A beta version of our nanotechnology curriculum is ready for testing by third party educational institutions. “In the past 3-4 months, our team of volunteers have worked around the clock to revise slides and test the quizzes, to ensure the highest quality possible,” Dr. Curreli commented. He also added, “This curriculum is going to be unique. We are making the difference with the rest of the nanotech educational resources out there because we provide testing material (quizzes, homework, etc.) and a way to valuate the students multiple times during a lecture. We have segmented each lecture into short learning modules, which takes 10-15 minutes to present/discuss, and right after student do an assignment related to that particular module. Questions are written in a way to promote critical thinking and retention of information.”

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Dr. Marco Curreli, Kathleen, and Gina were delighted to represent Omni Nano at yesterday’s 2014 Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Awards Symposium and Dinner in Los Angeles.  It was an honor to be named one of the 15 finalists for the prestigious “Oscars of Innovation,” presented in partnership with the Los Angeles Business Journal.

The reception hall was packed for the full-day event but we enjoyed a prime table, front and center and directly adjacent to that of Dr. Soon-Shiong.  Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and his wife, Michelle Chan, have famously joined the Buffett-Gates Giving Pledge, a commitment to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable and philanthropic causes.  It was in that spirit of giving that we found ourselves strutting down the red carpet and vying for an Innovation Award alongside 14 other extraordinary Los Angeleno innovators.

Dr. Soon-Shiong opened with an inspiring speech about his passions for innovation and philanthropy, walking us through his life as a surgeon, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, and giving us an inside look at his most recent suite of companies, NantWorks.  We were then treated to a host of exceptional speakers who discussed their own journeys and successes, including Jeff Green, CEO of LG NanoH2O, which was honored with the Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Award in 2012 for its groundbreaking use of nanotechnology to lower the cost of water desalination on a global scale.

Then, one by one, each of the 2014 finalists appeared on the big screen, describing their association’s mission and explaining the innovations that led to their nomination.  We were so proud to see the final edit of Marco’s piece!  It brought the three of us great joy to spread the “good word” of Omni Nano and the need for pre-graduate nanotechnology education to a crowd of such impressive caliber.

At the dinner, Dr. Curreli was able to meet and chat with both Dr. Soon-Shiong and Michelle. At the event we were able to network with the other finalists and business leaders, disseminating Omni Nano’s mission and vision.  We may not have walked away with an award this time, but the experience and the connections we forged there were rewarding to us.

Our congratulations go out to all of this year’s winners!  They are (in alphabetical order): Advanced Telesensors, Inc.; the Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); Ice Energy; Medical Tactile, Inc. (MTI); and Sunseeker Enterprises, Inc.

The post Omni Nano Honored as Finalist at 2014 Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Awards first appeared on Omni Nano.

Today, Omni Nano was incorporated in the State of California as a non-profit, public benefit corporation. “This is the beginning of a long journey,” says Dr. Curreli, Omni Nano’s founder.

He added: “We are on a path to provide educational resources to teach nanotechnology to possible million of high school students and college undergrads with a passion for STEM. There is nothing more “STEM” than nanotechnology, which uses concepts from chemistry, physics, engineering, math, computer science, biology, etc. to solve the world’s biggest challenges, from energy to healthcare to water purification to computation. Nanotechnology is at the core of the 21st century technology revolution and our students need to know more about it!”

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