Cutting Edge Nanotechnology at NOVA-Manassas

Release, NOVA-Manassas:

The Manassas Campus of Northern Virginia Community College recently highlighted the science of nanotechnology through a series of presentations.

On April 1, Manori Nadesalingam discussed the physics of nanotechnology. Her presentation, “Beyond Microtechnology: The Importance of Nanotechnology,” explained how nanotechnology is the study of matter at the atomic or molecular scale. Nadesalingam is an assistant professor of physics and engineering at NOVA.

On April 3, Stephen Fonash and Robert Ehrmann traveled from Penn State to conduct an interactive workshop for students and faculty. In addition to being a professor of engineering sciences at Penn State, Fonash serves as the director of the Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge Network which works to create and sustain nanotechnology education across the United States.

Another presentation featured a demonstration of the campus’s new scanning electron microscope, a state-of-the-art microscope that magnifies samples up to 100,000 times with remarkable detail. NOVA is the only Virginia community college that makes this high-tech microscope available to students. 

The events were scheduled during NanoDays 2014, a national celebration of nanoscale science and engineering and its potential impact on the future. 

Manassas Provost Roger Ramsammy and Assistant Dean of Science Ia Gomez are leading an initiative to implement nanotechnology activities in STEM courses. NOVA faculty from several disciplines, including biology, chemistry, engineering and physics, are collaborating to keep students current with this emerging science. 

To learn more, contact Gomez at igomez@nvcc.edu.