Forum: Big rewards for those who think small

Sometimes, in order to think big, one needs to think really, really small. That will be the central theme at the Nanotechnology Entrepreneurship Forum at Pittsburg State University on Friday, Dec. 1. The forum is sponsored by the Center for NanoComposities and Multifunctional Materials (CNCMM) at PSU and will take place from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Governor's Room of the Overman Student Center.

Five panelists representing nanotechnology research and industry will attend. They are Dr. Elizabeth Friis, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas; William D. Goodson, president and CEO of TrailMaster Infrared Monitors in Lenexa, Kan.; Dr. Olga Koper, vice president of technology and technical services for NanoScale; Dr. Angela N. Nwaneri, associate patent counsel for Johnson and Johnson and vice president of patent law for Alza Corp.; and Dr. Peter Wu, vice president and chief scientist for Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.

Friis' topic will be "Biomedical Product Development." Her area of research is biomaterials and biomechanics, with special emphasis on orthopaedic implant design and product development. Goodson, a PSU alumnus, will discuss "Radar Transparency in a Global Economy." Koper, a co-inventor on 10 patents, will discuss "Innovation and Entrepreurship: NanoScale – Thinking Big in a Small Science." Nwaneri will offer a "Review of Nanotechnology Patenting Activities." Wu, whose work with corrosion protection on aircraft and environmentally safer processes has led to advancements in manufacturing, will speak on "Intrepreneurship in the Corporate Structure."

Organizers of the forum said their goal is to generate awareness of entrepreneurship in the field of nanotechnology for PSU students and others attending. The CNCMM at PSU is developing a graduate level materials science and technology program.

Moderators for the forum are Dr. Virginia Rider, coordinator of the Pre-Med Program; Dr. Charles Blatchley, chairman of the Physics and Chemistry Departments; and Dr. Christopher Ibeh, director of the CNCMM.

The CNCMM is a campuswide interdisciplinary research project at PSU sponsored by the Office of Naval Research. The CNCMM provides a mechanism for coordinated efforts of basic, applied and innovative research in the areas of nanocomposities and multifunctional materials for naval structures and homeland security.

For more information about the Nanotechnology Entrepreneurship Forum, contact Beth Uhler, administrative assistant at 620-235-6175, buhler@pittstate.edu or Christopher Ibeh at cibeh@pittstate.edu. For more about the Center for NanoComposities and Multifunctional Materials, visit their Web site at www.cncmm.org.

---Pitt State---