It has long been said that the world is getting smaller. The inventions of the automobile and air travel vastly decreased the time it takes to get from one place to another. Todays technology provides opportunities for instant communication with most other places in the world, bringing people together even if their locations are distant. <\/p>\n
Not only is the world getting smaller, but the technology that makes it seem that way is also smaller, much smaller. Its called nanotechnology. Utah Valley University recently received a $700,000 National Science Foundation grant that is allowing the creation of a new course in nanotechnology. <\/p>\n
There is only a three to five percent chance of getting money from the NSF, said Reza Kamali, associate professor of computer engineering at UVU. We are very pleased. We are going to make a state of the art new course. <\/p>\n
The students in that course will learn the field of nano-microfabrication, or creating items on that small scale. They will design and produce nano sensors on a variety of media that can be used by millions around the world. <\/p>\n
Every electronic device in production today has nanotechnology as an integral part of it, Kamali said. This grant will help provide the resources for students to learn the necessary skills to make a huge impact for companies here in Utah County, especially Silicon Slopes. Our graduates already have multiple job offers, but this will truly give them a huge advantage in nearly every technology industry. This grant is just a wonderful thing for everyone who lives in Utah. <\/p>\n
It will affect many who live in Utah, along with multiple departments at UVU. The class will be a collaboration between digital media, engineering, computer science, computer engineering and physics. <\/p>\n
This should be something by which the entire university is benefited, Kamali said. <\/p>\n
The class wont start until 2019, but the plans are already coming together. It will have three components. One is the material presented in class lectures. The second is hands-on laboratory practices and the third is educational games. <\/p>\n
We decided to have those educational games so students could practice how to use the tools, Kamali said. As they pass levels in those games, they go on to real-world experiments. <\/p>\n
The fabrication devices used in nanotechnology are expensive, so it is good for the students to get as much actual practice as possible, he said. <\/p>\n
Part of the funding will go to help digital media students create virtual reality modules. Nanotechnology students will be able to use those without actually having to be in the laboratory. <\/p>\n
Five professors will be working directly on the project, along with others who will be indirectly involved. Eight students will be directly involved. <\/p>\n
Many of the uses of nanotechnology are in the biomedical field. Kamali said one example was tools to measure a persons glucose levels. Another is a probe, about one-thousandth the size of a human hair, which can detect signs of early DNA damage that can lead to cancer. <\/p>\n
Some nanotechnology-created biomaterial is used in tissue engineering as it closely mimics the properties of native human tissue. They can be used to repair damaged heart walls, blood vessels and skin, among other uses. Human bodies use natural nano-sized materials, including proteins and other molecules, to control its systems. <\/p>\n
Scientists at MIT have been researching the use of nanotechnology in minuscule wires to create a new way of producing electricity, according to Nature Materials. <\/p>\n
The uses are many and appear to be wide-spread, just as wide as the technology is minute. <\/p>\n
I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of this outstanding grant, said Marty Clayton, assistant professor of digital media at UVU. This will allow our students to positively utilize the engaged learning aspect that we promote here at UVU as they develop VR modules for this new class. I fervently believe that virtual reality learning is a major portion of the future of higher education. <\/p>\n
This is the future, Kamali said. <\/p>\n
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UVU receives prestigious grant to add new nanotechnology class - Daily Herald<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It has long been said that the world is getting smaller. The inventions of the automobile and air travel vastly decreased the time it takes to get from one place to another. Todays technology provides opportunities for instant communication with most other places in the world, bringing people together even if their locations are distant Continue reading