Issue 8

nanoHUB brings together groups of researchers, providing shared discovery tools and knowledge resources that enable them to build upon each other's work—and, fast.

In less than six months from the day three researchers at the Penn State Center for Nanoscale Science published a new simulation tool, researchers at the University of Surrey Nanoelectronics Centre cited the tool in their new manuscript.
Read More

The quality of teaching and learning improved in an electronic materials course when José M. de la Rosa, associate professor of electronics and electromagnetism at the University of Seville, Spain, introduced nanoHUB simulation tools and lab exercises. Students became motivated and interested in course content when using the nanoHUB platform, multimedia resources, and remote computing tools accessible through links from the course's WebCT site.

After incorporating nanoHUB for more than three years, de la Rosa authored a paper on the experience. It was published by IEEE in May in the proceedings of the IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference held in Marrakesh, Morocco, on April 17-20.

When asked about teaching and learning with nanoHUB, de la Rosa shared his views on the advantages and challenges.
Read More

Online courses covering the fundamentals of atomic force microscopy will be offered beginning August 27, 2012, by nanoHUB-U, an initiative founded by the Network for Computational Nanotechnology and Purdue University.

Ron Reifenberger, professor of physics, and Arvind Raman, professor of mechanical engineering, have spent months packaging their full-semester course on the atomic force microscope (AFM) into a series of two five-week online courses: Fundamental Aspects of AFM, and Dynamic AFM Methods.

"We are convinced that as more researchers gain a fundamental understanding of AFM, then AFM will become more widely used and accepted," Reifenberger says. "When using an AFM, it's not always straightforward to understand the results. You must be cautious, and it really helps to understand the limitations of the instrument."
Read More