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Item NanoJapan-International research experience for undergraduates program: Fostering U.S.-Japan research collaborations in terahertz science and technology of nanostructures(SPIE, 2014-09-15) Phillips, S.R.; Matherly, C.A.; Kono, J.; NanoJapanThe international nature of science and engineering research demands that students have the skillsets necessary to collaborate internationally. However, limited options exist for science and engineering undergraduates who want to pursue research abroad. The NanoJapan International Research Experience for Undergraduates Program is an innovative response to this need. Developed to foster research and international engagement among young undergraduate students, it is funded by a National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) grant. Each summer, NanoJapan sends 12 U.S. students to Japan to conduct research internships with world leaders in terahertz (THz) spectroscopy, nanophotonics, and ultrafast optics. The students participate in cutting-edge research projects managed within the framework of the U.S-Japan NSF-PIRE collaboration. One of our focus topics is THz science and technology of nanosystems (or ‘TeraNano’), which investigates the physics and applications of THz dynamics of carriers and phonons in nanostructures and nanomaterials. In this article, we will introduce the program model, with specific emphasis on designing high-quality international student research experiences. We will specifically address the program curriculum that introduces students to THz research, Japanese language, and intercultural communications, in preparation for work in their labs. Ultimately, the program aims to increase the number of U.S. students who choose to pursue graduate study in this field, while cultivating a generation of globally aware engineers and scientists who are prepared for international research collaboration.Item Impact on Student Learning: A Comparison of International and Domestic Undergraduate Research Experiences(2014) Matherly, C.A.; Phillips, S.R.; Kono, J.; NanoJapanItem Assessing the Spectrum of International Undergraduate Engineering Educational Experiences(2013) Besterfield-Sacre, M.E.; Ragusa, G.; Matherly, C.A.; Phillips, S.R.; Shuman, L.J.; Howard, L.J.; NanoJapanItem NanoJapan International Research Experience for Undergraduates: Preparing Globally Engaged Science and Engineers(2013) Matherly, C.A.; Phillips, S.R.; Kono, J.; NanoJapanThe NanoJapan: International Research Experience for Undergraduates Program, established by a National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (NSF-PIRE) grant in 2006, is a twelve-week summer program through which twelve freshman and sophomore physics and engineering students from U.S. universities complete research internships in Japanese nanotechnology laboratories. NanoJapan tightly integrates the international experience with students’ academic programs by providing hands-on opportunities to acquire technical skills and knowledge associated with cutting-edge nanotechnology research projects. The program aims to increase the numbers of U.S. students who pursue graduate study in nanoscience and cultivate a generation of globally aware engineers and scientists who are prepared for international research collaboration. The NanoJapan program is the key educational initiative of the National Science Foundation–funded Partnerships for International Research and Education (NSF-PIRE) grant awarded to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of Rice University and the Center for Global Education at the University of Tulsa. The program was awarded five years of funding in 2006 and has been renewed for another five years. This paper will provide an overview and justification for the development of the NanoJapan Program, provide an overview of our program assessment and student outcomes to date, and conclude with an overview of the potential impact of the NanoJapan Program model on STEM education and international engineering programs nationwide.Item A U.S. and Japanese Student Outlook on the Impact of International Research Internships(2012) Matherly, C.A.; Phillips, S.R.; Yamada, M.; Brooks, E.; NanoJapanItem NanoJapan: Preparing Globally Savvy Researchers(2011) Matherly, C.A.; Phillips, S.R.; NanoJapanItem NanoJapan: Connecting U.S. Undergraduates with the Best of Nanoscience Research in Japan(2011) Matherly, C.A.; Phillips, S.R.; Kono, J.; NanoJapanItem Study Abroad for Science and Technology Students(2008) Phillips, S.R.Item Rice University NanoJapan Program: Connecting US Undergraduates with Leading Japanese Nanotechnology Research Laboratories: National Science Foundation, Tokyo Regional Office(2008-04-17) Kono, J.; Phillips, S.R.; Matherly, C.A.; NanoJapanNational Science Foundation, Tokyo Regional Office: Special Scientific Report #08-01. As international partnerships are becoming increasingly indispensible to solving major science and engineering problems, U.S. researchers and educators must be able to operate effectively in teams comprised of partners from different nations and cultural backgrounds. The NanoJapan Program was developed to address this need by attracting undergraduate students to the emerging areas of electrical engineering and the physical sciences, especially the study of nanotechnology. By involving and training students in cutting-edge research projects in nanoscale science and engineering, this program aims to increase the numbers of US students who choose to pursue graduate study in this field while also cultivating a generation of globally aware engineers and scientists who are prepared for international research collaboration. Funded by a Partnership for International Research and Education grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF-PIRE), this program is administered through the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of Rice University and the Center for Global Education at the University of Tulsa.