Assistant professor of chemistry Dunwei Wang and his team have pioneered a practical and inexpensive way to produce nanonets, which are nanowires used in electronics and for other energy applications. "We wanted to create a nano structure unlike any other with a relatively large surface area," Wang told reporters. The team's efforts may pave the way for new developments in the field of nanotechnology. "We're excited to have discovered this unique structure and we are already at work to gauge just how much the nanonet can improve the performance of a material that is already used in electronics and clean-energy applications," Wang said.
ON CAMPUS
BC graduate prepares to compete in Paralympic tennis
Paul Moran lost his right leg and two fingers from his left hand in a traffic accident when he was a Boston College freshman in 1985. This month he will compete in the Paralympic Games in men's doubles wheelchair tennis. Bob Sherwood, a special advisor in Alumni Services, said to reporters: "Paul and I spent a considerable amount of time together that year. I was struck at how committed Paul was to get on with the college experience, even though his experience would now be very different from what he had initially anticipated, and from the experience most other BC students would enjoy. Paul never felt sorry for himself, nor blamed anyone else for this tragic accident." Moran has competed in three previous Paralympics on the men's volleyball team.
UNIVERSITIES
Gulf Coast campuses recover from hurricane damage
Though most campuses along the Gulf Coast experienced only minimal damage as a result of Hurricane Gustav, many of them are without power and students and faculty have yet to receive word as to when they can return. Nicholls State University, in Thibodaux, La., was among the hardest campuses hit, and about 200 students were relocated to Louisiana Tech University while damages were repaired. Continuing foul weather has hampered recovery efforts. The consensus among university officials, however, was that the situation was much better than it was after Katrina and that the schools should be able to completely reopen in a matter of weeks.
Appointment at University of San Diego incites controversy
The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that a decision at the University of San Diego to withdraw the appointment of a prominent female theologian has stirred up controversy at Catholic universities about the relationship between the church and the academy. Rosemary Radford Reuther, the scholar whose appointment was withdrawn, has a history of advocating for abortion rights. The position was offered to her by a department official last spring, but was withdrawn due to what the university said was a failure of communications between the provost's office and the respective department head. They said that the decision had never been addressed to the proper authorities to begin with.
UNDER REPORTED
Diamonds are forever, and now you can be, too
Algordanza, a small Swiss company, now offers a service whereby they can convert the ashes of your loved one into a diamond. Prices start at less than $7,500, so that a form of immortality is now within the reach of more people than ever. Veit Brimer, Algordanza chairman, said, "Some people find it helpful to go to the cemetery and grieve, and they leave their grief in the cemetery. There are some people who, for whatever reason, do not want to have this farewell." Not to be outdone, LifeGem, a company based in the United States, offers diamonds that can be made from the hair of a living person or animal.
2008 Woodie Awards
