Dr. Kathleen Meehan has been teaching at a distance for the past year with her courses in nanophotonics and nanoscale biosensors. She became involved with CGEP with the launch of the Virginia Partnership for Nanotechnology Education and Workforce Development, a nanotechnology course sharing program that shares approximately six courses per semester across the CGEP network. Dr. Meehan has played an important part in coordinating Virginia Tech's role in the program. Through this partnership, graduate-level nanotechnology courses are available to students in the following areas - Nanotechnology Fundamentals, Nanobiotechnology, Nanomodeling and Simulation, Nanomaterials and Characterization, Nanomanufacturing, and Nanoelectronics. Students interested in the program will have the ability to work towards a certificate in any one the listed areas (except for Nanotechnology Fundamentals).
When asked if nanotechnology is a valuable field for Virginia Tech and CGEP to pursue, Dr. Meehan responded in the affirmative. "Definitely. Nanotechnology covers a whole breadth of technologies and touches nearly everything in engineering and the sciences." She added that nanotechnology is particularly important in the state of Virginia. "There is a strong economy of nanotechnology in Virginia that continues to grow. Nanotechnology is at the foundation of many industries in the state." This is where CGEP comes in, because no single university in Virginia covers all areas of nanotechnology. Each has its strengths, and CGEP is able to leverage these through course-sharing.
Nanotechnology has not only increased interaction between universities but between disciplines, as well. Dr. Meehan regularly works with people in materials science and engineering, chemical engineering, osteopathic medicine, and others outside of her home department of electrical and computer engineering. Although nanotechnology seems to be a new field, Dr. Meehan says the name is really the only thing new about it. "I've been working with nanotechnology since my graduate school days."
Dr. Meehan has been teaching for several years, but she has made some adjustments to accommodate distance learning since she began teaching at a distance in the fall. She makes sure she has slides and other information posted in plenty of time before class for students to reference and has become more flexible with office hours for her distance learning students, which are usually conducted over the phone. Because many CGEP students are engineers already working in industry, they bring additional knowledge and experience to the table in class discussions. "I enjoy getting to hear about the research that is happening at other universities and in industry throughout the state," says Dr. Meehan.
Dr. Meehan's teaching and research interests include optoelectronics, biomedical optics, semiconductor processing, semiconductor device theory, biosensors, optoelectronic device, optical sensor design and fabrication, silicide-semiconductor devices and sensors, process development, process and device modeling, and optical spectroscopy of biological and biochemical substances.
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