Edmonds College awarded over $1.1 million for materials science education

Edmonds College was awarded three grants this year for materials science education, totaling over $1.1 million. 

“The grants we received will allow us to develop and distribute high-quality resources for materials science education,” said EC President Dr. Amit B. Singh. “These resources are vital — innovations in materials science have the potential to impact our nation’s health, economy, environment, and security.”

Mel Cossette, executive director and principal investigator of materials science initiatives at Edmonds College, was recently featured in a Business and Tech article about the professional advancement of women in the engineering industry. Only 13% of engineers were women in 2019, according to the Society of Women Engineers.

EC secured two grants from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Advanced Technological Education program. 

One grant supports the establishment of the Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC), which will develop curricula for associate degrees and certificates in micro and nanotechnologies. MNT-EC will be led by Pasadena City College in collaboration with EC, Portland Community College, and Northwest Vista College. 

Over the course of five years, the grant will distribute $630,000 to EC to support MNT-EC activities, with a focus on increasing minority and women faculty development and participation in micro- and nanotechnology education.

The second NSF grant will distribute more than $485,000 over three years to EC’s National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education (MatEdU). The funding will be used to create and distribute online, open-source instructional resources on materials science.

A $25,000 grant from the Joint Center for Deployment and Research in Earth Abundant Materials (JCDREAM) will support Materials Washington (MatWA), an educational consortium started by EC in collaboration with MatEdU, JCDREAM and Skagit Valley College. 

MatWA was created in 2019 and is working with colleges across Washington state to develop educational modules for high schools, community and technical colleges, and four-year institutions. The modules focus on earth-abundant materials, which are more environmentally and economically sustainable. 

“Pursuing these types of grants puts Edmonds College at the leading edge of innovation and academic excellence,” said Danielle Carnes, vice president for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships. “As a part of our work to become an entrepreneurial and innovation hub in Snohomish County, these partnerships are a shining example of nimble and creative ingenuity.”

“By advancing materials science education across our state and country, we can encourage  individuals of all ages and walks of life to imagine a better future and commit to making a difference,” said Mel Cossette, executive director of materials science initiatives at EC. She is the principal investigator for MatEdU and MatWA and a co-principal investigator for MNT-EC. 

In addition to developing instructional resources, EC offers its own materials science degrees. The college offers associate’s degrees in Materials Science Technology, Manufacturing and Materials Science Technology, and Robotics and Electronics and certificates in Aircraft Electronics Technician and Basic Electronics. It will launch an Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Science Engineering Technology (AMMET) Bachelor of Applied Science degree fall 2021. Learn more information about Engineering Technology at EC.