College Faculty Establish Houston Chapter of Professional Group

By Erin D. McKenzie, Engineering Communications

August 4, 2009

Thanks to faculty at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering the city will have a new chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Nanotechnology Council.

Launched late last month, the Houston chapter is designed to locally promote this field where matter is manipulated at the atomic and molecular scale to create new manufactured products.

“Nanotechnology is an important field both scientifically and commercially,” said Dmitri Litvinov, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Cullen College. “The promotion of nanotechnology, the mission of the chapter, will contribute to both the academic and industrial sides of the area.”

A longtime member of the Administrative Committee of the Nanotechnology Council, Litvinov headed efforts to establish the chapter along with many faculty at the college. He has been designated to continue to lead as chair of the multi-disciplinary group—a joint venture of more than 20 other IEEE societies.

“The activities of the section will include sponsoring seminars and colloquia as well as organizing local workshops and conferences,” Litvinov added, “with the goal to promote and stimulate collaborations among Houston area researchers and to promote nanotechnology.”

Nanotechnology is making a big impact in the scientific world lately due to its wide-range of uses for everything from biomedical devices and chemical synthesis to energy generation and storage. Litvinov expects the chapter to gather at least once a month, in a seminar-style setting, so experts in the field can present their state-of-the-art research and discuss current developments in nanotechnology.

For more information on upcoming activities or to become a member, contact Litvinov via email at litvinov@uh.edu or by phone at 713.743.4168.