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This paper presents the development of a new course at the University of Louisville in the area of microfabrication and MEMS. Funding was provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The course teaches general microfabrication principles with an emphasis on MEMS, instead of traditional microelectronics.In this manner, the prerequisites are kept to a minimum, allowing the course to be offered to a broad and diverse student population. This approach allows the infiltration of microfabrication and MEMS into other disciplines, which is critical for their future development and evolution. The course is divided into a lecture and lab component. A working MEMS device, such as a pressure sensor or flow sensor, is designed, fabricated, and tested in the hands-on laboratory component. All of the class material and supporting documentation for the course is placed on the Web (http://mitghmr.spd.louisville.edu) for public access and dissemination. The course has been successfully offered twice and has been very well received by a diverse student group. Details of the development and operation of the course are provided.

Polymer composite materials are widely used in marine applications where an understanding of the long-term performance is essential for economic, safety and durability requirements. Although moisture absorption in composites has been studied for many years, the relationship between the mechanisms of moisture absorption and consequent changes in material behaviour has received much less attention. Understanding degradation is necessary for developing lifetime assessments. In this work, long-term exposure of a unidirectional carbon fibre epoxy composite material in water has been investigated in relation to mechanical property changes and moisture uptake. Using diffusion modelling and microscopy of the fracture surfaces, it is possible to correlate water absorption to experimental data showing how the position of water in the material causes changes to flexural properties (modulus decreased by 14% and strength by 20%) and in the glass transition temperature, Tg reduced by 18%. Flexural modulus has been shown to be most affected by water interaction with the fibre interface; Tg by water interaction within the resin; and flexural strength equally by water interaction with both fibre interface and resin.

This paper offers a perspective on ‘care’ as a component in the identity of successful university teachers. Three key lines of flight within this assemblage (care, pedagogic health, and salutogenesis) are examined here. In combination, they may offer a response to hegemonic neoliberal discourses that typically divert academics from enacting their professional values. A ‘triple point’ is hypothesised, at which the three lines would be found to co-exist, without border or barriers.