanotech.
HU is the first four-year institution to arrange a MoU with the center. HU is negotiating MoUs with two other Pennsylvania institutions for a master’s in entertainment technology and science teacher certification.
“We’re trying to round out programs at Harrisburg University and provide access for our students by using assets that already exist in the Commonwealth,” says Darr.
Source: Eric Darr, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Writer: Joe Petrucci