The grant will enable the college to increase support services — especially in math and chemistry — and research opportunities for all science, technology, engineering and math majors, with a particular eye to helping younger students avoid academic disqualification, switches to non-STEM majors and other departures from science and math disciplines.

Shirley Peng ’12, right, a chemistry major and journalism minor, talks with Fehmi Damkaci, assistant professor of chemistry and associate dean of graduate studies about the possibility of mentoring freshmen and sophomore STEM majors whose difficulties with required math and chemistry courses can lead to academic disqualification, changes in major or transfer.

“This will be one piece in the puzzle to streamline success for our students from high school to graduation,” said Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Fehmi Damkaci, assistant professor of chemistry and principal investigator for the grant.

The grant outlines a five-step program to shore up support for freshman and sophomore STEM majors: expanding a summer math camp for incoming STEM majors to include chemistry content and more students; integrating “math in context” components for introductory chemistry and physics classes; expanding and improving the tutoring services available to STEM students; instituting peer mentoring by upperclassmen for freshmen and sophomores; and expanding summer research opportunities for freshmen and sophomores in STEM.

The college plans to expand its Summer Scholars program to offer more opportunities for freshmen and sophomores to work with faculty on research projects.

As the nanoscale — a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter — images appear in high definition, Damkaci reminisces about having to travel to Syracuse to obtain sample data about atomic structures that were once only theorized … and not being able to touch the machine.

Chemistry Professor Fehmi Damkaci and field engineer Martin Jones explore the Japan Electron Optical Laboratory, a scanning electron microscope that provides nanoscale views.

“This has been used mostly by nanotechnology-related research and engineering,” said Damkaci, associate professor of chemistry and project leader for acquisition and implementation of the scanning electron microscope, or SEM. “But now the use of the equipment has extended into biology and materials science and anthropology, geology — all different areas.”

The college already has a room planned in its rising $118 million Sciences and Engineering Innovation Corridor for the new Japanese Electron Optical Lab, or JEOL, JSM-6610LV currently housed in Snygg Hall.

“I started teaching nanotechnology, and I’m planning to apply for a [National Science Foundation] grant to increase nanotech education on campus,” Damkaci said. Students have already been training to use the equipment. “Having an SEM on site for educational purposes — that’s great.

“Currently we just teach it, but students don’t get to see an SEM,” he added. “Now, when they graduate, they will be able to say, ‘I know how to use an SEM,’ and that makes our students more marketable.”

With more than $1 trillion in federal and state funds expected over the next few years, job growth to support this explosion would leap from 150,000 nanotechnology workers in 2008 to 800,000 in 2015 nationally, a National Nanotechnology Initiative report noted.

“The report also says that by 2012-13, nanotechnology will be a common field of study in undergraduate science education,” Damkaci said. “We are positioning ourselves right now just ahead of that phase.”