The Future is NEAR - Nanotechnology Research at North Penn High School


2023 Symposium Invitation		2023 Symposium Program

Image 2: The Future is NEAR (Nanotechnology Education and Research) students after their presentation.

2023 Engineering Academy Graduation Class

18th Annual Nanotechnology and Engineering Symposium
Lansdale, Pennsylvania - May 29, 2023

The Engineering Design and Development (EDD) senior students of the North Penn High School Engineering Academy presented their research at the 17th Annual Nanotechnology and Engineering Symposium on Friday, May 19, 2023 at 7PM.

EDD, the capstone course of the North Penn High School Engineering Academy has a unique nanotechnology and engineering research program, developed by its instructor, called The Future is N.E.A.R. (Nanotechnology Education And Research). The EDD course and NEAR program introduce the fundamentals of materials science, nanotechnology, engineering research principles, and a rigorous application of their skills and knowledge while cultivating their interest in engineering, problem solving and life-long learning. Students design and test solutions to global issues by capitalizing from the fundamentals of nanotechnology and engineering utilizing the latest published research available. In the course, students gain essential 21st century skills that will prepare them to become successful and marketable leaders in a global technological society.

In the program this year, there were 20 students in 7 research teams whose research spanned the materials science, nanotechnology, environment, energy, and healthcare sectors. Their research endeavors were only possible this year because of the amazing support from the Hitachi High-Tech America Inspire STEM program and the North Penn Educational Foundation and the North Penn Curriculum Department!

The Hitachi TM4000plus Scanning Electron Microscope and Oxford EDS, on loan from the Hitachi High-Tech America Inspire STEM

The North Penn Educational Foundation provided the necessary funding needed to design, test, and characterize their research. The Foundation's mission is to motivate and inspire students and staff in the North Penn School District through innovative projects and opportunities that enhance educational experiences and resources impact is made possible through generous contributions from businesses, community organizations and individuals!

The NEAR program wouldn't be possible without the support from the Hitachi, the North Penn Educational Foundation, and the North Penn School District Curriculum Department! Thank you very much!

Congratulations seniors! I wish you the best in all of your future endeavors!!
~Mr. Boyer

The Future is NEAR: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants READ MORE

The Future is N.E.A.R. (Nanotechnology Education And Research) program is a STEM education endeavor designed to offer North Penn High School students a glimpse into the exciting world of nanotechnology, experimental design and engineering research.

The Future is N.E.A.R. program parallels the Engineering Design and Development course (EDD) of the Project Lead the Way engineering academy and offers its students an opportunity to gain 21st century STEM skills that prepares them to become successful leaders in a global society.

In The News @ NPHS

SCANNING ELECTRON Microscopy @ NPHS

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Hitachi TM4000+, 3030, 3000


International Research Endeavors
	Students from NPHS Lansdale, PA, USA and QEGS Faversham, UK have been researching the development of cellulose nanofibers from ionic liquid systems. Cellulose nanofibers have never been researched at North Penn before. This research endeavor is particularly interesting, not only because of the international collaboration, but because cellulose has many inherent properties that could improve the function of nanofibers developed for many applications. Please check back often for news and updates.

This year, there are 20 students in 7 research teams in the Engineering Design and Development Capstone Course of the North Penn High School Engineering Academy. The main research endeavors that the students are involved with are listed below. Many of the students within these teams will also be performing various extended and supplementary experiments. A team research section will be added to the website soon to share various images and videos of the students' research. Please check back often!

Advanced Wound Healing
Biomedical Engineering | Nanofiber-Based Scaffolds
Team Name: Gen C

BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH

Jadyn Manning | Marianne Mathew | N. Sinthi

Wounds are most vulnerable post operation, making infection and sepsis some of the primary causes of postoperative complications; thus, accelerating the healing process would help to prevent such infections. The typical healing period for a post op wound is approximately 6-8 weeks, and a third of deaths during this period happen from infection. Further research needs to be conducted on reducing the length of time for which post-op wounds take to heal.

