You are welcome to contact the CSEP Director M. Ofelia Aguirre with ideas you may have for collaboration or contact the staff member associated with a program you would like to become involved with. All evaluation questions should be directed to Dr. Lubi Lenaburg.
CSEP provides guidance and infrastructure for those who wish to develop novel projects, augment existing models and programs, or develop broader impacts education components for their research and education proposals.
Nanoscience is the synthesis, manipulation, and analysis of materials that are between 1-100 nanometers (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter). The properties of materials in this size range are different than larger, "macro" versions of the same material. This is due to the difference in the magnitude of the forces that effect the material. For example, gravity is the major force that effects all of us at the macroscale. However, at the nanoscale, materials are so small and have so little mass, that gravity is not the primary force. Therefore, other forces (such as electromagnetic forces), become more prominent, and this is what gives materials at the nanoscale their special properties. The small size also means that classical descriptions and models of for the behavior of materials don't always apply, and instead quantum mechanical models need to be used. Another interesting feature of nanomaterials is a property called the surface to volume ratio. A large particle has most of it's atoms on the inside and very few (percentage-wise) on the outside. In contrast, a very small particle has a larger portion of the total atoms on the outside, which means there are more atoms available to interact with the surrounding environment. This is important for many applications, such as catalysis. For more information about nanotechnology, go to the Nanotechnology Facts Web Site
You can download our Undergraduate Research Primer for guidance on how to look for and apply for research opportunities, as well as a list of research programs at UCSB and across the nation. There are a number of undergraduate research programs at UCSB which you can chose from, listed below.
CNSI has programs for California Community College Students. There are also a number of Undergraduate Research Programs (see FAQ directly above) at UCSB run by a variety of other science and engineering research centers and campus departments.
Unfortunately, most of the undergraduate summer research programs at UCSB are constrained by federal funding to accept only U.S. citizens or permanent residents. This means that there is no financial support available for international undergraduate students to travel here to study and research at UCSB. International students interested in graduate study should apply to the appropriate academic department. (See FAQ on "I'm looking for a graduate program," below)
Unfortunately, no. Our goal is to increase the number of students from California community colleges who transfer to University of California campuses to complete 4-year degrees in science, math and engineering.
Most of the CSEP programs offer this opportunity - usually on the UCSB campus. The Graduate Programs page of our website lists the programs which provide mentoring and teaching opportunities. We would encourage you to call or e-mail each program coordinator with specific questions.
There is no "Nanotechnology" degree program at UCSB, you must apply to one of the existing degree programs in areas such as electrical engineering, materials, chemistry, physics, etc. Most of the science and engineering academic departments at UCSB offer coursework related to nanoscience/technology, and have professors who conduct research in these areas. The California NanoSystems Institute is a research center, not an academic department, so it is not involved with the graduate admissions process. However, it is an excellent place to "shop around." Go to the CNSI Faculty Directory to familiarize yourself with different areas of study and research that are being conducted all over campus. This directory includes the departmental affiliation (computer science, mechanical engineering, etc.) for each professor. Below are links to the graduate programs for UCSB academic departments which have a significant amount of nanoscience / nanotechnology related coursework and research. You will find there all the appropriate information you need about applications, admissions requirements, faculty research areas, etc.
We currently have after-school clubs, Ultimate Family Science Exploration Events, Field trips to our Science Center, and will attend Elementary School Science programs to the best of our ability. Please see our programs listing for K-12. The Apprentice Researchers program provides opportunities for teachers to conduct scientific research. For 4-weeks each summer, high school students and one teacher get the opportunity to work in CSEP research labs to complete a science project. For more information, please contact Lubi Lenaburg.
The following science and engineering research centers and academic departments at UCSB also have a number of resources for teachers:
- Materials Research Laboratory (including a Research Experience for Teachers program)
- Nanotech (including a Research Experience for Teachers program)
- Physics Department Community Science Center
- Marine Science Institute - Research Experience and Education Facility (REEF)
- Chemistry Department Outreach Program
Please see our program listings for the annual Science Expo, the Science Center, the after school clubs and upcoming dates for FUSE nights at the local junior high schools.
In addition there are many other K-12 UCSB campus resources: the Academic Preparation Office, the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, the Chemistry Outreach Program, the Marine Science Institute, the Materials Research Laboratory, the Nanofabrication Facility/NNIN, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), the Physics Department, and the UC Natural Reserve System.