The food-energy-water (FEW) nexus framework calls for a systems perspective on addressing complex sustainability challenges. As a sustainability science field, nexus research should in theory bring together transdisciplinary approaches drawing from a range of stakeholder knowledge and experiences. This approach would align with the…

Low-dimensional materials especially graphene-based are of high interest to a broad community. One of the most fundamental aspects in the biomedical field is material characterization, which helps understand their property and tune for application. Though the existing teaching curricula are well standardized to include basic principles and…

Electrochemistry is broad and interdisciplinary by nature and as such has become a powerful tool in science, technology, engineering, math, and medical (STEMM) fields ranging from energy storage to biotechnology. However, traditional undergraduate chemistry education does not offer students the opportunity to create direct connections between…

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation over semiconductor photocatalysts has attracted considerable attention over the past few decades. This experiment is designed for sophomore- and higher-level undergraduates who are in the majors of materials chemistry, analytical chemistry, catalysis, or chemical engineering. In this experiment, CdS nanoparticles…

Contribution: A novel multidisciplinary undergraduate course on alternative energy (AE) engineering that addresses gaps in current AE education, provides hands on skills, and matches topical coverage with societal needs. Background: Resource depletion and emissions associated with burning fossil fuels have led to growing worldwide interest in…

This paper deals with an integration of STEM education and project-based learning (PBL) by introducing a hybrid hardware/software-based learning platform covering eight learning units. PBL not only bridges the gap between theory and practice, but also focuses on improving students' soft skills, which is important as they prepare for further…

With the benefits of low cost, energy efficiency, and environmental protection, photocatalytic hydrogen production is considered to be the most promising technology for the development of a clean and sustainable society. However, the utilization of photocatalytically generated hydrogen is not very common yet. Therefore, tertiary education urgently…

This article shares the "Paper Circuit Story Timeline" and the "Story Quilting" project from the Elementary STEM Teaching Integrating Technology and Computing Holistically (E-STITCH) curriculum, a free curriculum and project guide set for grades 3-6. The E-STITCH curriculum is designed as a method for teaching science and…

This project report presents a multidisciplinary Faculty Learning Community model to foster civic engagement in STEM classes. It focused on first-year Chemistry, Math, and Scientific Inquiry courses and incorporated Academic Service Learning in a project to build solar cell phone chargers for a school in Puerto Rico recovering from the effects of…

Courses: Digital Storytelling, Community Journalism. Objectives: This course is designed to introduce students to basic concepts in digital storytelling and community journalism. "Immersed in urban oil" is an interdisciplinary project-based, community-engaged course focused on documenting the historical and contemporary oil…

Environmental forensics is the application of knowledge from geosciences and chemistry in a legal setting, e.g., to determine the origin and consequences of contamination events. Teaching environmental forensics requires reactivating prior knowledge from different fields of natural sciences, filling knowledge gaps, and connecting pieces of…

This paper describes a number of active learning strategies based on implementing the Raspberry Pi as low-cost single-board computing device for carrying out physics laboratory activities. This Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (MBL) Project has been funded by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation and it encompasses the use of high-accuracy yet…

A growing number of Introductory Physics for Life Sciences courses have been developed to prepare biology, premedicine, and prehealth majors for cross-disciplinary connections between physical principles and biological systems. Many students find it challenging to apply idealized algebra-based general physics to more complex biological systems. A…

Training future leaders to understand life cycle assessment data is critical for effective research, business, and sociopolitical decision-making. However, the technical nature of these life cycle reports often makes them challenging for students and other nonexperts to comprehend. Therefore, we outline here the key takeaways from recent economic…

This article is concerned with the emergence of the science-business (SB) profession and the role of the SB professional (SBP) in both academia and business. Transferring science to markets can take a variety of routes depending on the stage of development and the people and skill sets involved. An SBP may co-develop opportunities for exploitation…