University of New Orleans researcher to head a nine university, three-year, $15.8 million project

(New Orleans)-University of New Orleans scientist Dr. Charles J. O'Connor has been named research coordinator for a new $15 million, three-year, nine university (all Louisiana universities) research project recently awarded from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Louisiana Board of Regents. The portion of the project which will be conducted at UNO has a total project cost of $4.5 million.

Dr. O'Connor, Director of UNO's Advanced Materials Research Institute and a research professor in the chemistry department, will as serves as the principal investigator/project director of team 1 (one of three teams) of the project, which is based at AMRI/UNO.

"I am delighted to serve as both the research coordinator of the project and the principal investigator for team I. For all involved, this award from the National Science Foundation is an opportunity for the state of Louisiana to assume a lead role in the rapidly growing areas of Micro and Nanoscale science and technology," said O'Connor.

"The synergistic collaboration among the three teams at the core of this proposal�the Advanced Materials Research Institute at UNO, the Institute for Micromanufacturing at Louisiana Tech and the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at the LSU Health Sciences Center�will position Louisiana to become a leader in science and technology into the new century," he continued.

"The studies will facilitate the ability to organize nanoparticles in pre-defined patterns and shapes. This capability will eventually lead to the development of new and improved magnetic, electronic and optical devices," said Dr. Zeev Rosenzweig, UNO associate professor of chemistry, who will in the project.

"This project will also help to effectively train students in a variety of areas pertinent to materials science," said Dr. John B. Wiley, UNO associate professor of chemistry, who is also a member of the AMRI/UNO team.

The project will focus on the design and fabrication of electromagnetic materials with enhanced properties using nanometer-scale material structures and ultra-thin films.These materials can be processed into advanced micro-magneto-electronic sensors and devices, and integrated into micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) for rapid applications such as chemical synthesis and analysis and, ultimately, to modulate intra- and inter-cellular mechanism and their functional outcomes.This will be accomplished through an integrated three-team effort, each with sub- objectives, but with a shared overarching mission that will define a new way of doing business in Louisiana�one based upon collaboration within the State's higher education community backed by government and business/industry.

The University of New Orleans members of Team I at the AMRI are as follows:

Team 1 will study and develop new nanomaterials at AMRI/UNO: Leader Charles J. O'Connor; Kevin Stokes; Assistant Professor of Physics/AMRI; Jian Wang, AMRI Assistant Professor for Research; and John Wiley, Associate Professor of Chemistry/AMRI; and Zeev Rosenzweig, Associate Professor of Chemistry/AMRI at the University of New Orleans.

Team II will study Microfabrication at Louisiana Universities led by the Institute for Micromanufacturing IfM) at Louisiana Tech. Team III will focus on Neural Signaling and the institutions in this team will be led by the Neurosciences Center of Excellence at LSU Health Sciences Center.

The universities involved include: the University of New Orleans; Grambling State University; Louisiana State University/CAMD, Baton Rouge; Louisiana State University-HSC/Neuroscience Center, New Orleans; Louisiana Tech University; Southern University in Baton Rouge; Tulane University; the University of Louisiana at Monroe; and Xavier University

Written by: Joseph White

Additional Information:
Dr. Charles O'Connor serves as research coordinator for the entire project, and principal investigator of team I.