Nanotechnology is the big science behind really small things.  Unbelievably tiny things.  Things that are a thousand times thinner than a human hair at the largest.  As someone with an interest in science and the future of technology, the opportunity to learn about and work with things on this scale was something that I could not pass up.   The Capstone semester of the Nanofabrication Manufacturing Technology (NMT) program gave me this chance.  The capstone semester is a collaborative effort between DCCC and Penn State University that brings students up to Penn State’s main campus to get hands on experience creating and working with nano-scale devices in a specialized cleanroom environment.  Training in these state-of-the-art facilities among people who are doing cutting edge research is an unparalleled experience that I would not have been lucky enough to have, had I not enrolled in the capstone semester.

I got to meet and live with other nanotechnology students from across the state and make lasting friendships and contacts.  In addition to our normal classroom and lab work, we worked on team projects.  It was a semester in which I learned a great deal from the classroom, the lab, and the other students.  Project teams were assembled such that no two members had the same background so that each person’s individual strengths would add to the group and we could learn from each other.  I can’t say that it was an easy semester; there was a lot of work to stay on top of.  But I can say that every moment was worth it.  I gained a great deal of knowledge and valuable skills that have prepared me well to work in the emerging nanotechnology industry.  I feel confident that my knowledge and ability to work on these new technologies has prepared me well and given me an advantage over others looking to break into the industry.  I would highly recommend this program to any who are interested!

By,
Michael S. Denny, Jr.
NMT Capstone Semester
Spring 2008

Mike Denny working with the Atomic Force Microscope, an instrument capable of imaging samples at resolutions of 10 nanometers (10-8 meters).