To address the increasing need for professionals who
can apply nanotechnology to their work in a wide range of
industries, Johns Hopkins is launching a nanotechnology
program for part-time graduate students.
The 10-course option is part of the
Engineering and Applied
Science Programs for Professionals master's degree
program in Materials Science and Engineering. It draws on
the expertise of Whiting School of Engineering faculty
members, scientists at the Applied Physics Laboratory and
industry specialists.
"Our knowledge of how materials behave at the
nanoscale has increased exponentially over time,
particularly in the last decade," said Robert Cammarata,
chair of the Whiting School's
Department of
Materials Science and Engineering and chair of the EPP
Materials Science and Engineering program. "At the atomic
level, materials can exhibit novel behavior, so it's all
about understanding and controlling that behavior."
In 1959, physicist and Nobel laureate Richard Feynman
first hinted at nanotechnology with his discussion of the
potential to manipulate individual atoms and molecules.
Today, nanotechnology encompasses any technological
development on the nanometer scale, usually in the range of
0.1 to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a
meter, or approximately 10 atoms, in length.
The potential uses for nanomaterials are limited only
by imagination. The development of alternative fuels,
improvements in computer technology through miniaturization
and mass storage, and innovations in manufacturing are only
three examples. Engineers and scientists are particularly
intrigued by the use of nanotechnology in the medical
field, including new cancer treatments and novel methods of
drug delivery.
"Nanotechnology is relevant to almost every
engineering and science discipline," Cammarata said. "For
instance, an important new area in nanotechnology is in
biological and chemical sensing, with one possible
application being the improved detection of the improvised
explosive devices, or IEDs, that are prevalent in Iraq."
EPP's nanotechnology study option is being launched in
the fall 2006 term. Students who pursue this option can
select one of two concentrations: nanomaterials and
biotechnology.
The concentration in nanomaterials allows students to
take relevant courses in materials science and engineering,
applied physics, mechanical engineering, chemical and
biomolecular engineering, and geography and environmental
engineering. Some of the courses in this concentration are
Introduction to Nanomaterials, Micro- and Nano-Structured
Materials and Devices, Nanoelectronics: Physics and
Devices, and Polymer Nanocomposites.
The biotechnology concentration emphasizes course work
in applied biomedical engineering as well as chemical and
biomolecular engineering, and materials science and
engineering. Courses in this concentration include Chemical
and Biological Properties of Materials, Applications of
Physics and Technology to Biomedicine, and Cellular and
Tissue Engineering.
"Students in this option can also engage in
work-related research that can be counted as an independent
study course," Cammarata said.
For more information about the nanotechnology option,
go to www.epp.jhu.edu
or call 800-548-3647.
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