My fellowship in nanotechnology with ASSIST was a great experience.  I am so thankful to have the opportunity to work with NC State.

The most interesting moment was participating in motion capture.  We were able to tour the motion capture studio on Centennial Campus.  I was put into the motion capture suit, including a hat that acted as my avatar’s head.  Reflective balls on the motion capture suit allowed my movement to be tracked by cameras in the room.  My avatar was set to my height, weight, and distance between my shoulder blades.  It was neat to see motion capture in use.

The biggest challenge is creating lesson plans.  Lesson plans need to be specific and concise, so any teacher could use it.  I did not realize how much needs to be explained step-by-step.  It is nice to have peer review; I feel it will help me produce a better product.

We used the Monteith Research Center and Dr. Jur’s design lab primarily.  We toured multiple sites on Centennial Campus, including the Hunt Library and the College of Textiles.  We also toured the EPA at UNC, and 2 local businesses focused on nanotechnology.  We worked with Dr. Jess Jur and Dr.Elena Veety.  We were assisted by 2nd year RETs, James and Hannah.  We also met numerous faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students at NCSU, and professionals with many companies.

It was wonderful to work with Jess and Elena and I have learned so much this summer.  Jess and Elena made sure we were exposed to many aspects of nanotechnology and wearable devices.  We discussed new and developing technologies, including a collar worn by elephants to keep them away from certain areas.  The collar vibrates and can create a tone if an elephant gets into an area that is off limits.

This summer experience exposed me to new and developing technologies.  I have many ideas about how to work the knowledge and experience into my classroom.  I look forward to teaching my students about nanotechnology, wearable devices, and energy harvesting.