Sep 30 2015
A half-million dollar grant will propel Tuskegee University further into the emerging field of nanomaterials science and engineering. The university has just been given an award from the National Science Foundation to obtain new equipment that will greatly increase our research and teaching capabilities in the field.
Nanomaterials science involves the use of materials at the smallest scale, including manipulation of individual atoms and molecules. Products that use nano-scale materials range from bottles and car wax to solar cells and electric and hybrid car batteries. Despite the wide range of uses, much is still left to learn about how these modern materials and the tiny particles they are composed of interact with the environment and living things.
The NSF funding will help Tuskegee secure an advanced Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope. With the capabilities of this instrument, Tuskegee researchers aim to develop a deeper understanding of the synthesis of various nanoparticles, including those derived from natural sources and their dispersion in host polymers and biological cells. The research findings will add to the world's knowledge of the synthesis and processing of nanomaterials, which will potentially be used in a variety of applications.
This state of the art equipment will support the research of not only Tuskegee’s faculty and their collaborators from other institutions but also the local industry. The university will also help develop microscopy teaching modules for K-12 students and teachers. Additionally, the microscope will bolster Tuskegee’s efforts to recruit more students for its engineering graduate programs and help bring much-needed diversity to the nation’s advanced technological workforce.
The principal investigator for this grant is Dr. Vijaya K. Rangari, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The co-principal investigators are: Drs. Clayton Yates, Mahesh Hosur, Temesgen Samuel and Shaik Zainuddin. The contributions of these professors will continue to strengthen our academic capabilities and lead to the achievement of the university’s five strategic priorities such as “Fully Inaugurating 21st Century Higher Education at Tuskegee University: (Through) Innovative Online and Expanded Academic Programming and Instruction, Infrastructure and Technology.”
"We congratulate Professor Rangari and his colleagues on their continuing work to keep Tuskegee University at the forefront in receipt of research-based grants among similarly-situated institutions in both the nation and the world," said Tuskegee University president, Dr. Brian L. Johnson.
Source: http://www.tuskegee.edu/