Oct 30 2009
Clarkson University recently hosted high school students from Colton-Pierrepont Central School for a Nanotechnology Day.
Colton-Pierrepont Central School students Kelly Sampier (left) and Mark Avery (right) prepare an experiment using arsenic and iron oxide nanoparticles
Eighteen juniors in Steve Manders’ chemistry class have been studying the characteristics of microscopic nanoparticles as partners with the GK12 Fellows Program. Four National Science Foundations (NSF) fellows from Clarkson have been offering a six week mini-course titled "What’s So Big about Nano?"
At Clarkson, doctoral student John Njagi, and undergraduates Daniel Van Dorn, Francesca Merchant and Anya Scangas shared their research and led students through a series of lessons that focused on the applications of this emerging technology.
The high school students explored the effect of titania nanoparticles on the growth of bacteria, and created gold colloid and viewed the particles under a high- powered scanning electron microscope.
They also addressed the use of nanoparticles for the remediation of arsenic in ground water and for the delivery of chemotherapy to shrink cancerous tumors.
Njagi demonstrated the implantation of nanosensors to detect the presence of certain substances within an organism, while the high school students applied their knowledge to solve a problem related to contaminated water.
One student summed up the experience, saying, "It has changed my view of the potential for such technologies."
The GK12 Fellows Program is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation. More than 6,000 middle- and high-school students in St. Lawrence Country have been served by the Clarkson Fellows Program since it began in 2000. The program and this event are just two examples of Clarkson’s commitment to education in the North Country.
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in six alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world’s pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.