Recently the middle school students of Danville’s Epiphany Episcopal School took part in the First Annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathmatics (STEM) Immersion Program. During this discovery field trip the students were exposed to terms like nanometer, buckyball, Carbon nanomaterials including TRIMETASPHERE® and HYDROCHALARONE™ . The students were immersed into the wondrous world of Nanotechnology and how this is critical to the future of not only to our region but the world.

It is becoming clear that the Danville is emerging as a technology hub, rising out of the ashes of the demise of Tobacco and Textiles. The is due in no small measure to the efforts and alliance of four principals: Luna Nanoworks, Danville Community College, the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research (IALR) and the (Regional Center for Advanced Technology & Training (RCATT) a work-force-training arm of Danville Community College located in the Cyber Park across Slayton Avenue from the Institute.

The EES students first stop was at LUNA Nanoworks located in a renovated warehouse on Bridge Street in Danville. This is something of a metaphor of the transition from Tobacco/Textiles to Technology. Dr. Chris Kepley, nanoImmunology Group Leader, nanoWorks Division, took the group on a tour of the facility, stopping at various areas laden with complex, high technology equipment, to demonstrate how Luna was "manipulating molecules" for medical uses of the science, including ways to improve MRIs — magnetic resonance imaging, used in diagnosing illnesses — to show more detail.

Another project at Luna nanoWorks is accelerating and/or stimulating hair growth. At one area, Dr. Steve Joslin, a scientist at LUNA, demonstrated an alternative energy program the company is working on that would turn sunlight into electricity using much smaller, more flexible and lightweight materials than those currently used in solar panels. The material could be put on a cell phone or laptop computer, and it would stay charged without ever having to be plugged into a wall outlet.

ABOVE: Dr. Steve Joslin of Luna Nanoworks demonstrates to the Middle School Students and Faculty of Epiphany Episcopal School how a new nanomaterials called buckyballs are developed and tested as new ways to diagnose and treat diseases such as allergy and atherosclerosis. .

Dr. Kepley explained to the students about mast cells that are primary causes of allergies and how Nanotechnology could block these cells thus preventing allergy symptoms. He demonstrated how a certain molecule being developed could target arthritis and cancer and help in the cures as well as Nanomedicines that would create or improve other therapies.

"Nanotechnology refers to a unit of measurement – the Nanometer – which is a billionth of a meter." Said Dr. Kepley.

From Luna Nanoworks the students then moved to Danville Community College and subsequently to the Regional Center for Advanced Technology and Training where Jerry Franklin, director of manufacturing and technology services at RCATT, spoke on trends in technology and engineering and urged the EES students to pursue science and engineering as a field of study. Franklin covered the the history of engineering highlighting the Roman engineers who built the aqueducts, which still exist today. They discussed green technologies and how engineers and scientists are working on new energy sources such as wind, solar and biofuels. "We also talked about the role of nanotechnology and how DCCs new nano lab technician program will prepare workers for these and other jobs."

The students were given a tour of the RCATT facilities to include industrial maintenance technologies such as electrical motor controls, PLCs, hydraulics/pneumatics and mechanical drives and the training equipment we use to teach these subjects. They saw firsthand demonstrations of an automated factory and the components used to apply automation and robotics to factory work and technology like an injection molder and extruder for plastics and a vacuum former to form plastic sheets into shapes like cups and packaging. The students learned how rapid prototyping technology is used to develop new products right from the 3D CAD drawing, building the parts from the "ground up" using just the digital description. And lastly, they saw a demonstration of laser cutting and engraving.

Lastly, students were given a tour of The Institute for Advanced Learning and given a lecture on new "green" jobs that focus on developing sustainable resources using technology developed by IALR scientists. The students performed "hands-on" experiments with IALR scientists, learned what they needed to study to pursue careers in the Science, Engineering, and Mathematics fields, and what careers were available to them should they decide to pursue one of these specialties. This is especially interesting to the newly formed Epiphany Episcopal School as it is in the process of attempting to secure a grant that would fund the installation of a Nanotechnology Laboratory in the school which would be a tremendous addition to its science curriculum and would be unique to the area.