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Sustainable Nano

by Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, Elfy Chiang

Curious about nanotechnology, sustainability, and life in science? The Sustainable Nano podcast is produced by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, a chemistry research center funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Jun 27, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. Ep. 47. Burn it Down: harassment, abuses of power, and advocating for change in STEM

    What does fighting abuses of power in Hollywood have to do with science? In this episode, reporter Maureen Ryan discusses her book, "Burn it Down: Power, Complicity and a Call for Change in Hollywood," and the many parallels with cultural structures in science and academia. Mo shares her insights...

  2. Ep 46. Centering What it's Really About

    Dr. Della Mosley is a healer, counseling psychologist, and former professor who is now part of the WELLS Healing Center in North Carolina. Dr. Della served as the Wellness, Equity, and Liberation Consultant for the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology for four years, an unusual and very special...

  3. Season 7 Preview

    It's the 7th season of the Sustainable Nano Podcast! Here's a quick preview of the three episodes of this final mini-season, including interviews with Dr. Della Mosley, Maureen Ryan, and Dr. Bob Hamers & Dr. Christy Haynes. Want more podcast episodes? You can find them all on our podcast page, or...

  4. Ep 45. The World is Really Ready for Change

    Professor Mike Curry of the North Carolina Agricultural & Technological State University (NCAT) is a scientist, inventor, mentor, and advocate with a passion for bringing attention to the great research that happens at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). In this episode we share…

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  5. Ep 44. Part of Something Bigger: Social Media, Mentoring, & Friendship with Stuart Cantrill

    Early in the COVID pandemic, then-graduate student Safia Jilani became Twitter buddies with the Chief Editor of the prestigious journal Nature Chemistry, Dr. Stuart Cantrill. Dr. Jilani is now a Postdoctoral Fellow with the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, and Dr. Cantrill is now the...

  6. Ep 43. Revolutionizing How we Grow, Distribute, & Store Food: Revisiting the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

    Five years after our first interview, we catch up with Dr. Jason White about chemistry at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and how nanoscience can benefit agriculture and global food security. Graduate student Beza Tuga interviews Jason about his new role as Director of CAES and...

  7. Ep 42. Why We All Feel So Terrible And What to Do About It

    Mental Health Awareness Month was back in May, but it's never too late to talk about mental health and strategies for taking care of ourselves during difficult times. In this episode we share a discussion with psychiatrist Dr. Kaz Nelson called "Why we all feel so terrible and what to do about…

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  8. Season 6 Trailer

    We've got a great set of episodes for Season 6 following our themes of Nanotechnology, Sustainability, and Life in Science. Interviews include the founders of @BlackinNanotech, Dr. Olivia Geneus and Jarriaun Streets; materials scientist Dr. Suveen Mathaudhu; and psychiatrist Dr. Kaz Nelson, plus...

  9. Ep 41. Stronger, Tougher, Lighter

    What do nanotechnology, blacksmithing, and Star Wars have in common? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Suveen Mathaudhu about a range of topics from medical applications of materials science to metallurgy in The Mandalorian. Zoom screen shot of Dr. Mathaudhu showing off his Armorer action figure...

  10. Ep 40. This Is the Future

    It's the first episode of season 6! Come for the nanopharmacology, stay for the robotics and fun with Twitter networking. In this episode, we interview Olivia Geneus and Jarriaun Streets about founding #BlackinNanotech, how they got into science, and the challenges of communicating about...

  11. Ep 39. Retelling a Story Through Illustrations: Lifeology Part 2

    How do you explain sustainable nanotechnology using art? Last fall the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology collaborated with Lifeology, an online platform that connects scientists and artists, to create a public-friendly "mini-course" called "What happens to nanoparticles in the environment?".…

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  12. Ep 38. Beyond Jargon to Empathy: Lifeology Part 1

    How do you explain sustainable nanotechnology in text shorter than a tweet? This fall the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology collaborated with Lifeology, an online platform that connects scientists and artists, to create a public-friendly "mini-course" called "What happens to nanoparticles in...

