Overview

How do materials behave at the tiny scale of atoms and molecules, and what new technology can result from such knowledge at the nanometer scale? Nanoscience and nanotechnology are interdisciplinary efforts, involving scientists and engineers from many disciplines. This symposium discusses some of the current areas of research and its applications to the new technology.

Speakers

Angela M. Belcher Ph.D.
Belcher is a materials chemist with expertise in the fields of biomaterials, biomolecular materials, organic-inorganic interfaces and solid state chemistry. She received a doctoral degree in inorganic chemistry in 1997 from the University of California – Santa Barbara. Belcher joined the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 1999. Belcher’s interest focuses at interfaces, which includes the interfaces of scientific disciplines as well as the interfaces of materials. Her group at the University of Texas is using nature as a guide to make novel electronic and magnetic materials and to pattern materials on nano length scales.

C.K. Shih, Ph.D.
Shih recieved his doctoral degree in applied physics at Stanford University in 1988. He worked as postdoctoral researcher at IBM T.J. Watson Reseach Center on scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy of semiconductors. In 1990, he joined the faculty in the Physics Department of the University of Texas at Austin. Shih’s main research interest is nanoscale electronic materials, focusing on novel synthesis and novel physical properties of semiconductor and metallic nanostructures. In addition, he has also worked on nanomechanical properties of soft condensed matter systems including biological cells.

Naomi Halas, Ph.D.
Halas is the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and COmputer Engineering and professor of chemistry at Rice University. Her work with metal nanoshells and their applications has been featured in Discover Magazine, Scientific America, Laser Focus World, OEREports, Red Herring, Forbes, and Business Week. Prior to coming to Rice, she was a postdoctoral fellow at AT&T Bell Labortories. She received her doctoral degree in physics from Bryn Mawr College.

Dennis Wilson, Ph.D.
Wilson is co-founder and CEO of Nanotechnologies, Inc. and co-inventor of the company’s proprietary process. Wilson received his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas in 1977. Prior to starting Nanotechnologies, he was a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Texas at Austin, where he taught courses and conducted research in thermal fluid sciences. Wilson also has four years of technology management experience as founder and President of Applied Sciences, Inc. He also served as director of special projects at the Institute for Advanced Technology, where he was responsible for high-risk / high-pay-off research in hypervelocity physics.