The tiny technology fueling some of the world’s biggest breakthroughs was front and center at Florida Polytechnic University during Florida Association for Nanotechnology’s annual NanoFlorida Conference.
The conference, co-hosted by the University of South Florida, kicked off on Friday, Oct. 2, with discussions on developments in the field and their impact on global health, artificial intelligence, advanced biofuel and cancer treatment. It featured new research, competitions and informative sessions with prominent tech experts, attracting about 150 academic and industry leaders from across the country and around the world.
“Hosting a gathering of this caliber highlights Florida Poly’s role as a destination for leading-edge scientific research,” said Dr. Brad Thiessen, Florida Poly’s provost. “It provides our students direct access to the knowledgeable professionals in the field who are actively shaping the future of nanomaterials and advanced tech production.”
This is Florida Poly’s first year hosting the event, which focuses on sharing research and discovery in nanoscience in concert with scholars pursuing careers in the field.
“Nanotechnology allows us to manipulate matter at the atomic level to unlock answers for health and computing,” said Dr. Ajeet Kaushik, associate professor of chemistry at Florida Poly. ““This event brings together experts from across fields to accelerate how we transform laboratory insights into functional technologies.”
Kaushik co-chaired the event’s organizing committee alongside Dr. Ian Bentley, chair of Florida Poly’s departments of physics, chemistry and biology.
For the first time in its 18-year history, the event featured a Shark Tank-style pitch competition, connecting students, researchers and tech entrepreneurs with investors, corporate partners and commercialization experts. Four finalists were judged on their project’s scientific originality, market viability, commercialization strategy and presentation quality.
“This event is a great opportunity for our students to showcase their talents and abilities to the wider scientific community,” Bentley said. “The exceptional quality of student research presented shows that our scholars are fully prepared to lead in the evolving high-tech workforce.”
The event also spotlighted select research poster presentations, including work from two Florida Poly faculty members and seven undergraduates.
“Watching our undergraduate students stand beside veteran faculty members to defend their findings is incredibly rewarding,” Kaushik said. “The depth of knowledge displayed in these scientific posters demonstrates that our university is fostering the next generation of great researchers.”
The three-day conference concludes on Sunday, Oct. 4.
Contact:
Lydia Guzmán
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
