Robert Barker/University Photography

William Brinkman, director of the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy, gives the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility's 35th anniversary keynote address.

Nanoscientists will be the ones getting to the bottom of the world's energy problems because all elementary steps of energy conversion take place on the nanoscale, said William Brinkman, director of the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy during July 19 remarks.

"Nanoscience will help solve the serious problems facing mankind," said Brinkman, who served as keynote speaker at the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF) annual meeting. The meeting was a 35th anniversary celebration featuring distinguished speakers, research presentations and reflection on nanoscience and nanofabrication at Cornell, past and present.

Brinkman described many ways in which the Department of Energy is leading efforts to harness nanoscience capabilities at the most cutting-edge institutions and facilities, including Cornell, to work on energy-related issues.

For instance, the DOE has created Energy Frontier Research Centers, one of which is the Energy Materials Center at Cornell, to help nanoscientists make interdisciplinary progress on everything from better batteries to more efficient photovoltaics. He went on to detail many research breakthroughs, and expressed awe at today's computational technologies that can allow scientists to analyze several thousand material properties at once.

Brinkman congratulated Cornell on 35 years of success in many facets of the nanoscience field. Before he spoke, CNF Director of Operations Don Tennant summarized the year's high points, technical summits, outreach programming, changes in leadership, purchases of new equipment, and the ongoing dedicated work of the CNF staff, particularly Michael Skvarla, who joined CNF 30 years ago.

Dan Ralph, the Lester B. Knight Director of CNF, opened the day by welcoming the more than 200 participants to the meeting. He asked them to reflect on how CNF could improve as it starts developing a new proposal for continued operation.