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April 8, 1997

***SPECIAL EDITION***

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTERS STIMULATE NEW APPLICATIONS OUT OF BASIC DISCOVERIES

The National Science Foundation (NSF) established a program of Science and Technology Centers in 1987 to exploit new opportunities in fundamental science and technology as well as education. The centers are also designed to stimulate technology transfer and applications for various sectors of society. NSF funds 24 centers with an operating budget of more than $60 million. Below are a few samples of ongoing projects at major research institutions. For more information on Science and Technology Centers, contact Beth Gaston (703) 292-8070. Editor: Bill Noxon

U. MICHIGAN STUDYING ULTRAFAST OPTICALS

Scientists and engineers at the University of Michigan are exploring the physical processes of exceedingly brief pulses of lasers -- bursts of focused light measured in millionths of a billionth of a second. The physical reactions that result from these studies illuminate possibilities for advances in fields as diverse as communications, combustion and medicine.

The NSF-funded Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, along with the Kellogg Eye Center, is examining how ultrafast pulses may replace traditional laser surgery for improved treatment of glaucoma.

Center researchers have also found a range of uses for ultrafast pulses in materials manufacturing, fuel injectors for the automotive industry, semiconductor electronics for lithography and technology that will affect the design of electron accelerators which in the future may be 1,000 times more compact.

The center has interacted with almost 30 companies and produced 10 commercial products and five startup companies, four near the Ann Arbor area.

The technologies produced by these firms are used in laboratories or in optical communication systems. Sales have reached about $10 million, half of which has been overseas. [George Chartier]

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KENT STATE LIQUID CRYSTALS RESEARCH FINDS NICHE WITH STUDENTS, TOO

In a world gone miniature, it's hard to imagine what scientists may have been thinking four decades ago before breakthroughs like liquid crystals.

The impact of liquid crystals on optical devices alone has led to rapid advances in laptop computer displays. "The impact may be even greater in liquid crystal applications for integrated, hand-held communications devices," John L. West, Director of the Liquid Crystal Institute and the Advanced Liquid Crystalline Optical Materials (ALCOM) said. ALCOM is an NSF Science and Technology Center located at Kent State University in Ohio.

ALCOM research is advancing the understanding, design and production of new materials and displays, pooling the talents of scientists from Kent State and Case Western Reserve Universities and the University of Akron.

"ALCOM now has 32 industrial partners participating in all of our programs," West said. "The companies are benefiting by hiring ALCOM graduates and in licensing new technology."

The center's extensive outreach to high schools includes newsletters, symposia, an "ask a scientist" program and Science and Math on the Net (SCI-Net). The resources help teachers in Northeast Ohio integrate science, math and information management concepts into their classrooms. [Bill Noxon]

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NSF EARTHQUAKE CENTER EXPLORES SEISMIC ZONATION OPTIONS

Recent earthquakes around Los Angeles, including the 1987 Whittier Narrows and 1994 Northridge events, have intensified scrutiny of the region's earthquake hazard plans.

At a National Science Foundation Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) workshop in Los Angeles, engineers, earth scientists and city planners discussed the current level of understanding about regional earthquake hazards and whether new strategies might be implemented to reduce future earthquake risks.

"The primary goal was to find out to what makes sense, given our current level of knowledge about earthquake hazards in the L.A. region," Tom Heyney, SCEC director, said. Heyney cited the ongoing concern of risks to critical public facilities such as hospitals, schools, and emergency response centers, and the evaluation and retrofitting of unreinforced structures.

Participants reviewed implications of future code requirements for new buildings and developed a plan that lays out the next steps for establishing a vehicle for continuing dialogue, continuing the education of public officials about new scientific information and identifying projects that would benefit the city over both the short- and long-term. [Cheryl Dybas]

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