  13. Ep 37. Shine Bright like a Diamond... Inside of a Worm

    Zach Jones, a graduate student in the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, gives diamonds to his study organism. But they're nanodiamonds, not jewelry, and after the tiny worms eat them, Zack uses their fluorescent and magnetic properties to see where the material accumulates within the worm's...

  14. Ep 36. "Yes, and...": A Guide to Effective Science Communication Using Improvisation

    Science communication takes a lot of different forms, including improvisation. In this episode, we interview Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology graduate student Paige Kinsley and alum Liz Laudadio. The episode dives deep into the life skills you can learn from doing improv, how it can make you…

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  15. Ep. 35 Photographing the Unphotographable

    How do you photograph the unphotographable? In this episode we interview MIT research scientist Felice Frankel, who specializes in visualizing science, using pictures to draw audiences in and help scientists more deeply examine their own work, including nanoscale materials that are smaller than...

  16. Ep. 34 Winter Holiday Mini-Episode: Colorful Carbon Dots

    Winter can get pretty dark, especially in northern latitudes, and many cultures have winter holidays that feature and celebrate lights. For our last episode of 2019 we decided to talk about the bright and colorful chemistry of carbon dots! In this mini episode we interview Dr. Christy Haynes,...

  17. Ep. 33 It Just Didn't Feel Like Me: Belonging and Sexism in Science

    How often do college women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) experience sexism? And how do these experiences affect their likelihood of staying in scientific fields? In this episode we talk with Majel Baker, a counseling psychologist who investigated these questions in her...

  18. Ep 32. An Electronic Circuit on Every Seed?

    What if every seed you planted could include a sensor to monitor moisture and nutrients? What if every tissue had nanoscale electronics to check for viruses when you blew your nose? Our fourth season launches with an interview about the future of nanotransistor technology with Professor Mike…

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  19. Season 4 Preview

    We've got a great lineup of episodes taking shape for this year on our themes of Nanotechnology, Sustainability, and Life in Science. Interviews include Prof. Mike Filler talking about nanowires and his podcast Nanovation, Majel Baker discussing the effects of sexism in science, Felice Frankel...

  20. Ep 31. Jumping Asteroid Clouds: Supporting Vulnerable Learners in Educational Achievement

    Last November, Dr. Cat Hicks wrote an essay on Medium called "Reading vulnerable learners' applications to grad school: we need to stop failing them." In this episode of the podcast, University of Minnesota graduate student Becky Rodriguez interviews Dr. Hicks about her essay, her educational and...

  21. Ep 30. Nanocomposites: Getting the Best of Two Worlds

    What could be cooler than a technology that uses nanomaterials? How about one that combines two nanomaterials! Nanocomposites bring together two or more nanoscale materials to take advantage of their combined features to get what Dr. Klaus Müllen calls "the best out of two worlds." Dr. Müllen is…

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  22. Ep 29. Green is the Color of Chemistry

    Dr. Mary Kirchhoff is Executive Vice President of Scientific Advancement at the American Chemical Society and Director of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute. Her career has spanned a variety of experiences related to sustainability in chemistry, including working with the U.S. Environmental...

  23. Ep 28. Who's Not In the Room and Why Not? Inclusivity and Bias Across Class Backgrounds in College Education

    Alvin Chang, Senior Graphics Reporter for Vox, wrote and illustrated an article last year called "The subtle ways colleges discriminate against poor students, explained with a cartoon." In this episode of the podcast, we share the audio of a webinar that Chang presented for the Center for...

  24. Ep 27. The Constant Loop: How Nanoparticles and the Environment Affect Each Other

    Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO) is an important nanomaterial used in batteries, but little is known about what happens when it gets exposed to the environment. In this episode we interview Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology graduate student Liz Laudadio, who was the first author on a recent paper...

  25. Ep 26. Nanomaterials and Renewable Energy: From Solar Panels to Machine Learning

    How are photons like toddlers? And what does that have to do with solar energy? Dr. Jillian Buriak has been researching nanomaterials and renewable energy for over a decade, including work to improve solar panel technology. In this first episode of the Sustainable Nano Podcast's third season, we...

