Abstract

The Department of Materials and Engineering is requesting funding for the purchase of equipment necessary to upgrade the teaching laboratories. Proposed items include 12 sets of the functional generators and oscilloscopes, and 4 sets of the processing furnaces that will be used in conjunction with the newly established LabVIEW workstations to conduct teaching and research of the functional materials and processing techniques. We are also requesting to install a large size printer for poster production that will be used to improve student’s presentation skills. With this addition, all students can access state of the art experimental workbenches to custom-design their own instrumental data-acquisition systems, and more frequently use poster presentation that is a vital tool in both education and research.

Background

Materials scientists and engineers study the synthesis and processing of materials, their inner structure at different length scales, and their properties and performance in machines and devices serving society. In the Materials Science & Engineering Department at the University of Washington, the research and academic programs unify all classes of materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, electronic materials, biomaterials, and composites. The undergraduate educational (UG) program has recently been completely transformed into a single degree in Materials Science and Engineering with our educational emphasis on experiential learning, research, communication skills and team-based laboratory work and projects. The Department continues to be a leader in educational innovation at the undergraduate level. At the graduate and research level, a variety of new programs have been initiated, allowing the department to pursue dynamic research that emphasizes new discoveries related to industrial applications as well as fundamental research.

As a part of the departmental strategic plan, we are currently upgrading the teaching and research equipment in both undergraduate and graduate programs. With the new curriculum, all the laboratory classes from junior-level courses have been combined into a sequence and offered as a series of Integrated Labs throughout the academic year, and enhance student’s presentation skills. At the graduate and research level, new programs have been initiated in polymers, biomaterials, nanomaterials, photonics and magnetic materials. These developments within MSE have allowed the department to pursue a research agenda that emphasizes new discoveries related to industrial applications as well as fundamental research. To run these lab courses smoothly, and to enhance the educational and research activities of UG and Graduate students, we have recently developed new experimental laboratories in Mueller Hall (Rooms 167 and 170). This year, we have received a $50,000 grant from the Intel Corporation through the "Intel Higher Education Equipment Grant Proposal Competition". We have purchased and installed twelve sets of LabVIEW based-workstations in the UG laboratory (Room 170), and two more versatile stations in the Upper UG and Graduate laboratory (Room 167). With this addition, all students can access state of the art experimental workbenches, and custom-design their own instrumental data-acquisition systems. Through these newly redesigned labs, students gain the opportunity to become skilled with up-to-date hardware and software. Since LabVIEW technology is now identified as an “Industrial Standard Technique", students will be asked to have such knowledge by future employers. Therefore, our department has taken the initiative to incorporate such technology in the curriculum. We are also adopting poster presentation in various classes to enhance student’s presentation skills.

This STF proposal requests the following items to further develop the teaching/research laboratories in Materials Science and Engineering. Justification and benefits are described below.

Item #1: 12 sets of 25MHz Function Generators and 4-channel 60MHz Oscilloscopes,
Item #2: 4 sets of small electronic furnaces for material preparation and processing, and
Item #3: A large size printer for poster fabrication

Benefits

Items #1 and #2: This equipment will be used in conjunction with the twelve existing LabVIEW workbenches to teach students the functional properties of materials and processing techniques. With increased demands to develop advanced material systems, all engineering students must have not only knowledge about material properties but also knowledge of how to design and conduct experiments suiting their needs. Requested items are all controlled via LabVIEW; this allows students to gain experience accessing and controlling instrumentation via computer as well as interfacing peripheral equipment needed to conduct their experiments. Our department has placed a particular emphasis on developing curriculums that encourage students to reach the level of confidence where their learning is implemented in practice. These requested items fit this purpose well.

