Education, Training and Outreach

Education and Outreach are essential complements to the primary Research activities of the Institute. The education and outreach activities will enrich Northeastern's academic environment, and broaden the University's interdisciplinary academic offerings.

Graduate Education and Training

The paradigms of graduate education are continually changing. Recently the focus has turned to providing a broader training needed for the fast-paced high tech industrial world. There is also an increasing demand for M.S. level training. Institute members will pursue innovative graduate education programs that are expected to be largely self-supporting through extramural grant funding, industry support and tuition revenues.

An interdisciplinary program is currently available to carry out research in Materials Science and Engineering. Its key elements are:

• Doctoral students enter into the program through the registering department (Chemistry, Physics, MIME, ECE, Chemical Engineering), as determined by their background and choice.
• The thesis research will be interdisciplinary and will be suitably reflected in the composition of the exam committees (3 faculty).
• RA positions will be supported by sponsored research funding.

Undergraduate Education and Training

The seminal Boyer report calls for major educational reform in the methods and modes of educating undergraduates at graduate research universities. One focus of the commission's mandate called for all undergraduates, beginning with the freshman year, to be fully involved in research teams. This call resonates with Northeastern University's own Strategic Plan which advocates the development of connected learning communities in which students work alongside faculty on cutting-edge research problems experiencing firsthand the thrill of generating new knowledge, and solving problems.

The Materials Research Institute fully recognizes the importance of involving undergraduates in research and is committed to developing a strong undergraduate research involvement. Institute members have already established records of undergraduate and even high school student involvement in research.

The Institute pursues several mechanisms for undergraduate research involvement:

Undergraduate Research Fellowships: Providing undergraduates with research experience and training based upon the practice-oriented mission of Northeastern, will be another key endeavor of the Center. Faculty members accept undergraduates particularly as part of their coop training, and suitable fellowships are available.

Industrial Coop Projects: The strong ties the Institute will have with industry and government laboratories facilitates the finding of coop assignments and joint projects involving undergraduates in materials-related areas.

Outreach and Recruitment

Urban Outreach: As an urban University, Northeastern University is uniquely poised to make a significant impact in the education and mentoring of minority/inner city youth and increasing the diversity of the SMET workforce. Several outreach activities are planned to recruit talented graduate and undergraduate students.