Teaching Science and Engineering undergraduates with a liquid droplet solidification tool

We developed curricular activities that were based on the application of a Community Ice Nucleation Cold Stage to teach the theory of solidification that is applicable to multidisciplinary STEM disciplines.We adopted a freezing assay, which simulates ambient immersion freezing in a laboratory setting (i.e., freezing of ice-nucleating aerosol particles immersed in a water droplet), to provide hands-on, laboratory-based education to STEM students at a primarily undergraduate and minority-serving institute (PUI-MSI).With the freezing assay, we instructed more than 60 STEM students on fundamental concepts of material and atmospheric science, such as phase change, phase transition temperature, crystallization, and ice nucleation, in existing university courses.We educated a diverse group of students and exposed them to state-of-the-art techniques early in their academic careers to consider pursuing a STEM career and higher education.As outreach, we also trained graduate students, as well as students from an adjacent community college (CC).The developed curricular activities provided students with experience in experimentation, data analysis, and technical writing.Based on the ABET assessment of learning outcomes, we assessed our goals to educate students on 1) using multidisciplinary science, engineering, and mathematical skills to evaluate and address complex issues emergent in science and engineering-related fields (ABET -1) and 2) fostering professional collaboration and inclusive team working environment as well as effective oral and written communication (ABET # 3, 5 & 6).We present our preliminary assessment results for each learning outcome based on post-lab assignment and survey, demonstrating that modules can be applied at any institute to advance undergraduate curricula in science and engineering.