Proposed items will be used by all of our MSE undergraduate and graduate students (total of >150 students), as well as students from different departments. Since the LabVIEW based experimental workstations are so versatile that students can gain wide knowledge about equipment control, measurement techniques, and experimental design. In addition, the LabVIEW technology is now identified as an industrial standard; it is therefore our responsibility to provide opportunities for all students to touch on and learn modernized experimental protocols in teaching and research activities. Proposed items are open to all students to conduct their learning activities. For examples, the facility can be open to a series of Integrated Laboratories (MSE 311 (Fall) 312 (Winter) and 313 (Spring)) for all Junior students (currently 42 enrolled students). Senior students (currently 41 students) can also access the equipment for materials characterization in their senior research projects. The facility is also open for laboratory sessions of MSE 452 (Functional properties of materials), MSE 462 (Mechanical Properties of Materials), MSE 463 (Corrosion and wear of materials), MSE 473 (Non-crystalline materials), MSE 486 (Fundamental Integrated Circuit Technology) and MSE 487 (Electronic packaging Lab). Further more, the facility will be open to experimental session for MSE 170 (Fundamental of Materials Science and Engineering), where students from Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Aerospace and Astronautic Engineering, as well as Pre-Engineering, will all utilize (more than 200 students enrolled yearly). Facilities are open to the graduate students, as well as students from other departments whenever needed.

For the purchase of proposed equipment, we have recently contacted the Tektronix Company (Oregon) to seek their support for this acquisition. Rise McGill of UW-COE's Corporate & Foundation Relations helped to broker an agreement to provide the requested LabVIEW-compatible electronic measurement equipment at a 50% discount rate.

Item #3: In addition to upgrading the teaching/researc equipment, we request a large size printer for printing posters as a part of this STF proposal. Poster presentation is a vital tool in both education and research. In our department, we have been utilizing poster format in various classes. For example, MSE 170 (Fundamental of Materials Science and Engineering) requires a poster presentation at the end of the course. We have approximately 200 students in the Fall and Spring quarters together, and 50 in the Winter quarter enrolled in MSE 170 every year from various departments. On average, five students a group produce one poster; thus approximately 50 posters are created per year. So far, posters are printed at their own expense, but the high cost of reproduction is a problem (>$30 per poster at the copy center, for example). In the regular UG-MSE classes, poster presentations are also common; we anticipate as many as 50 posters are created per year in various classes. In research, it is more difficult to estimate the exact number of posters fabricated, however, more than 5-10 research posters are produced per year from each research group in the department, adding up to greater than 50 posters per year. Setting up a large poster printing facility through STF proposal is benefit to all students and faculty in the department, as well as outside users from different departments.

Student Access

Access to the equipment is, in principle, open to any registered student at the University of Washington, with the Materials Science and Engineering Department members and students taking MSE courses having priority over others. The department has already earmarked space in Mueller 167 and 170 where the proposed equipment (item #1 an #2) will be located, to which all the MSE students have access through magnetic card entrance. A poster ink-jet printer will be installed in Graduate Computing Laboratory. To run this facility, we will set up a proper user fee mechanism to maintain necessary resources, such as inks and printing papers.

Available Resources

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering has made a commitment to provide students with access to existing equipment for conducting their classroom experiments and research. The department has allocated multiple spaces for student learning and research in which every student is encouraged to utilize the entire inventory of equipment that has accumulated over the decades. All the requested equipment will be installed by Scientific Instructional Technician, Tuesday Kuykendall, and Sr. Computer Specialist, Laszlo Szeleczki. They will maintain the equipment, and facilitate efficient student use of laboratory equipment and technology by performing and/or scheduling maintenance of the equipment, monitoring and re-stocking the laboratory supplies, and training students in safe and proper use of labs and equipment. Their offices are located in Mueller Hall, nearby Rooms 167 and 170; thereby students can seek guidance during business hours. The department has also committed to long-term support through MSE 311/312/313 (Integrated Junior Labs) by allocating four full-time Graduate Teaching Assistants every quarter throughout the year. Part of their job is to maintain and operate the equipment properly. For outside department users, Tuesday Kuykendall will be designated as a contact person. Laszlo Szeleczki will be responsible for managing access and maintaining the poster inkjet printer facility in the Graduate Computing Laboratory.

