Dr. Alan MacDiarmid, who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000, often began his lectures by stating that “science is people”, and at UTD’s Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, we firmly believe this; people are our most valuable asset. The membership of the Institute spans nearly a quarter century in age; from middle school children to seasoned faculty, and is made up of scientists from almost all walks of scientific discipline.
Much of the fundamental science that is being done by nanotechnologists today will be the current technology in twenty years. For this reason the NanoTech Institute feels very strongly about educating and training the next generation of scientists. Our NanoExplorers are examples of our dedication to this task. Over 200 middle school and high school students have had their first research experiences in the NanoTech Institute in the past three years. These students have co-authored numerous technical presentations (including over fifty conference posters) and journal articles on nanotechnology.
The Institute is also actively involved in many outreach programs with other universities. As co-founder of the “Nano at the Border” consortium (officially started in January 2002), the UTD NanoTech Institute has worked to support educational activities and research in nanotechnology at the U.S./Mexico border region universities, UT Pan America and UT Brownsville.