Conference: NanoFlorida 2023: A Conference Supporting Student Research Dissemination and Faculty Engagement

Nanoscience and nanotechnology deal with matter at the billionth of a meter scale, creating new knowledge through advanced scientific research. Nanotechnology, projected to become a multi-trillion-dollar industry is rapidly penetrating every industry sector as the new knowledge is translated to real-life applications. Several ground-breaking discoveries led to new product developments which include smart phones, high-performance batteries, solar cells, computers, and mRNA vaccines. At this conference, scientists and engineers from all disciplines will converge to a common platform, sharing their knowledge through presentations. NanoFlorida is an interdisciplinary event, bringing together researchers, government agency representatives, industry professionals, and students poised to become the next generation of leaders in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The University of Central Florida is hosting the 15th Annual NanoFlorida conference, scheduled for March 3 - 5, 2023, which is led by graduate and undergraduate students and expected to attract a large and diverse student population from across Florida and beyond. The event hosts a panel of faculty advisors and invited speakers who are experts in the field and committed to student engagement and learning. The event features several important topics including nanophotonics, nano-optics, nanobiotechnology, nanochemistry, nanomaterials, agricultural and environmental nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, nanophysics, theoretical nanotechnology and computational nanotechnology. The conference supports students, providing a platform for the dissemination of their research results and offering extensive opportunities for engagement, learning, and networking. This conference is unique in that it is student-led and designed to maximize student benefits in developments of leadership, communication, and networking skills. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are rapidly growing fields that are highly interdisciplinary in nature. Nano-enabled technologies are penetrating the marketplace at an unprecedented rate, directly contributing to a trillion-dollar economy, benefiting society. To keep up with the rapid advancement of scientific nanoscale research, there is a strong need to develop the next generation of nano scientists and engineers . The annual NanoFlorida conference, scheduled for March 3 - 5, 2023, provides a unique platform for students and nano-professionals to exchange scientific knowledge through various methods of interaction, including invited presentations, roundtable discussions, and networking sessions. The University of Central Florida is hosting the fifteenth NanoFlorida 2023 conference, an established event that was initiated for the first time in the state of Florida in 2008 by the PI, thus the conference this year represents a homecoming event. This conference project provides full support to student presenters to attend and disseminate their research findings. To accommodate all student presenters, this conference features several topics of interests including nanophotonics, nano-optics, nanobiotechnology, nanochemistry, nanomaterials, agricultural and environmental nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, nanophysics, theoretical nanotechnology, and computational nanotechnology. The objective of this project is to support the engagement of students, faculty, and industry professionals by increasing student participation and maximizing their networking and presentation skill development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.