Installation Timeline

Funding received from STF in Spring quarter 2007
Procurement in late Spring quarter 2007

Items #1 and #2: Installation and development during summer 2007.
Facility will be used in Fall 2007.
Item #3: Operation immediately after installation in Spring quarter 2007

Departmental Endorsement

I strongly support your proposal to use the STF fund to upgrade our undergraduate teaching laboratory into a more coherent and integrated facility. Since our recent transformation into a single degree of our undergraduate (UG) educational program, our emphasis has been focused on experiential learning, research, communication skills and team-based laboratory work and projects. Your effort will help our department strives to become a leader in the nation in educational innovation at the undergraduate level. I endorse this with my highest enthusiasm.-----Alex Jen, Acting Chair, MSE Director, Institute of Advanced Materials Science & Technology

I strongly support this proposal for the Materials Science and Engineering Department. I believe that the purchase of 25 MHz generators, oscilloscopes, furnaces, and a poster printer will greatly benefit the undergraduate students, not just for educational purposes but also for research training as well. Our undergraduate laboratories are desperately in need of modernization, and this proposal will go a long way towards achieving our goal of improving our existing facilities------ Christine Luscombe, Assistant Professor

I believe this is a wonderful idea and would be very important for our Department. Thank you for your efforts Prof. Ohuchi----- Laszlo Szeleczki, Sr. Computer Specialist

I have read your STF proposal and most enthusiastically support it. The equipment requested and the plans that you have proposed for the equipment, will ensure that it is useful and available to a all the students in our department----- Raj Bordia, Professor

I support the proposal---- G. Cao, Associate Professor

I support the proposal---- B. Flinn, Research Associate Professor

I strongly support the proposal--- Hong Ma, Research Assistant Professor

I strongly support the proposal. Thank you much for your time and effort! -----Miqin Zhang, Associate Professor

Student Endorsement

I would like to make it known that I, Ernest Gomez III, an undergraduate junior in the Materials Science and Engineering department at the University of Washington, am in full support of the proposed items that are requested using funds from the Student Technology Fee. Those items are: 12 sets of 25MHz Function Generator and 4 channel-60MHz Oscilloscope, 4 sets of small furnace for material processing, and a large size printer for poster making. I believe these items will help to enrich my education, along with my fellow students, as well as help to further research that will bring benefits to mankind---- Ernest Gomez III, Junior

I am a senior in the MSE department. I like this department very much, but I do think that the technological additions below would greatly benefit most students, in particular the Juniors in their lab sequence. In my research lab, I do know that we spend a lot of money on creating posters for presentations. I have had to make posters for classes too, and often it is out of pocket for students. A poster printer would be very useful to a department based on presenting research. Labview is becoming increasingly useful to know, and so the furnaces and Tektronix equipment would be a useful addition to basic understanding of how to use equipment with labview in preparation for our jobs after graduation. All in all, I think all of the proposed items would benefit all the students. Thank you for your consideration---- Caroline Dang, Senior

I write to you today to confirm my endorsement of the STF proposal post forth by Professor Ohuchi. Is so important that we are trained to work in research and industry when we graduate from UW. Purchasing this equipment will enable us to be trained on the current equipment in use in the world today. This will bring a quality to the laboratories that will pay the university back a thousand fold in the years to come. Please approve this STF request------ Ian Hamby, Senior

This letter is written in support of the application that prepared by our department for the Student Technology Fee funds to purchase the new sets electronic furnaces, 25MHz Function Generator/4 channel-60MHz Oscilloscope, and a large size printer. The furnaces at present in our materials processing laboratory are old and frequently have problems. As a graduate student and have been TAing for the junior labs for few quarters, one of the primary students concerns identified was having enough equipment to support their studies. New set of electronic furnaces in the processing lab would be a big step forward in fulfilling the current need for research and education. On behalf of students in the MSE department and other students who will benefit from your support, thank you ------ Nam Nguyen, Graduate Student

