The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) began with a simple but powerful idea: to create a facility where nanoscience and nanoengineering could be accessible to everyone. In addition to the scientists, engineers, and post-docs already working in the field, this facility would allow undergraduate and K-12 students access to advanced knowledge emanating from exciting research activities in this emerging field of science and technology. Additionally, this facility would serve as a community and industry outreach center.

The envisioned facility was realized with the construction of Gateway University Research Park’s JSNN, a product of the combined vision and resources of two academic institutions: North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NCA&T) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). The JSNN is one of only ten universities in the country to offer advanced degrees (M.S. and Ph.D.) in the field of Nanoscience and one of only four universities in the country to offer M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Nanoengineering.

“The JSNN Facility is a critical part of our strategy, enabling our mission of nano-based education, research, and outreach,” said Dr. James G. Ryan, Founding Dean of JSNN. “The laboratory and gathering space design encourages discovery through collaboration and helps to educate our students and visitors alike.” JSNN is designed to promote collaboration among industries such as pharmacology, biotechnology, aerospace, and manufacturing. Bringing academic research together with industry will help move programs beyond theory and into practice, better preparing students for success in the working world.

The equipment and instrumentation required by nanoscience and nanoengineering programs is exorbitantly expensive; and it often requires highly-controlled environments which represents an additional steep expense. “Collaboration is a way to help reduce costs and speed up the research process. It brings in new problem sets and new perspectives that promote innovation,” said Ryan. “JSNN’s collaborative model is already paying dividends by producing scientific insight in areas from signal propagation in nerves to high resolution observation of biological structures to new methods to build aircraft.”