UAlbany Celebrates NANOvember, Welcomes Community for STEM and Nanotechnology Family Day

A young girl in a colorful coat grins as she holds up a science craft constructed with sticks and balls.
STEM and Nanotechnology Family Day, happening Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 at UAlbany's ETEC building on the Harriman campus, will be a highlight of this year's NANOvember celebrations at UAlbany. (Photos by Savanna Stoddart)

By Bethany Bump

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 28, 2025) — The University at Albany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE) is welcoming the Capital Region community to campus next month to celebrate NANOvember, a month-long series of conversations and events that shine a spotlight on the power of nanotechnology and its impact on our world.

From groundbreaking microchip research and semiconductor industry partnerships to hands-on student experiences, NANOvember showcases how UAlbany and New York’s Capital Region are driving innovation at the smallest scale — with the biggest results.

Young children gather around and interact with a robotic dog

The celebration kicks off Nov. 3 with the first in a series of conversations that will explore the cutting edge of nanotechnology and discovery. The hallmark of NANOvember will be STEM and Nanotechnology Family Day, happening Saturday, Nov. 15. Families and students in grades 2-8 are invited to UAlbany’s ETEC building on the Harriman campus from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a lively look at how today’s science is shaping tomorrow’s world.

Children and adults will have the opportunity to experience the excitement of science with more than 20 interactive activities, including testing robots, investigating climate science, mixing up non-Newtonian fluids like oobleck, building with Legos, and nano-inspired experiments that explore thin films, light-bending materials and self-cleaning surfaces.

"For many of us, what happens in chips and materials at the nano-level is magic – we accept that things work when we turn them on without really understanding the science or engineering involved. NANOVember provides the public with an opportunity to learn a little more about those fascinating technologies,” said CNSE Dean Michele J. Grimm. “The lectures are designed for a general audience – anyone who is curious. And with our STEM and Nanotechnology Family Day, we hope to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists by taking advantage of their natural curiosity. As the Capital Region's only engineering college at a public university, we are excited to be able to connect to individuals and families across the region through this annual celebration of nanotechnology." 

Volunteers will also be on hand during STEM and Nanotechnology Family Day to provide tours of UAlbany’s state-of-the-art ETEC building, which houses the first-in-the-nation College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, CNSE’s Department of Environmental & Sustainable Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center and the New York State Mesonet, the nation's most advanced weather detection system. 

Composite of four pictures, including two people gazing at an Earth-like sphere suspended from the ceiling, and children and young teens playing with different science crafts
STEM and Nanotechnology Family Day, happening Nov. 15, 2025 at UAlbany's ETEC building, will offer more than 20 interactive science-themed activities for elementary and middle-school aged children.

In addition to CNSE, partners in the Family Day celebration include UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity; Atmospheric Sciences Research Center; the NYS Mesonet; New York State Master Teachers; NY Creates-Albany NanoTech Complex; corporate partners and student organizations.

NANOvember 2025 Lecture Series

CNSE will host four lectures throughout the month of November highlighting how nanotechnology is shaping the future of health, energy, computing and more. UAlbany and IBM experts will discuss topics ranging from extreme ultraviolet lithography and neuronanotechnology to DNA nanotechnology and industry innovation at the nanoscale.

  • Nov. 3: The Future of Nanoscale Patterning: Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography. Greg Denbeaux, associate professor in UAlbany’s Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, will discuss cutting-edge advances in EUV lithography and its transformative role in nanoscale patterning and semiconductor innovation. 6 p.m. in ETEC 149/151
  • Nov. 10: Neuroscience Nanotechnology: Bench to Clinical Solutions for Spinal Cord Injury and Heart Disease. Janet Paluh, associate professor in UAlbany’s Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, will share how neuroscience nanotechnology is bridging the gap from research to clinical applications for spinal cord injuries and heart disease. 6 p.m. in ETEC 149/151
  • Nov. 18: DNA Nanotechnology: Think IKEA, but with DNA. Arun Richard Chandrasekaran, assistant professor in UAlbany's Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, will explore how DNA nanotechnology enables precise self-assembly of molecular structures — like building with IKEA kits, but biologically, for drug delivery and information storage. 6 p.m. in ETEC B010
  • Nov. 24: IBM Semiconductor Lithography: Shedding Light on Nanoscale Patterning. Belle Antonovich, a lithography process engineer and hardware developer at IBM Research in Albany, will uncover how IBM advances semiconductor lithography to achieve precise nanoscale patterning for next-generation chip technologies. 6 p.m. in ETEC B010 

Registration is required for STEM and Nanotechnology Family Day and is strongly encouraged for the lecture series. Visit the NANOvember 2025 page for more information and to sign up.