This week, I sat down with Dr. Lisa E. Friedersdorf, the Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (or NNCO) to discuss all things nano.

For anyone in the nano space, Lisa is a rock star and well known to all. To those less familiar, Lisa joined NNCO several years ago, having served as the Associate Director of the Materials Research Center at Lehigh University and Director of the Industry Liaison Program. Lisa was also Director of the Virginia Nanotechnology Initiative. While with the University of Virginia, Lisa served as managing director of the nano STAR Institute and led the development of pan university initiatives as a program manager in the Office of the Vice President for Research.

As you can see, Lisa’s past positions have been squarely at the intersection of science, industry, and academia, and her experience has served her well for her current position. Lisa earned her Ph.D. and MSE in Materials Science and Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University and BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida.

In our conversation, Lisa breaks down the central goals and challenges of the National Nano Initiative, a governmental program designed to facilitate research and development in nanotechnology, educate people about nanotechnology, and ensure the responsible development of nano by understanding nano’s potential environmental, safety, and health implications. Lisa explains how her work at the NNCO helps direct and ensure that the many, many billions of dollars of funding available for nanotechnology applications and implications are allocated in ways that are efficient and invite the greatest return on investment and coordinated with other international nano initiatives. We also talk about some of the wonderfully surprising and unique applications for nanotechnology existing currently in our daily lives, as well as potential future applications of the technology for the field of agricultural and chemical production.

It was fantastic to speak with Lisa about her work and the field of nanotechnology, something about which we here at B&C are incredibly passionate and excited. So, here is my discussion with Dr. Lisa Friedersdorf, Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office…