SCHOOL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY PLANNED
BYLINE: US States News
DATELINE: GREENVILLE, N.C.
The University of North Carolina-Greenville issued the following press release:
University of North Carolina Greenville and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University are planning a joint school of nanoscience and nanoengineering.
Nanotechnology is research and development on a microscopic scale. A nanometer - a billionth of a meter - is about 10 atoms wide. A human hair is roughly 75,000 nanometers thick.
By manipulating matter on a molecular level, nanotechnology has virtually unlimited potential. For example, it could reduce auto emissions or lead to more effective cancer treatment.
The universities are seeking $65 million for the project from 2007-2010. If the General Assembly provides money for it, the first graduate students could be enrolled as soon as 2008, and a building specifically for the school could be finished as soon as 2009. The school would be based at the South Campus of the Greensboro Center for Innovative Development.
"If this gets funded, it will be a seminal event for Greensboro and the Triad," Provost A. Edward Uprichard told the UNCG Board of Trustees.
According to the universities' plan, drafted by a 19-member committee of administrators and faculty members, a $10 million core laboratory building could be completed in 2009. A $50 million building with additional space for labs, classrooms and offices could be finished in 2011.
"This has been one of the most rewarding partnerships I've been involved with," Uprichard said. "If it gets funded, this would be a national model."
The two universities have worked closely together before. In addition to jointly developing the Greensboro Center for Innovative Development, they offer a joint master's degree in social work.
According to a project summary, "The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering will shape the future of Greensboro and the Piedmont Triad by positioning these areas at the cutting-edge of some of the most exciting developments in the sciences and engineering in the 21st century. ?
"It represents the type of innovative, collaborative thinking necessary to move the Piedmont Triad from a manufacturing-based to a knowledge-based economy. This joint venture has the potential to unify the community around an economic development initiative as never before."
Contact: Dan Nonte, 336/334-5371.