Nanotechnology expert lectures at AUS

A seminar entitled "Nanotechnology and the Changing Faces of Research and Education," was held at American University of Sharjah (AUS) on Tuesday, November 29. The lecture was presented by Dr. Osama Awadelkarim, Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Pennsylvania State University.

A well-known expert on nano-materials and their applications, Dr. Awadelkarim discussed how nanotechnology has been around for a long time but it is finally being utilized now as scientists have learned how to "controllably and repeatedly make things in the nano-size range." Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100nm (1nm=10-9m).

"Nanotechnology is not an industry or a discipline in itself; it is an enabling technology that should be provided to everybody," said Dr. Awadelkarim. He illustrated this point by suggesting areas where nanotechnology can be utilized. These include tunneling microscopy, molecular switches, solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells, energy production and storage and remediation methods.

Dr. Awadelkarim was at AUS as part of the physics seminar series. He is the Associate Director for the Center of Nanotechnology Education and Utilization and the Nanotechnology Applications and Career Knowledge Center at Pennsylvania State University, USA.