SEAS Seminar Series: Engineering Challenges in the 21st Century

Smaller and Faster: Nanomaterials

Presenter: Martha Pardavi-Horvath
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Monday, November 30, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Marvin Center, Room 101 (800 21st Street, NW)

Abstract:
Materials reduced to the nanoscale can suddenly show very different properties compared to what they exhibit on a macroscale, enabling unique applications in medicine, engineering, the cosmetics industry, information storage, communication, and many other fields. However, environmental and economical gains derived from the use of nanomaterials may be offset in part by the process used to manufacture them. The question, then, is how to optimize these materials and applications to achieve the best outcome for our world?

Short bio:
Dr. Martha Pardavi-Horvath joined the SEAS Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as a professor in 1989, and since 2006 she has served as the school’s associate dean for academic affairs. Her research is focused on magnetism and electromagnetic properties of materials. She started her research on the preparation and properties of nanoscale magnetic materials and nanocomposites before "nano" became a buzzword. Dr. Pardavi-Horvath has approximately 180 publications in the top professional journals, and she lectures widely on nanomagnetism. She serves the magnetics community in professional organizations and has been elected to the editorial boards of several professional publications. The focus of her research is what happens when magnetic things get smaller and faster (i.e., electromagnetism of nanostructured magnetic materials).

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