Virginia State University News April 10, 2012 USDA grant promotes nanotechnology, A-STEM education and research The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a two-year, $150,000 grant to Virginia State University (VSU) to integrate an emerging science known as nanotechnology into its undergraduate A-STEM (agriculture, science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum. Nanotechnology is the study, fabrication and manipulation of very small materials, measured in billionths of a meter, on an atomic or molecular scale. One billionth of a meter is 100,000 times smaller than the width of an average human hair. Nanotechnology has a wide variety of potential applications, including aerospace, agriculture, biotechnology, computers, national defense, energy, environment, food safety and medicine. The technology can be applied to the treatment of cancer and other diseases. The grant will also support the research program of an interdisciplinary VSU team, led by Dr. Godwin O. Mbagwu, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Principal Investigator (PI) and Director of VSU Center for Biophotonics and Biodevices; and co-PIs Dr. Shahzad Akbar, Dr. Djavad Djavadi, Dr. Grace Ndip, Dr. Steven Pao, Dr. John Parry, Dr. Singli Garcia-Otero, Dr. Shuxin Ren, Dr. Hua Shen and Dr. Daniel Stoelting. The team is developing nanoscale sensors to detect and identify trace levels of chemical and biological contaminants, including E. coli and Salmonella bacteria, in food, water and the environment, as well as to detect and image cancer-related mutation in DNA. During each year of the grant, the VSU team, working with external partners from the USDA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Virginia Commonwealth University, Georgia Institutes of Technology and Virginia Tech, will offer educational enhancement activities to three, grades 6-12 teachers and 10 of their students from area public schools in a week long A-STEM Middle and High School Summer Academy at VSU. The objectives of the summer enrichment program, which will include a science field trip, are to provide opportunities in interdisciplinary and hands-on, nanotechnology-related laboratory, educational and research experience and to equip and empower the teachers with increased knowledge and competency in selected aspects of nanotechnology areas related to the Virginia Standard of Learning (SOL). It is estimated that by 2015, the global market for nanotechnology-based industrial products will grow to $3.1 trillion and the scientific and technical workforce needed will exceed two million. The VSU summer program serves as motivation to students considering A-STEM careers, especially in the nanotechnology industry and the 25 departments and agencies of the US Government that work with the National Nanotechnology Initiative to stimulate and promote collaboration and coordination of Research and Development. The VSU team anticipates applying for additional funding from various federal agencies to expand and strengthen the current nanotechnology curriculum integration and A-STEM summer program activities and to support the VSU 2020 Strategic plan that aims, in part, to establish a Center of Excellence in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-520-0593 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.