I strongly believe that the expense proposal detailed by Fumio Ohuchi of the Materials Science and Engineering department will work in the best interests of many MSE students and will be a boon to the quality the degree offers in terms of the unique, diverse, and interdisciplinary experience that the MSE undergraduate program already is. The capability of the already-installed new LabVIEW will be augmented with the proposed addition of the new furnaces and function generator-oscilloscopes. Additionally of note is that the expense in this case is a bargain--the aforementioned function generator-oscilloscopes are being offered for our department's purchase at 50% of their normal cost by Textronix. I hope that the Materials Science and Engineering department proves to be a strong candidate for consideration of the STF committee----- Jeffrey Satterwhite, Senior

I am a student in the Material Science and Engineering Department here at UW and feel that the MSE Department is really lacking as far as funding for our department. The equipment used in the undergraduate labs are definitely not on par with the industry standard. They are difficult to use and replacement is necessary. Thank you.---- Huy Hong Ta, Junior

I just wanted to write to you and give you my endorsement for the STF proposal---- Ryan Webster, Junior

I only have a vague understanding of the items that you are going to request but I do realize that they will enrich my education in the MSE department. Hopefully, my endorsement here will help to improve our department!--- Adrian Tayne, Junior

I support the technology fee for improving the undergraduate laboratories. Improving laboratory equipment would help ensure that, as a field focused in technology, we would stay up to date with the trends in technology and therefore remain a world-class program with the most up-to-date facilities----- Julie Chapman, Senior

I read your proposal, and I believe that these new items will greatly enhance the education of the UW MSE undergraduates. You have my endorsement in requesting funds for these items to increase the educational abilities of this fine department----- Paul Poechlauer, Junior

I am a graduate student in the Materials Science & Engineering Department. I strongly endorse the proposal to the STF Committee. Electronic materials (diodes, semiconductors, transistors) are an important class of materials with immense practical application. The purchase of signal generators and oscilloscopes will provide undergraduates both in our department and from other departments with the opportunity to better understand and characterize these materials. These are skills that will ultimately improve the job opportunities of undergraduates upon graduation (especially with the likes of Micron and Intel here in the pacific northwest). As a graduate student, access to a large printer is essential for preparing posters for meetings. A large general use printer will improve the overall quality of our departments' poster presentations.---- Patrick Shamberger, Graduate Student

I'd like to express my support for the STF proposal. Learning industrial standard techniques through the use of the the tektronix equipment would be very helpful. The furnaces are definitely needed as the ones we used in the lab this summer had trouble getting up to necessary temperature. The printer would also be very helpful in preparing for presentations. Thanks----- Cody Kell, Junior

It is crucial that in our learning process, we have the equipment that we can use for electronic measurements. We study electronic properties of materials from books and lectures, and it is the hands-on experience and real measurements that really help us understand the nature of materials. State-of-the-art electronic measurement equipment that is compatible with the Lab-VIEW, such as 25MHz Function Generators or 4- channel-60MHz Oscilloscope, will greatly improve our learning process and understanding of the materials properties. After graduation with the materials science degree, we want to be competitive and productive at the workplace and being able to use this equipment will help us achieve that goal at a much higher rate---- Monika Marciniak, Senior

I am a graduate student in the MSE department and am writing in support of the proposed STF budget. The MSE department in which I received my BS had the items we are requesting, and I can say from experience, that they aided and enhanced research and education. I am particularly excited about the plotter because the current system for purchasing posters for conferences and symposiums is very cost prohibitive and time consuming. Additionally, the proposed items also provide direct benefit to both faculty and students outside of the MSE department enrolled in our elective courses---- Tricia Bull, Graduate Student

I support all these requests. The additional furnaces with the o-scopes will greatly enhance the research capabilities of department. This expanded capacity is crucial if UW is to remain competitive in high temperature ceramics and advanced material processing fields. The addition of a large poster printer to the facilities at MSE would benefit not only the MSE students, but all engineering students taking MSE 170, and remove the burden of printing their posters at a remote location----- Brent Apgar , Junior

