LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Lock Haven University is organizing a series of events on campus that will benefit high school students who are interested in obtaining a science degree. These events are designed to familiarize high school students with the interdisciplinary opportunities offered by LHU’s newly developed nanotechnology programs. All events are free.
Nanotechnology is the science of designing and constructing devices and materials on an atomic or molecular scale. It has applications in industry, manufacturing, medicine and all branches of science. Anura Goonewardene, chair of LHU’s department of physics and geology, says “Nanoscience is the cutting edge for interdisciplinary sciences. No matter what branch of science a student pursues, whether it’s biology or chemistry or physics or any other branch, nanotechnology has tremendous applications.” In addition, students at LHU who study nanotechnology and science in conjunction with the LHU Honors program are eligible for a tuition grant funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The first of the events hosted by the nanotechnology programs will be a presentation on new water filtration products using nanotechnology. Rod Komlenic, a vice president in a leading global manufacturer of specialty papers and nonwovens, will talk about the use of nanostructured alumina fibers for water filtration. The presentation will feature electron microscope images of amazing clarity. The presentation will be on Monday, October 19 in Ulmer Hall 232 (Planetarium) from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
The second event will be Nanoscience Awareness Day, 6:30 -8:00 p.m. on Monday, November 9 in Ulmer Hall 232 (Planetarium). Nanotechnology alumni will present what they are doing now and how they have benefited by participating in nanotechnology programs. Some of LHU’s graduates who are in MS and PhD programs from Engineering to Neuroscience are expected to make presentations.
On Friday, November 20 LHU will host a Nanoscience Open House from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This will be an all-day event for area school districts. All senior/junior high school students from neighboring school districts are invited to this Open House where they will be presented with a tour of nanotechnology labs and an opportunity to meet with LHU nanotechnology students to discuss their on going research. High school students will also see a demonstration show by the students of the physics and chemistry clubs. The university will provide lunch for the participating students.
School districts bringing students for the Nanoscience Open House need to register their participation by sending an email to Dr. Goonewardene (agoonewa@lhup.edu). They will then receive a detailed agenda for this event.
All these events will showcase the interdisciplinary field of nanotechnology in the context of the science BS degree programs in Biology, Biology/Chemistry, Chemistry, and Physics and MS degree (4+2) program in Engineering in partnership with the Department of Engineering Science at Penn State University.
At Lock Haven University, Nanotechnology tools are being used to conduct interdisciplinary research with our science students. In partnership with Penn State University, students spend their sophomore year summer at Penn State learning the techniques of nanotechnology. In their junior year at Lock Haven University, all these students are encouraged to participate in research with our faculty in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics using Lock Haven University's state-of-the-art Nanotechnology Labs.
According to the latest report from American Institute of Physics, Lock Haven University is in the top ten in Pennsylvania for the number of physics graduates per year.
LHU’s nanotechnology programs will also be awarding up to five 4-year tuition scholarships for students interested in doing science and nanotechnology in conjunction with our honors program for the class of fall 2010. These students will join LHU’s Nanoscience Scholars, a program that is directly supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in a multi-year award to Lock Haven University.
This year LHU also received another NSF award for equipment upgrade for the nanotechnology programs.
Presently LHU has over thirty students in the nanotechnology programs and another thirty graduates. Fourteen of these graduates have gone on to graduate school in M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs at universities across the nation fully supported by assistantships, while others have gone on to industry.