The SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) and the City School District of Albany (CSDA) recognized thirteen Albany High School students on Friday, May 30 during a graduation ceremony that marked their successful completion of the groundbreaking “NanoHigh” program, believed to be the first-of-its kind in the nation.
“The NanoHigh program supports Governor Andrew Cuomo’s commitment to providing opportunities for students to learn the advanced skills that are in high demand throughout the state’s burgeoning nanotechnology-based economy,” said Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, Chief Executive Officer and Officer in Charge of the newly merged SUNY CNSE/SUNYIT Institution. “I congratulate this latest class of graduates as we look forward to continuing CNSE’s partnership with the Albany City School District to provide students with this unique chance to experience the inspiring world of nanotechnology.”
“Year after year, the NanoHigh program opens students’ eyes to the powerful possibilities of the nanosciences, and is an important component of Albany High School’s curriculum,” said CSDA Superintendent Dr. Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard. “It is exciting to see that fun, hands-on learning can both challenge our students and provide them with the skills they will need to succeed in New York State’s high-tech sector. We look forward to continued collaboration with SUNY CNSE in the fall as we expand career pathways at Albany High so that even more students can reap the benefits of this truly unique opportunity.”
Including this latest class to graduate from NanoHigh, more than 125 students have successfully completed the program since its 2007 inception. Graduating students received certificates after taking part in the science-based curriculum that aims to help prepare them for the growing number of advanced technology career paths across New York State’s innovation corridor. Taught collaboratively during the school year at both Albany High School and at CNSE’s $20 billion facility, the program also emphasized opportunities for students from social groups that are typically underrepresented in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Students taking part in the “NanoHigh” program work with CNSE faculty, students, and staff inside the college’s ultra-modern laboratories where they are able to conduct hands-on experiments to explore a wide variety of nanotechnology-based applications, including integrated circuit technologies and nanoscale patterning and fabrication; clean energy technologies, such as dye-sensitized solar cells and ultracapacitors for energy storage; and nanobiomedical applications like innovations in nanomedicine and forensic DNA fingerprinting; in addition to learning about the concepts underpinning nanoeconomics.
The collaboration between CNSE and CSDA will continue when the NanoHigh program marks the start of its eighth year in the fall, enabling even more students to become engaged in the exciting science that is advancing 21st century innovations.
For more information about the NanoHigh program, please visit: http://www.sunycnse.com/NanoforKids/NanoHighProgram.aspx.
Source: http://www.sunycnse.com/