I would like to submit my support for the STF proposal that you have drawn up. Having been in the department for over four years now, I know from experience that the equipment that you are requesting will be put to good use. Specifically for the research in our lab: our senior undergrads often need to use furnaces similar to what you are proposing and often must wait for the ones in our lab to become available because the controllers on the current departmental furnaces do not allow for the complex heating programs that we run. The ability to connect these new furnaces to LabView will greatly enhance their capabilities and usefulness. Also, I have printed over 20 posters since joining the department, both for international research conferences and local outreach programs. It would be great to have our own printing facility in MSE. Please try to request a printer that can print at least 36" wide, as this is often the requirement for conferences.----- Jessica Torrey, Graduate Student


I would like to adhere my support to professor Ohuchi’s proposal for the STF. I believe the department must have devices for high frequency signal analysis so research can be broaden in this area. I also believe that in order to have competitive professionals we must train them with tools that are used in today’s engineering industry. I would like to express my support for the 12 sets of 25MHz Function Generator and 4 channel-60MHz Oscilloscope, the 4 sets of small furnace for material processing that will be used along item #1.----- Daniel Soto, Junior

As a grad student in the MSE department I agree that the items listed in Fumio Ohuchi's Student Technology Fee proposal will benefit the department of Materials Science and Engineering and the University of Washington as a whole.---- Jack Aubin, Graduate Student

I am writing this email to support the proposal of our STF committee. I think the suggested items are really very important to all the MSE students. The experimental equipments will help a lot in making our student lab more complete and giving us better chance to practice experimental skill with state-of-the-art equipment. And also the poster printer will give us great convenience. I will stand with you in this competition. Thank you!---- Su Huang, Junior

I would like to express my support for the Materials Science and Engineering Department's proposal for Student Technology Fee (STF) funds. The items that we are requesting funding for will benefit most, if not all students within our department and will be available to others on campus. The items being requested will strongly benefit the undergraduate student lab experience. The poster printer being requested will benefit undergraduate students and graduate students who need to print posters for MSE 170 and for conferences. This poster printer will also allow the MSE department to project a professional image in the work presented and reduce personal expense to students who would otherwise have to pay out of pocket to print a poster. These items requested in the MSE department STF proposal would greatly benefit the MSE department and the students in the department.----- Steve Florczyk, Junior

As a Materials Science & Engineering graduate student conducting research, I cannot stress how important basic equipment (hardware) and analysis tools (hardware and software) are fundamental to conducting important research and carrying out the educational process. Our department is working as hard as possible to acquire such hardware and software that is at the core of the learning and research, such as function generators and oscilloscopes for electrical component design and analysis, cameras and imaging software for micro- and nano-structure characterization, and design software, just to name a few needs. I, like all other MSE students, greatly appreciate the time and effort the College of Engineering will put into the review and consideration of our STF Proposal. Again, such funding for pertinent equipment and analysis tools are key to the sustainability and growth of our department, as we seek to rise in the rankings and contribute to the overall success of the University of Washington’s College of Engineering status and success.------ Fareid Asphahani, Graduate Student

As a graduate student in the Materials Science and Engineering dept. we participate in general poster sessions or informational symposiums about twice a year. I know that there are at least 60 other graduate students as well as 80 undergraduates who are required to print posters for a few courses throughout the MSE curriculum. Quality printing jobs (which make for a more professional presentation) are only available at the LOCKE computer lab in Health Sciences, costing roughly $60 per poster, while the alternative is OUGL for roughly $20. Having our own poster printer in the department would not only eliminate wait time but also allow us to choose a printer which can print higher quality posters. The money we save printing these posters (~$6000/yr) would be much better spent by filling them up with more convincing results from better research equipment.-----Christopher So, Graduate Student

I think that the proposed purchases would greatly benefit the students in the MSE department. The instruments could improve significantly the undergraduate and graduate experiments. The furnaces are a great idea as well, as we have been forced to share an extremely small number of old, imprecise ones. Finally, I think the printer will be used a lot, as a lot of us print posters for our presentations. Students from other departments taking MSE 170 will also benefit by being able to print their posters for the class.----- Dmitriy Khatayevich, Seminor

