Initial Observations of a Community College Microsystem Fabrication-focused Undergraduate Research Experience

Providing hands-on learning experiences increases student understanding of theory and practices in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. The experience gives students motivation and allows them to focus their career path towards completing a degree in a STEM field. This paper provides initial observations on the learning impact of community college students and their instructors participating in the Support Center for Microsystems Education 2021 Undergraduate Research Experience. Twenty undergraduate community college students and their instructors participated in a week-long hands-on project-based course in a cleanroom environment. Both students and instructors showed an increase in the level of knowledge regarding microfabricating based on the collected survey results after completing the program. Survey results and observations of participating mentors are presented.