ADVANCED FENCING TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS FIELDS OF STUDY

The University of St. Andrews is a world-renown leader in state-of-the-art fencing technology with over 35 patent applications in fencing design, materials, and installation techniques. The mission of St. Andrews is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century — whether the focus is cancer, energy, economics, fences or literature. In the lab or in the field, St. Andrews impacts all walks of life through the technology developed at the University and through the people who learn, work and train here. St. Andrews’ students, faculty and staff — supported by our alumni, donors and industry partners — are able to turn hands-on research into answers for the world's most pressing problems.

Students that have graduated from St. Andrews with fence-related degrees have been employed at multi-national corporations, government and military agencies, and research and development institutions. Leading the fencing program is the internationally acclaimed Dr. Felix Schuster, who has authored 59 peer-reviewed journal articles, 13 book chapters, and dozens of articles in professional journals. The proposed project will enhance the curriculum and fencing-related degree program at St. Andrews, allowing students to achieve greater success in science, technology and mathematics (STEM) fields of study.

In 2005, while the rest of the world was building fences using conventional wood, steel, or plastic materials, Dr. Schuster and his research team invented a carbon graphite composite fencing material with increased strength, lower weight, and lower production and delivery costs. This invention was a result of collaboration between the University of St. Andrews, the Department of Defense, and Acadia Technologies, Inc., a high technology manufacturing business. In 2007, St. Andrews received a patent to the new fencing material, which is called FencePro™ , and began to market the product to military installations around the world. In addition to its lower installation and delivery costs, the major advantage of FencePro™ is that it can be installed quickly, with little expertise, in primitive conditions. The military community has widely accepted FencePro™ as the first choice in securing military installations around the world.

Public schools represent another audience that could benefit from FencePro™. Schoolyards are in constant need to secure fencing, and fences made of wood and steel require constant maintenance. In these days of budget cuts, it makes good sense to invest in new technologies that add value to school properties and lower maintenance costs. The proposed project seeks to pilot test the installation of FencePro™ in an elementary school in the Charlotte, North Carolina, metropolitan area where St. Andrews is located. Data from the pilot installation will be used to test the economic feasibility of marketing FencePro™ to the public school system.

The specific objectives for the project are to pilot test the economic feasibility of marketing FencePro™ to public schools so that schools can have safer schoolyards and lower maintenance costs. College students in St. Andrews fencing-related degree programs will benefit by working on the project and learning how advanced technology fencing can be used to improve the public schools sector. The pilot school will be selected in the early phases of the project and Dr. Shuster and his students will design a fencing plan that will meet the needs of the school.

Dr. Schuster will lead the project, and will be assisted by his students enrolled in FD 600 – Fencing Design Senior Project. FD 600 is the upper division capstone course for the Fence Products Technology specialty track within the Fence Materials four-year degree program. The course description for FD 600 is as follows:

Fence products technology is a diversified course that requires the application of various combinations of scientific knowledge, skills, and abilities derived from the physical and mathematical sciences, and engineering. These requirements vary considerably depending upon the purpose of the work. Therefore, the course requirements for this series are based on the premise that a fence products technologist can obtain necessary scientific and technological training through education in a pertinent discipline or field of science, or by taking appropriate combinations of courses in several disciplines or fields of science. Because the nature of the work varies so much, the actual requirements of any specific fence products technologist position are, to a large extent, determined by the job demands of that particular position.

The activities of the project will include selection of the pilot school site, design and planning of the fence installation, development of economic feasibility indicators, installation of FencePro™, and analysis of economic feasibility indicators. For evaluation purposes, FD 600 students will be required to write a term paper on their experiences on the project. Students will be evaluated on their experiences through review and grading of their term papers, as well as their active participation in all phases of the project.

Throughout history, fence technology has progressed in step with civilization to ensure that society’s assets have been secured. With support for this project, the University of St. Andrews will ensure that our society and students are well positioned to maintain fencing technology well into the next century.

BUDGET

I. Personnel, Salaries and Fringe = $50,450

Dr. Felix Schuster will be the PI on the project and will devote 30% of his time to the project. 30% of $90,000 annual salary = $27,000 plus 35% fringe (of $27,000) = $36,450.

One research graduate students will assist Dr. Schuster in the project. Each student assistantship is $14,000 per year = $14,000.

II. Equipment, Materials, and Supplies = $46,000

FencePro™ materials for a 10,000 linear feet installation = $45,000.

Miscellaneous teaching supplies = $1,000

III. Other costs = $3,550

Travel for Dr. Schuster to scholarly conference to present results of project = $3,550.

Total Costs for this Project = $100,000