Prof urges students to get small with new class in 2007
Gregory Holland, OCCC engineering professor, said he’s excited about small matters — nano particles.
A hands-on program dealing with nano particles is planned to begin in fall 2007.
“[The program] will help provide a broader background for students and benefit them by providing more areas for them to get in to,” Holland said.
The program will surround nanotechnology, which deals with matter on a scale from one to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter and about 100,000 nanometers can fit on a single hair.
Holland has done some research work at Oklahoma State University that focused on nanotechnology.
He worked with experiments dealing with nonthermal plasma reactors.
These reactors produce a high-voltage electric discharge that doesn’t get extremely hot.
Plasma is formed within the reactors at room temperature and does not need to be heated to thousands of degrees to produce a reaction.
He also worked with carbon nanotubes, which were produced within the nonthermal plasma reactors.
The tubes have unique properties as conductors or semiconductors of electricity.
This type of work with nanotechnology is beneficial to everyone, Holland said.
He said things people come into contact with every day can benefit from advances in this technology.
Things from plastic and clothing to advanced hearing aid technology can be strengthened on the nanoscale, he said.
Properties of these things can be altered on the nanolevel giving them new and different uses.
Holland said fabrics can become stain-resistant and plastics can be made stronger.
He also said the way hearing aids pick up sound vibrations can be advanced.
“Basically, anything that’s anything can be changed and advanced on the nano level,” he said.
Holland said OCCC students will benefit by having the opportunity to grow in this scientific field.
“[The program] will give students a chance to do things cutting edge,” Holland said.
Holland said students will mainly work with syn-thesis and characterization, or making materials and measuring properties.
He said most hands-on lab work will be done in students’ second year of the program.
The first year will focus mainly on chemistry and physics.
The program is intended to be a two-year program designed to give engineering students a more rounded experience in the engineering field.
