Chemical Education Today edited by
NSF Highlights
Susan H. Hixson
Projects Supported by the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education
National Science Foundation Arlington, VA 22230
Richard F. Jones
An Industrial Internship Program in Polymer Chemistry
Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH 45402-1460
by David R. Tyler
Funds were obtained from the NSF-CCLI program to assist in the development of a new polymer characterization laboratory. The laboratory is an integral component of a newly developed master’s degree curriculum in polymer science jointly developed by the Chemistry Department and the Materials Science Institute at the University of Oregon and with active advice and participation from local polymer companies. “Adaptation” is a key component of the CCLI program, and the new polymer program was adapted from our regular master’s degree curriculum for the purpose of preparing our students better for productive careers in the polymer manufacturing industry. The key feature of the adaptation is the new requirement that our master’s candidates spend three quarters (an academic year) working as an intern for a local polymer industrial firm. In order for the internship program to function properly, our industrial partners requested that our master’s students have strong laboratory skills in polymer synthesis and characterization. The NSF-CCLI program assisted in achieving this goal by providing funds to obtain state-of-the-art instrumentation for the newly developed laboratory course that is part of the new curriculum. Specifically, using funds provided by the grant, we obtained instrumentation to measure polymer molecular weights and size distributions, a differential scanning calorimeter for characterizing polymer thermal properties, a mechanical tester to characterize polymer mechanical properties, and labware to enable polymer syntheses in microemulsions and under anaerobic conditions. Details of the New Master’s Program The new polymer curriculum was designed with appreciable input from local industry. They told us that their ideal new hires are people who, in addition to having strong technical skills, can work in teams, have good communication skills, have good leadership skills, and have good problemsolving skills. With these requests in mind, we created a new master’s degree program that is a modification of our regular master’s degree curriculum but that is designed more specifically to produce graduates who have exceptionally strong technical skills as well as the personal skills mentioned above. Overall, the new program puts a general emphasis on producing students who will thrive in an industrial environment. The new curriculum consists of three parts: two lecture classes, an intensive laboratory class, and an industrial internship.1,2 One lecture class covers polymer synthesis, characterization, and processing; the other covers polymer physical chemistry. With regard to content, these courses are generally similar to polymer courses taught elsewhere, but selected topics are also included that are not mainstream 796
subjects in general polymer courses. For example, at the request of our industrial affiliates, a unit on the environmental aspects of polymer production is included in the synthesis course (1). As another example, because several of our industrial affiliates make phenolic resins for plywood glues, we discuss the chemistry of these resins in more detail than usual. The lecture classes are followed by an intensive laboratory course that focuses on experimental techniques for polymer synthesis, characterization, and fabrication. In the laboratory course, students not only synthesize and characterize a number of polymers, they also analyze known and unknown polymer samples. Characterization of the materials includes molecular weight determination by light scattering, vapor phase, and GPC methods; viscosity measurements; determination of glass transitions by DSC; measurement of temperature- and frequency-dependent mechanical properties; and investigations of structure by solid-state NMR and IR spectroscopy. As indicated above, much of the instrumentation for these experiments was obtained through the NSF-CCLI program. The laboratory course content is continually being revised and updated because of input from our industrial partners. Recent additions include new casting and extrusion experiments, which were requested by one of our affiliates. As indicated above, in many of the experiments a strong emphasis is put on problemsolving as done in an industrial context. For example, in one experiment, students are given a sample of an unknown paint and their assignment is to analyze its properties and then produce a product with equivalent properties that is cheaper to manufacture. To accomplish this task, students quickly learn they must divide the problem into parts, so in turn they must divide into groups with each group focusing on a different part of the overall problem. Communication between the groups is essential if the problem is to be solved in the allotted time. Additional training on teamwork comes in the lecture courses because there are daily group homework assignments. The students work on the group assignments over their lunch break and then discuss their answers in the afternoon lecture sessions following the break. The Internship Courses in polymer synthesis, processing, and characterization and in polymer physical chemistry are not new. The unusual aspect of our new program is that it is tightly coupled to an internship program. In fact, the classroom and laboratory training are the foundation for the internship experience. Following the summer coursework and lab work portion of the program, the students are placed in internships with companies, starting in the fall term of the academic year. Here they gain practical experience in polymer production and
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 79 No. 7 July 2002 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
Chemical Education Today
