Assignment 1: Discussion—Materials Science: Designing Form to Fit Function

Materials science is an interdisciplinary field where science and technology are used to develop and apply our understanding of matter at the atomic level to improve existing or to make new materials. It is a fusion of the basic scientific fields of physics and chemistry where knowledge of atomic theory, molecular bonding, and the macroscopic properties of metals, ceramics, and plastics come together to solve manufacturing and engineering problems.

Use the Internet, Argosy University library resources, and your textbook to research materials science. Do the following:

• Discuss scientific and technical concepts related to materials science. Use the manufacturing of one of the following materials as the basis for your response:
  • Plastics
  • Glass
  • Metals
• Discuss how materials science has advanced to the stage where materials can be engineered to fit a specific purpose.
• Provide an example of an application or object that is made of materials specifically engineered for that purpose.

Support your statements with examples. Provide a minimum of three scholarly references.

Write your initial response in 2–3 paragraphs. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

By Saturday, February 28, 2015 post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area.

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Assignment 2: Nanotechnology Applications

Nanotechnology (also called nanotech) is a branch of materials science that deals with manipulating matter on the atomic scale. It is so called because this field deals with engineering on the scale of a billionth of a meter, also known as a nanometer. Nanotechnology seeks to solve a wide range of problems from the construction of atomic scale machines to changing material properties at the atomic level.

Use the Internet, Argosy University library resources, and your textbook to research the field of nanotechnology.

Write a paper discussing some of the basic scientific and technical concepts of nanotechnology. Do the following in your paper:

• Discuss current or future applications of nanotechnology in fields such as medicine, engineering, space exploration, fuel cell development, air and water purification, and agriculture.
• Provide at least three examples of real-world applications in use or in development with reliable references.

Write a 2–3-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

By Wednesday, March 4, 2015, deliver your assignment to the M2: Assignment 2 Dropbox for Turnitin testing and grading.

CONTINUING OF WEEK 2 PROJECT PRPOSAL THAT YOU STARTED ON FOR YOUR FACEBOOK TOPIC

WEEK 4 Submit written Expanded Research Proposal containing the following:

1. Documentation of at least three initial scholarly sources from the library
2. Expanded introduction to the organization
3. Expanded description of your chosen problem
4. Preliminary solution options (bulleted)
5. Preliminary analysis of leadership and organizational behavior concepts addressed in the paper

HERE IS THE SITE TO FIND SCHOLARY SOURCES

1.    WEBSITE FOR SOURCES  WILL SEND YOU LOGIN INFO WHEN YOU REQUEST IT

Week 4 Sample Course Project Proposal Expansion

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE PROFESSOR SHOWED US

MGMT 591: Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Project Proposal

Overview of Organization

The organization that will be the topic of discussion in my final project paper is ADC Telecommunications.  ADC is a publicly traded, global, manufacturing telecommunications company whose headquarters are in the Twin Cities.  We primarily sell copper and fiber products to customers like Verizon and AT&T/Cingular.  Like many other telecommunication companies, ADC went thru a significant down-turn around 2000.  Not only did locations get shut-down and hundreds of people got laid off, the morale and culture of ADC changed.  ADC went from having a top benefits package to having a decent benefits package.  They used to have all types of employee incentives and appreciation activities.  Now the employees are lucky if they get a caramel apple in the fall and an appreciation meal at the holidays.  Rewards for employees doing well are not there anymore. 

With the down-turn, ADC lost a lot of their highly skilled, highly valuable employees.  They’ve consciously tried to higher “the best of the best” but ADC, at the current time, is not willing to provide the salaries and benefits to get “the best of the best.”  ADC has really been focusing on cost-cutting measures the last couple of years.  Thus, about everything that differentiated ADC from other companies has gone out the window. 

I am an accountant for ADC in the business unit setting.  I started with ADC in January of 2006.  I was not around for the major down-turn, the benefits package reduction, etc.  However, I work everyday with people who were there for that and who have had a negative attitude towards ADC ever since.  They constantly discuss how it used to be, so it brings everyone down because well all think of how much better it’d be with all of those benefits. 

Cost-cutting activities are alive and well at ADC today too.  I have been there for less than two years and have seen three locations within the US close down and at least four outside of the US close.  I’ve seen employees at headquarters get walked out just because they want to reduce the workforce and have less employee expenses.  It can make it a difficult place to work at when you never really know if you’ll be the next person walked out the door. 

Beyond lay-offs, ADC is attempting to cut costs in a lot of other areas, such as not purchasing new computers and other new equipment that would improve efficiency, so that money can be saved right now.  Even though ADC was profitable in 2006, they decided not to give out any bonuses to employees.  Yearly employee events have turned into every two or three year events.  Gyms were supposed to be built at the facilities but that is no longer going to occur so money can be saved.  Needless to say, overall morale around the place is quite low and ADC is having a hard time in keeping people around.  Even those who have worked there for 10-20+ years have been leaving recently.

ADC has a lot of great people with great ideas.  That’s why I stay.  I feel that ADC has the opportunity to be a great company where employees are recognized and appreciated, where turnover decreases and productivity increases.  I feel ADC has a lot of the right people to change the company around.  The difficult part is that the top-level managers have decided to go to the route of cost-cutting rather than employee-saving. 

Preliminary Problem Statement

ADC has set their top company priority as cost savings.  They will offshore operations, lay-off people, reduce benefit plans, expect more output from each employee, and, overall, not value their employees as their asset.  Further details about the atmosphere at ADC have been previously described.  I feel that ADC has the creativity and personnel to turn the company around.  I see that ambition in various employees, but that desire needs to be put into place for the company to change.  Otherwise I am afraid the company’s morale will continue to decrease and employee turnover will continue to increase.  Therefore, I would like to make my paper be about what you, Professor Stone, suggested in one of the threaded discussions – how to turn ADC into an HPO? I will research what is needed to turn a company into an HPO and look at examples of other companies who have made the transformations.  Thru my research and writing, my plan is create the preliminary steps and outline for ADC to become one of the companies admired by others and to work on a long-term goal of making ADC into a Fortune 500 Company.

References