Veeco
Instruments Inc. has established an endowed chair at UC Santa Barbara that
will support the teaching and research of a pioneering scholar in engineering
or the sciences. The Veeco Chair will support the work of an eminent scholar
in the College of Engineering or the Division of Mathematical, Life, and Physical
Sciences who develops or uses scanning probe microscopy to advance nanoscale
characterization in their field. Veeco will also donate a scanning probe microscope
system to support the chairholder's work.
"Veeco's history as a manufacturer of atomic force microscopes
is closely tied to UCSB, so we are, therefore, extremely pleased to establish
this important chair," said Mark R. Munch, Executive Vice President, Veeco
Metrology. "We have enjoyed a strong relationship with UCSB over the years
as scientific collaborators, pioneers in nano instrumentation technology development,
and as partners in the Santa Barbara community."
Veeco is an international leader in the development of instrumentation used
to advance scientific research and nanotechnology. The corporation made the
recent gift to honor its long and successful partnership with the university.
Endowed chairs are highly prized academic positions that enable a university
to attract and retain top faculty members and to develop more fully a field
of study by providing ongoing unrestricted financial support for enhanced research
and instruction.
"Veeco has provided a gift that will enable us to attract another world-class
leader in the field of scanning probe techniques," said Matt Tirrell,
Auhll professor and dean of UCSB's College of Engineering. "We will
be able to recruit someone who is advancing the frontiers of science in nanoscale
characterization of materials. There have been many UC Santa Barbara graduates
who have joined Veeco, making them one of our best industrial partners. Cooperation
between Veeco scientists and UCSB scientists and engineers has been tremendously
and mutually beneficial."
"As the world leader in atomic force microscopy, we are excited to support
UCSB's faculty and students in their exploration of future scanning probe
microscopy technologies," added David Rossi, Vice President, GM, Veeco's
Nano-Bio Atomic Force Microscope business.
In 1998 Veeco acquired Santa Barbara based Digital Instruments, the first company
to make the power of AFM readily available to scientists and engineers. With
the instruments, researchers could view and explore nanoscale features and structures
never seen before. It was a critical starting point in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Veeco has continued to make significant investments in atomic force microscopy
technology.
Since the inception of The Campaign for UC Santa Barbara in 2000, UCSB's
endowment - now estimated at $201 million - has grown by $126 million.
Fifty-four new endowed professorships have been established during the campaign,
bringing UCSB's total to 78. Over the years, Veeco has been a generous
campus benefactor, providing support for engineering and the sciences, the California
NanoSystems Institute, the Materials Research Laboratory, and the UCSB writing
program.