MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NANOENGINEERING DEGREE PROGRAM APPROVED
North Carolina A&T State University has received approval from the University of North Carolina Board of Governors for its Master of Science in Nanoengineering Degree Program.
The program, offered through the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN), will begin accepting students for the fall semester of 2011.
"North Carolina A&T is gratified by the support of the UNC Board of Governors in this endeavor," said Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. "Our nanoengineering program continues A&T's growth into the most challenging and most promising new fields of research. It offers unprecedented opportunities for our students and for the businesses, here in the Triad and around the world, that need great researchers to realize the revolutionary promise of nanotechnology."
"The M.S. in Nanoengineering strengthens the Piedmont Triad and the state of North Carolina as a producer of top talent for the health sciences and STEM-related industries that are forming the bedrock of American productivity," Provost and Vice Chancellor Linda T. Adams added.
JSNN is a collaboration of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, offering innovative graduate programs in the emerging areas of nanoscience and nanoengineering. The new M.S. degree program in nanoengineering will focus on the principles and practices of engineering at nanoscale (e.g. the size of atomic and molecular clusters) to enable innovations in the nanoengineered materials, structures and devices widely used in industries such as nanoelectronics, materials and chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, defense, communications, information technology and medicine.
In addition to the new M.S. degree, a Ph.D. in nanoengineering has been proposed. Both degrees will be awarded by A&T.
James G. Ryan, founding dean of JSNN, said, "The approval of the M.S. in Nanoengineering Degree Program is a significant milestone in the development of the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. JSNN is now one of only a few schools in the United States to have both nanoscience and nanoengineering degree programs, and (this) brings us closer to our goal of leadership in nano-related education and research. The development of highly skilled research talent is a critical factor in attracting companies to the Piedmont and creating jobs in the knowledge economy."
Transportation Secretary Gene Conti and North Carolina A&T State University Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. have formed a partnership to create two innovative and unique training initiatives at the historically black college. An agreement to develop the training programs was signed on campus Feb. 15.
The programs are being funded with nearly $1.5 million given to the university by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The bulk of the funds will go to create the Right of Way Training Program – only the second of its kind in the state.
"North Carolina A&T State University is pleased to partner with the North Carolina Department of Transportation in delivering a creative educational program that jointly benefits the students of this university and the citizens of North Carolina," said Martin. "Through this program, students will gain highly desired and transferrable analytical and problem-solving skills that are directly applicable to the unique decision-making processes related to right-of-way negotiation and acquisition."
The program targets undergraduates with a combination of courses that will develop students' expertise and understanding of acquiring real estate and right of way for transportation projects. The continuing education component of the program offers training to current NCDOT employees and professionals in the transportation field.
The second program, titled the Construction Contractor Technology Certification Program, is also designed to foster professional development by providing practical and real-world training to small business owners that will improve their competiveness and success in the construction industry.
The partnership between NCDOT and N.C. A&T will support the advancement of minorities in transportation-related careers, and is part of the Department's efforts to develop interest and attract and recruit minorities to work in the transportation industry, including NCDOT.
NCDOT encourages transportation curriculums within HBCU academic programs in hopes of bridging the gap between these higher education institutions and the transportation industry.
An additional example of this type of program began in January at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro. FHWA and NCDOT's office of HBCU/MIHE Programs worked with the college to establish a special topics seminar titled "Women in Transportation: Bridging the Gap." The three-hour credit course is designed to highlight the contributions of women in transportation, increase awareness of and create an interest in transportation-related opportunities and careers.
To learn more about the NCDOT's HBCU program, visit www.ncdot.gov/careers/careerdev/collegeprograms.html#HBCU.
North Carolina A&T State University will celebrate the academic and professional achievements of its students and faculty, respectively, during the annual Honors Day Convocation, which will be held Tuesday afternoon, March 15, in Harrison Auditorium.
The processional will begin at 3 p.m. Participating faculty members are required to wear academic regalia.
Gen. Clara L. Adams-Ender, U.S. Army, retired, will give the keynote address. She is an educator, lecturer, consultant and leader who has given over 2,000 presentations at home and abroad to audiences of health care professionals, community leaders, businessmen and women, lawyers, credit union managers and staffs, veterans groups and students.
Adams-Ender rose from a staff nurse in the Army Nurse Corps to become the chief executive officer for 22,000 nurses, a brigadier general and director of personnel for the Army Surgeon General. She was vice-president for nursing at the prestigious Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the largest health care facility in the U.S. Department of Defense. In 1967, she became the first female in the Army to be awarded the Expert Field Medical Badge. She also has commanded an army base – a position equivalent to city manager, magistrate and mayor of a city – where she was responsible for a $90-million budget while providing quality customer services to 85 different constituent groups.
Born in Wake County, N.C., Adams-Ender received her baccalaureate degree in nursing from N.C. A&T. She also earned a Master of Science degree in nursing from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Military Art and Science degree from the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In addition, she has been awarded numerous honorary doctorates. She is the author of My Rise to the Stars: How a Sharecropper’s Daughter Became an Army General.
"Our nanoengineering program continues A&T's growth into the most challenging and most promising new fields of research."
– Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr.
The programs are being funded with nearly $1.5 million given to the university by NCDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.
Gen. Clara L. Adams-Ender, U.S. Army, retired, will give the keynote address.