No engineering discipline can ignore the dramatic impact of nanotechnology—which is why Stevens has founded the Nanotechnology Graduate Program (NGP). An expansive collaboration of five departments and several research centers, NGP provides all the coursework and mentoring now required by students to conduct cutting-edge multidisciplinary research in the area of nanotechnology. From its location across the river from New York City, the program provides students with:

• An understanding of nanoscale phenomena and familiarity with techniques for characterization and measurements of structures and properties
• Knowledge of synthesis, processing, and manufacturing of nanostructures, nanocomponents, and multiscale systems for a range of applications, from life sciences to engineering
• The ability to design, analyze, and simulate nanostructures, nanocomponents, and nanodevices for various applications
• The ability to excel in an interdisciplinary environment, to critically/creatively think, and to seize commercial opportunities in the fast advancing nanotechnology field

• Professor of Materials Engineering Matt Libera has held postdoctoral or visiting scientist positions at MIT, IBM’s Research Division, and Hoescht-Celanese. He focuses on cell-material interactions and the electron-beam-assisted fabrication of biologically active nano- and microarrays. Libera is the principal investigator on two recent NSF grants: Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team (NIRT) on Self-Assembled Nanohydrogels for Differential Cell Adhesion and Infection Control, and Major Research Instrumentation (MRI): Acquisition of a Dip Pen Nanolithography System for Surface Nanofunctionalization.
• Throughout his long career at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Eui-Hyeok Yang led the development of many MEMS devices, including mirror array technologies for the James Webb Space Telescope. Yang is the co-author of over 90 papers and holder of seven patents.
• A renowned expert in arsenic and heavy metals, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering Xiaoguang Meng, conducts research to uncover the role of nanoparticles in environmental remediation. His research has led to the development of household filtration units for the removal of arsenic from well water in Bangladesh.
• The distinguished career of Christos Christodoulatos, Professor of Environmental Engineering and Director of the Center for Environmental Systems, includes more than $11 million in research funding and such accomplishments as the recovery of nutrients from inedible plant material. His current research interests include the environmental behavior of nanoparticles and their use for water treatment.
• A former postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School—with doctoral degrees in both biomedical engineering and polymer chemistry and physics—Hongjun Wang (Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering) focuses on nanomedicine, biomaterials design, and cell signaling.
• Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Frank Fisher is the principal investigator on two NSF grants related to his work in nanotechnology—an NSF Major Research Instrumentation grant for a Zyvex KX100 nanomanipulation system, and a Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education grant. Currently co-director of the Nanotechnology Graduate Program, he was awarded the Harvey N. Davis Distinguished Teaching Assistant Professor award (2006).
• Yong Shi, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has won the Best Young Researcher Award from the Chinese Academy of Space Technology and served as director of composites for Beijing Spacecraft. He studies MEMS/NEMS design and fabrication, nanofibers, nanocomposites, and smart structures. His work on active nanofiber composites was recently recognized by the American Society for Nondestructive Testing.
• Once a visiting professor at Lucent Technologies, Henry Du, Professor of Materials Engineering and Director of the Chemical, Biomedical, and Materials Engineering Department, studies molecular and nanoscale surface modification, as well as nanophotonic sensing and imaging. He is the holder of four patents.
• Svetlana Sukhishvili, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, has published nearly 50 papers in areas such as the dynamics of polymers interacting with surfaces and the interfaces in polymers and biopolymers. She was recently honored with an invitation to serve on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Committee on Biomaterials and Biointerfaces Study Section.
• Xiaojun Yu, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, recently received a major research grant from The Coulter Foundation for a project titled "Novel structured nanofibrous scaffolds for bone healing." Yu's primary research interests focus on tissue engineering, polymeric biomaterials, and drug delivery.
• Stefan Strauf recently joined the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics as an Assistant Professor after post-doctoral research positions at the Institute of Solid-State Physics (University of Bremen, Germany) and the University of California at Santa Barbara. His research interests are in the areas of nanophotonics, ultra-low-threshold lasers, and non-classical light sources for quantum cryptography and single photon sources.

Several interdisciplinary research areas—with nanotechnology as a critical enabler—have been developed or are emerging within the broad theme of multiscale engineering and science:

• Multiscale design, fabrication, and manufacturing of complex structures and composites
• Nano- and micro-electrical-mechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS)
• Cell-cell and cell-material interactions
• Chemical and biological microsystems
• Controlled release and regenerative medicine
• Nanoparticulates for environmental remediation
• Quantum electronic structures and devices
• Nanophotonic sensing and imaging
• Health and environmental impact of nanomaterials

• Department of Chemical, Biomedical, and Materials Engineering (CBME)
• Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (CCB)
• Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering (CEOE)
• Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME)
• Department of Physics and Engineering Physics (PEP)

Participating research centers include:

• Center for Environmental Systems
• Design and Manufacturing Institute
• Highly Filled Materials Institute
• The New Jersey Center for MicroChemical Systems
• Center for Mass Spectroscopy

Degree Requirements

Participation in the Nanotechnology Graduate Program on the doctoral level leads to a Ph.D. in the one of the NGP’s participating disciplines with a designated nanotechnology concentration. To qualify for the nanotechnology concentration, candidates must satisfy disciplinary core requirements, complete the common core and a minimum of five elective courses, and regularly attend the Nanotechnology Seminar Series in the Nanotechnology Curriculum. In addition, a Ph.D. candidate must successfully execute a doctoral dissertation in the realm of nanotechnology. Applications are processed and decisions are made in individual’s home department. Disciplinary admissions standards apply. Please visit the appropriate department websites for more information regarding their admissions process.