November 2016
Message from the Executive Director

The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), established in 2001, is the premier center for nanotechnology related initiatives at our campus. The CNST works toward a seamless integration of interdisciplinary research from atoms and materials to devices and systems. Campus faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students, industry partners, and collaborating scientists from government laboratories and higher education institutions around the world come together through the Center’s efforts.

The University of Illinois Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) over the last 15 years has spearheaded efforts in creating the nanotechnology ecosystem also known as "nano@illinois." These efforts have resulted in bringing in over $75 million in federal and industry research and education funding to the campus, providing over 200 fellowships, and enabling hands-on training workshops and summer schools for over 500 graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty from a broad range of disciplinary areas. The CNST collaboratory is engaged in research, education, training, entrepreneurship, and outreach activities, and comprises the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, Coordinated Science Laboratory, Beckman Institute, Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and other nanotechnology centers and projects.

The motivation for the nano@illinois newsletter is to cover nanoscience activities around the campus--not just a single lab or unit--and to highlight the multidisciplinary collaborations that have been seeded over the years through CNST-led campus-wide focus groups. The newsletter is being circulated across the campus, to industry and federal and state agencies, and international partners.

We have also profiled an outstanding alumni and graduate student, who have shown tremendous initiative and leadership in going beyond their own research, to be role models to others and to promote the STEM pipeline and conduct outreach activities. These individuals' success was nurtured in the world-class nanotechnology ecosystem at Illinois.

Enjoy perusing the articles, and send us stories of your work for inclusion in the upcoming newsletter. 

Irfan Ahmad

November 2016 Newsletter