Sept. 15, 2000


Nanotechnology Symposium To Focus on Campus Research, Offers Faculty And Staff Opportunity To Develop Joint Research Projects

Faculty and research staff interested in developing joint research programs in the field of nanotechnology are encouraged to participate in a day-long symposium on Friday, September 22. Sponsored by the Office of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the Executive Vice Provost, the nanotechnology symposium runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the fifth floor of Alfred Lerner Hall. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. The event is free, and registration should be completed by Monday, September 18.

Nanotechnology refers to the capability of manufacturing atomically precise devices and to control processes on the nanometer (or billionth of a meter) scale. Nanotechnology can also refer to the products and processes of molecular manufacturing, including molecular machinery.

On the morning of the symposium, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the National Nanotechnology Initiative and will be given overviews of nanotechnology in physics, materials, biology and medicine by speakers from Columbia's Office of Strategic Initiatives and Brookhaven National Laboratory. In the afternoon, participants will learn about the cutting-edge nanoscale research performed in various departments at Columbia.

The following four discussion groups are scheduled for participants: Nanomaterials 'By Design'; Healthcare/Bio-Nanodevices; Nanoscale Processes and the Environment; and, Nanoelectronics, Optoelectronics and Magnetics.

For more information on the symposium, contact Elizabeth Beerman at 212-854-2731 or ejb22@columbia.edu.