analysis. As indicated, the general goal of these nine-monthlong (academic year) internships is to provide students with an introduction to the industrial work experience. Students receive internship offers after being interviewed by our industrial affiliates. Generally, the students receive several offers, so they have a choice of the type of work they will be doing. They are paid by the companies and work with an industrial mentor during their internships. This type of practical experience is becoming indispensable as a means of preparing students for the challenges of the industrial workplace (2–5). The structure of the internship is not fixed and is generally dependent on the particular company. Some students work on quality control problems, others on formulating new materials, and yet others on bona fide research projects. Although the particulars are left up to the company, the companies are well-versed in the goals of the program, the types of projects that are appropriate, and so on before they accept an intern. To augment the internship programs, during the academic year we invite representatives (including our graduates) from diverse industrial settings to present seminars on their experiences and talk with the interns and faculty about career opportunities. These monthly seminars provide opportunities for all of the interns to share their experiences with each other and with the faculty during the course of their internships. Results Enrollment in the new polymer internship program has increased from four students in the first year to nine students in the third (most-recent) year. Students are excited about the program because it teaches them practical and marketable skills. Likewise, our industrial affiliates are supportive because the demand for master’s-level students is strong. Consequently, during the internship period the parties evaluate each other with regard to the possibility of long-term employment. In practice, all but of one of the internships has turned into a real job once the internship was over. The internship programs have increased the number of our relationships with local industry. Industry sees the value of the program because they are getting smart, new hires with practical skills. Thus, it is to their advantage to participate in the program and maintain their ties with us. A practical advantage to the department is an increase in the number of industrial donations of lab equipment. An unforeseen benefit of increased university-industry relations is that the companies are sending full time employees to take the lecture and lab course. They see these courses as “refresher” or continuing education-type courses for their employees. Having these employees participate in the program benefits the regular students enormously because they get to interact with polymer chemists and learn about their jobs. In addition, the employees’ knowledge and firsthand experience is often invaluable when their area of expertise is covered in the courses. Several area high school teachers have expressed an interest in participating in the summer courses. We are eager to oblige because it should lead to better relations with the high schools and in a general way increase the level of scientific literacy in the community.
Finally, it is noteworthy that professors find teaching in the internship program is satisfying, despite the intense schedule and pace of the program. The major contrast with our academic-year classes is that every student in these classes wants to be there: they are eager to learn and willing to work hard. They pay rapt attention and ask good questions. These conditions make for a satisfying teaching experience.3 Acknowledgment We acknowledge the NSF CCLI program and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Special Grant program for their support of the internship program described here. Notes 1. The internship program described in this paper is analogous to what many universities call a “co-op” program and to what companies sometimes call an “apprenticeship.” 2. The lecture courses and the laboratory course are each four credits. The internship is ten credits per quarter. In addition to the three courses and the internship, students must have an additional 12 units (3 courses) in order to fulfill the requirements for a master’s degree. The students typically satisfy this requirement by taking one class each quarter during the three quarters of their internship or by coming back to the university for the additional classwork following their internship. 3. Further information about the internship programs at the University of Oregon can be obtained from the Web site: http:// materialscience.uoregon.edu/Graduate/polyover.html. Prospective students can also apply online at this site.
References 1. In addition to input from our industrial affiliates, the following materials proved invaluable in designing these courses: Droske, J. P. “Polymer Education Resource Materials,” University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. Compiled by POLYED National Information Center for Polymer Education, 1992. 2. The value of internships for science majors is now generally recognized. See, for example: Steering committee for the workshop on graduate student and postdoctoral education and training, J. Armstrong (Chair) “Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Training in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences,” National Science Foundation, 1995 (NSF 96-30). 3. American Chemical Society Committee on Chemistry and Public Affairs, “Shaping the Future: The Chemical Research Environment in the Next Century,” report published in Chemtech, August 1994. 4. National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine “Reshaping the graduate education of scientists and engineers,” National Academy Press: New York, 1995. 5. Greene, R. G.; Hardy, B. J.; Smith, S. J., “Graduate Education: Adapting to Current Realities,” Issues in Science and Technology Winter 1995-96, 59.
David R. Tyler is in the Department of Chemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403; dtyler@ oregon.uoregon.edu.
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