Nanoscience and Nanoengineering PhD
The Nanoscience and Nanoengineering PhD program offers a research-intensive degree focused on nanoscience and nanotechnology, with current emphases in nano-electronics and nano-photonics; nano-imaging and bio-nanotechnology; and nano-composites and their
applications. A multi-disciplinary core curriculum is taken by students from diverse science and engineering backgrounds. These “core” courses are intended to introduce students to contemporary topics in nanoscience and nanotechnology and to initiate
a cross-disciplinary approach to research and learning. These courses can usually be completed in one or at most two years. In addition to this core, students are expected to pursue, or take coursework equivalent to, an MS degree, in addition to the Nanoscience
and Nanoengineering standard curriculum. Coursework supporting the students research focus are selected in consultation with their dissertation advisor when drafting the student’s program of study. This coursework and admission requirements are detailed
in the South Dakota Mines catalog.
Examples of active research areas are: development of next generation solar cell technologies utilizing semiconductor nanostructures, development of advanced light and electron microscopies for nano-bio-imaging in live cells, mechano-biology of chondrocytes
and their signaling pathways, development of nano-scale fluorescent energy transfer based sensors of intra-cellular forces in human epithelial kidney cells, synthesis and characterization of a variety of nanoparticle and nanofiber based nanocomposites,
and multiple projects involving nano-scale spectroscopy of plasmonic and nanophotonic systems using ultrafast lasers and state of the art imaging and spectroscopy instrumentation developed by Nanoscience and Nanoengineering faculty.