Erie Community Colleges efforts to launch a new degree program in nanotechnology received a major boost Tuesday with a state grant of $5.75 million. <\/p>\n
The grant, announced by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in Syracuse, will allow the college to renovate a North Campus building and buy costly equipment used in nanotechnology training. <\/p>\n
College officials hope to begin offering courses toward a new associates degree in nanotechnology in spring 2015. <\/p>\n
Nanotechnology involves controlling and manipulating supersmall particles to create new products and processes in advanced manufacturing, according to the National Nanotechnology Initiative. <\/p>\n
Working at the nanoscale one nanometer is a billionth of a meter manufacturers can take advantage of the unique physical, chemical, mechanical and optical properties of materials that naturally occur at that scale. <\/p>\n
Nanotechnology, for example, is a key component in the creation of ever-faster computer chips. <\/p>\n
College and state officials said the program would produce a trained workforce to take advantage of new opportunities at the RiverBend project and high-tech research and development positions at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. <\/p>\n
College officials were still waiting for approval from the state Education Department about their proposal for the new degree program, which would enroll about 50 new students per year. <\/p>\n
We anticipate that we should hear this fall, said Richard C. Washousky, executive vice president of academic affairs at ECC. <\/p>\n
The State University of New York gave its approval about a month ago, he said. <\/p>\n
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Nanotech at ECC gets boost from state<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Erie Community Colleges efforts to launch a new degree program in nanotechnology received a major boost Tuesday with a state grant of $5.75 million. The grant, announced by Gov Continue reading