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Microplastics Pollution
Environmental Research | Microplastics Characterization and Reduction
Team Name: MicroPlastics Solutions

ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH

Emelia Jones | Sophia Lynn

Microplastics, tiny plastic particles that are less than five millimeters in diameters, are found in our world�s water by way of human origin and infiltration. Capture and measuring techniques are under development, but are inconsistent. Filtration is often a method of capturing microplastics, yet the filters themselves often fluctuate depending on their researcher. Therefore, it is key to continue research to set a new universal standard for the capture and analysis of microplastics.

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Rheological Fluids
Materials Science Research | Fluid Rheology
Team Name: Rheo-Tech

MATERIALS SCIENCE
RESEARCH

Jack Ely | Amir Fairweather | Charlotte Jaffe

The practical applications of materials are often limited by their conventional physical properties. Unlike strictly solid materials, non-newtonian fluids posses the unique ability to change their molecular structure when under specific conditions, such as pressure, stress, or strain. Because of their ability to react to their environment by changing their state of matter, these fluids can present significant advantages when used in place of common rigid materials. However, their full potential has been grossly neglected. Given more research and development, non-newtonian fluids have the potential to shift the world of modern material science.

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Energy Harvesting | Photovoltaic Research
Improving Solar Cell Performance
Team Name: Solar+

PHOTOVOLTAIC
RESEARCH

Jonathan Kim | Cameron Pelletier | Kevin Pownall

As technology improves, the demand for more energy increases. (5) With increased energy needs, more resources are harvested to meet the demand for energy, however, the necessary resources are finite. (1,4) Current renewable energy sources are inefficient, such as solar panels, as they are only able to harvest 20 to 41 percent of the potential energy available and will not be able to meet the demand for energy resulting in a lack of nonrenewable resources. (2,3) Further research is required to enhance sustainable power sources to meet the worldwide demand for energy.

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Energy Harvesting | Piezoelectric Research
Improving Solar Cell Performance with Hybrid Energy Harvesting (Photo and Piezo)
Team Name: Solergy

PIEZOELECTRIC
RESEARCH

Jay Charangat | Ryan Gasper | Joseph Yi

Due to the rise in global population, the demand for energy has increased substantially. Non renewable energy sources are the main source of energy making up 80% of the global energy consumption, which causes significant damage to the environment, increased effects of global warming, increased air pollution and increased health problems. Current renewable energy sources assist in diminishing these challenges; however; more research is necessary in order to increase efficiency in renewable energy sources.

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Energy Storage
Advanced Battery Research
Team Name: STORE-e

ENERGY
RESEARCH

Logan Giza | David Lu | Leo Smith | Agnes Walker

Currently, the most efficient battery type is Lithium-Ion. It is remarkable for its energy density and ability to recharge with negligible efficiency loss.1 However, Lithium batteries have high monetary and environmental costs such as mining and material waste; along with other issues such as safety, longevity, and energy storage.2 The average residential utility customer uses 10,632-kilowatt hours (kWh) a year,6 about 30 kWh a day, while rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries only have a storage capacity of 100-265 Wh/kg. To continue the improvement of battery storage and efficiency, batteries have to be innovated to provide better energy storage than the current market solutions.

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Traumatic Brain Injury
Sports Research | Concussion Detection and Prevention
Team Name: TBI-Tech

SPORTS
RESEARCH

Xavier Bryan-Boothe | Dayshia Lewis-Upchurch

According to experts, 3.8 million traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions, occur each year in the U.S. from sports-related accidents. Helmets defend against skull fractures and serious brain injuries. Over time, they�ve been innovated to increase the protection of the head; however, helmets gradually lose their efficacy in absorbing force and preventing brain movement. Further research and development needs to be done to reduce traumatic brain injuries.

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