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The introduction of nanotechnology, or technology on a molecular scale, by Nomo Taniguchi in 1974 has created the revolutionary potential for advanced technologies, including atom-by-atom manufacturing, surgery on a cellular scale, and immensely compact, powerful computers.
According to James Ferri, associate professor of chemical engineering, the expanding market for this new technology is opening doors for much needed research, which he intends to bring to Lafayette.
Ferri was recently awarded a $198,316 grant from the National Science Foundation to begin cutting-edge research that will break ground for an evolving nanotechnology program. The funds, which will be distributed over the next three years from Aug. 1 to July 31, 2010, will cover research expenses and all the necessary equipment for a long-term program. Ferri anticipates that, as student interest increases, the research may develop into a formal curriculum.
The focus of Ferri’s research is to develop ultra thin nanomembranes with stimulus-responsive properties. Such abilities would enable these materials to perform a much greater diversity of functions including self-replication, self-repair, and autodegradation, which would help accommodate the various needs and broadening uses for nanotechnology.
“This research will develop and characterize adaptive nanobiomaterials whose structures and properties can respond to external stimuli,” which is part of developing so-called “smart materials” that are key in new nanotechnologies, Ferri explains.
“Self-assembled ultra thin surface materials are particularly attractive for biological applications because they can be engineered to feature enhanced or stimulus-responsive properties such as mechanical strength or biodegradability,” he says.
This research, he says, will drastically affect emerging technologies in biomedicine, nutrition science, and mechanobiology because little is known about how the structure and chemical properties of nanoscopic materials affect their response in different environments.
Ferri expects to exploit the vast potential for undergraduate involvement and research on both a local and international scale through the EXCEL Scholars Program. In Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, students conduct research with faculty while earning a stipend. The program has helped to make Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.
Ferri has outlined several educational and outreach opportunities for all students as well as EXCEL researchers in the engineering department.
Among these opportunities are studying abroad at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG), affiliated with the Max Planck Society, in Potsdam, Germany. Ferri recently completed an 18-month Alexander von Humbolt Fellowship at the MPIKG where he remains a visiting scientist and intends to utilize this relationship to his students’ advantage.
The MPIKG is one of the principle academic institutions in Western Europe and the Max Planck Society “ranks first in the world in the number of citations in the areas of physics, chemistry, and materials science,” Ferri says. The Interfaces Department within the MPIKG is a highly esteemed research center dedicated to understanding interfaces and their significance in colloidal systems. The center is headed by director Helmuth Mohwald, one of the top five most cited scientists in Germany.
Students, in conjunction with their research, would participate in short courses and seminars at the International Max Planck Research School on Biomimetics while simultaneously absorbing the rich cultural heritage of Germany.
“The enhancement of this collaboration would provide an opportunity for undergraduates to gain an international summer research experience,” Ferri explains. “As well as cultural exposure enabling their development as globally aware young scientists and enriching their research through the diversity of learning perspectives.”
According to Ferri, Lafayette would already be among a very small group of undergraduate institutions in the country to offer a nanotechnology program, but it would be the only undergraduate institution involved internationally with MPIKG, one of the top institutes for nanotechnology in the world.
Other courses and programs Ferri intends to introduce are an introductory course exposing students to molecular engineering and nanoscience concepts entitled, “Engineering at the Nanoscale: From Molecules to Materials.” He is also creating new First Year Seminar and VaST courses called, “Room at the Bottom: Nanotechnology and Modern Society.”
The VaST (Values in Science and Technology) program comprises a list of courses intended to demonstrate science and technology’s involvement in all disciplines, including economics, social policy, ethics, language, the arts and philosophy. All students are required to complete one VaST course during their time at Lafayette to reinforce its emphasis on interdisciplinary education.
“As a result of taking this VaST course, students should be better able to see and understand science as a functioning part of their daily social world,” Ferri explains. “This course will examine emerging technologies in nanoscience, primarily in the United States and Western Europe, and the accompanying social and ethical issues arising from these innovations.”
Ferri will also integrate nanoscience demonstrations into existing community outreach programs hosted by the engineering and chemistry departments to the Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School (BAVTS) and Tracy Elementary School in the Lehigh Valley.
Students of BAVTS participate in workshops at Lafayette in January and May. Ferri will adapt modules for the “Engineering at the Nanoscale” introductory course for a new workshop for this program. He will also develop two demonstrations for students of Tracy Elementary who visit Lafayette for a workshop in the spring that is designed to excite students about making discoveries through experimentation.
Ferri intends to carry out every one of these initiatives with the help of undergraduate researchers.
“All of the work outlined involves the integration of research and teaching,” he says. “All research initiatives will be carried out by me working together with undergraduates.”
He will integrate his teaching through out all of the work and research as well as mentor students through the venues of independent research, honors thesis, and independent study.
Ferri joined the Lafayette faculty in 2001. He and Tina Huang, assistant professor of chemistry, previously received a $210,549 NSF grant to enhance undergraduate research and teaching capabilities in nanotechnology. He also received a $143,200 NSF grant for numerous research projects focusing on the study of colloid science and complex fluids with Steven E. Mylon, assistant professor of chemistry, and Patricia A. Darcy, assistant professor of chemical engineering. Ferri is the point person behind the College’s new Interdisciplinary Seminar Series in the Life Sciences.
Ferri has published his research in conference and meeting proceedings of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and in publications such as The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Macromolecules, Chemistry of Materials, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, Colloids and Surfaces, and Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. He received a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.