I am writing to give my strong endorsement of the Materials Science and Engineering Student Technology Fee proposal. As I graduate student I can see the benefit as both a educator as a TA myself and as a researcher. The proposed enhancements to the undergraduate laboratory facilities will greatly enhance student learning opportunities for more in depth and hands on experiences. The poster printer will be without a doubt an appreciated addition as both graduate and undergraduates often have the need to make professional quality posters, sometimes on short notice.------ Ryan Buckmaster, Graduate Student

I would like to support the Materials Science and Engineering department using the 2006-2007 Student Technology Fee for purchasing items including 25MHz Function Generator, 4 channel-60MHz Oscilloscope, furnaces, and large printers for making posters. Especially, the printer for poster making is worth purchasing. Currently, making a nice poster of 3 feet X 4 feet costs over $50 at Copy Center at UW Medical Center, and the order takes 3 days to complete. Further, students have to ask for reimbursement and it is time consuming process. Therefore, it will be beneficial to all MSE students to obtain large printer to make posters for class activities. ----- Shiho Iwanaga, Graduate Student

I am currently a graduate student in Materials Science and Engineering at UW, and I would like to take this opportunity to endorse the MSE department's current COE Student Technology Fee proposal. I know that these items would be of great use to both the undergraduate and the graduate students here. We would appreciate your help!---- Brian Clark, Graduate Student

I would like to endorse the Department of Materials Science and Engineering request for STP funding. Being a graduating senior, I would have greatly benefited from all of the things that they are asking for as an incoming junior. I still have a lot of work to do before I graduate and leave the University of Washington, such as taking MSE 452 and 462 which would benefit from this funding. I also have to present my senior project that would require a poster board for visual purposes to accompany other materials. The electronic furnaces would also help with the Keramos ceramic mug and putter competition, in addition to the classes that it would be purchased for. Also, for MSE 491 and 492, there are group projects that require the students to do a lot of hands on research, and the furnaces will be very useful in conducting these experiments, such as solder reflow, and other electronics packaging projects. Thank you for your time.---- Diana K. Choi, Senior

I endorse the MSE department proposal for the 2006-2007 STF. Function generators/oscilloscopes, processing ovens and the poster printer will aid in my research and teaching efforts in the department. Thank you for considering this proposal----- Mike Beerman, Graduate Student

I am writing this letter in support of the STF proposal for funding presented by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. I believe that the function generators and oscilloscopes will provide a much needed new dimension of materials characterization to the department. As more material scientists are involved in electronic materials, is it really important for the undergraduates to have exposure to these types of tools. As a graduate student working in magnetic materials, this would give me the ability to do exploratory experiments with out having to convince my advisor to dip into his grants to purchase these pieces of equipment. Secondly, I believe that the poster plotter is a great idea and its purchase would increase the visibility and quality of presentation of the work being generated in the department. I believe that the plotter would also be greatly used for outreach activities such as the engineering open house and Expanding Your Horizons were the quality and quantities of the posters are currently limited.-------Marcela Gonzales-Weyhmiller, Graduate Student

I believe that the expenditures outlined in professor Ohuchi's proposal would be a good use of the Student Technology Fee funds. Please accept his proposal!---- Tamon Page, Junior

I completely support the MSE STF proposal---- Nelson Robles, Junior

Sounds great Fumio I fully endorse this proposal----- Elliott Baker, Junior

I Endorse the STF proposal. I will greatly enhance the learning experience---- Liz Fuller, Junior

I just read over our MSE STF proposal, and I think it is a great plan. Among the list of items, a departmental poster printer would be exceptionally valuable and heavily used for us----- Nik Hrabe, Graduate Student

Items

Below are the items making up the current proposal. The asterisk (*) beside items signify that they were approved by the committee. This however was not implemented correctly for our database before 2005, so earlier years may not show this.

Click an item's title to view details on that item, or show all item details.