Integration of a MEMS education curriculum with interdisciplinary research

Successful undergraduate education in Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) is vital for the future growth of this area. Unique challenges in MEMS education are discussed, along with proposed solutions. In this paper, we outline a MEMS education plan currently under development at the University of Illinois. The plan contains three steps-introduction to theory, design and fabrication of MEMS devices. In addition, detailed plan for the first-stage design class is discussed. Education and research will be strongly coupled by incorporating active research issues to the classroom environment and through student involvement in hands-on design and fabrication projects.