An Internship Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Polymer-Based Nanocomposites

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2006 · J. Materials Education

OSTI ID:929799

Cebe, P; Cherdack, D; Guertin, R; Haas, T; S Ince, B; Valluzzi, R

We report on our summer internship program in Polymer-Based Nanocomposites, for deaf and hard of hearing undergraduates who engage in classroom and laboratory research work in polymer physics. The unique attributes of this program are its emphasis on: 1. Teamwork; 2. Performance of a start-to-finish research project; 3. Physics of materials approach; and 4. Diversity. Students of all disability levels have participated in this program, including students who neither hear nor voice. The classroom and laboratory components address the materials chemistry and physics of polymer-based nanocomposites, crystallization and melting of polymers, the interaction of X-rays and light with polymers, mechanical properties of polymers, and the connection between thermal processing, structure, and ultimate properties of polymers. A set of Best Practices is developed for accommodating deaf and hard of hearing students into the laboratory setting. The goal is to bring deaf and hard of hearing students into the larger scientific community as professionals, by providing positive scientific experiences at a formative time in their educational lives.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source
• Sponsoring Organization: Doe - Office Of Science
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC02-98CH10886
• OSTI ID: 929799
• Report Number(s): BNL-80346-2008-JA; TRN: US200822%%891
• Journal Information: J. Materials Education, Vol. 28, Issue 1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
AUDITORY ORGANS
EDUCATION
HANDICAPPED PEOPLE
POLYMERS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
NANOSTRUCTURES
CRYSTALLIZATION
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MELTING
HEAT TREATMENTS
MORPHOLOGY
EDUCATIONAL TOOLS
national synchrotron light source