  26. Season 3 Preview

    It's Season 3 of the Sustainable Nano Podcast! Here's a quick preview of a few of our upcoming episodes, including interviews with Dr. Mary Kirchhoff, Alvin Chang, & Dr. Jillian Buriak. Sustainable Nano Season 3 is on the way! Want more podcast episodes? You can find them all on our podcast page,...

  27. Ep 25. Finding the Next Fix for the World's Problems: More from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

    In the second interview from our visit to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, graduate students Natalie Hudson-Smith and Jaya Borgatta interview Dr. Wade Elmer, Chief Scientist for the Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology. They discuss everything from everyday garden fertilizers...

  28. Ep 24. Using MRI technology to study nanoparticles

    How do we "see" nanoparticles when they're too small to view with a normal microscope? In this episode we interview Kelly Zhang, a graduate student in the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology who recently published a paper about a new way to use NMR technology (like MRI for chemistry) to study…

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  29. Ep 23. From Worm Genetics to Chocolate Cake: Art and Science with Dr. Ahna Skop

    What does food blogging have to do with genetics research? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ahna Skop, an associate professor of Genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, about how art, science, and cooking intersect, as well as some of the benefits and challenges she has experienced…

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  30. Ep 22. On Thin Films and Nobel Prizes: Margaret Schott Profiles Katharine Burr Blodgett

    At last summer's American Chemical Society national meeting, Dr. Margaret Schott of Northwestern University took the unusual step of giving her history division presentation as her subject, Dr. Katharine Burr Blodgett. In this episode we interview Dr. Schott about her own path in life and...

  31. Ep 21. Quantifying Effects of Gender Bias: There's an App for That

    Does gender bias matter? You can see for yourself thanks to an interactive app created by software engineer Penelope Hill at doesgenderbiasmatter.com. In this episode, we interview Penelope about what prompted her to create the app, some of the research behind it, and a few of the ways people in...

  32. Ep. 20 Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland and the Definition of Sustainability

    What does "sustainability" mean? Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland is famous for serving three terms as the Prime Minister of Norway and chairing the World Commission on Environment and Development -- the Brundtland Commission -- which defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs…

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  33. Ep. 19 Scientists and Impostor Syndrome: Can We Do Anything About It?

    You may have heard of "impostor syndrome" or "imposter phenomenon," when perfectly competent people have the feeling that they don't belong or are faking it in their professional lives. It can lead sufferers to hold back their ideas and self-reject from opportunities, and it is surprisingly…

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  34. Ep 18. Why Do We Care About Emerging Contaminants?

    As the Director of the Great Lakes Genomics Center in the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Professor Rebecca Klaper researches emerging contaminants such as nanomaterials and pharmaceuticals and how they affect freshwater organisms. In this episode we...

  35. Ep 17. Putting Science to Work for Society: A Visit to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

    Chemistry at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station ranges from testing how nanoparticles help plants grow to determining what kind of poison was placed in someone's coffee. In this episode, we interview Dr. Jason White, Vice Director of Analytical Chemistry at the CAES and our newest...

  36. Ep 16. Maybe Not the Next Industrial Revolution? Societal & Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology

    A lot has changed in the last 10-15 years about our hopes and fears around nanotechnology. Ira Bennett and Jameson Wetmore are professors in the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University, and in this episode of the Sustainable Nano podcast we interview them about the...

  37. Ep 15. The Art of Beehives, Foam, & Bubbles: An Interview with Peter Krsko

    Artist Peter Krsko uses his background in physics and materials science to study and communicate about nature. He is described as a "bioinspired artist whose approach combines science and art, participatory, interactive and community arts, and play with hands-on education." On this episode of the...

  38. Ep 14. What Does Nanotechnology Have to Do With Renewable Car Tires?

    What if car tires could be made from renewable resources instead of petroleum? In this episode of the podcast, we interview Dr. Paul Dauenhauer, part of a research team from the Center for Sustainable Polymers who have developed a new chemical process to make isoprene (one of the key ingredients…

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  39. Ep 13. Communicating About Science with 'Lab Girl' Author Hope Jahren

    Dr. Hope Jahren is a geobiologist who studies fossil organisms and the global environment, and is also the New York Times-bestelling author of the memoir Lab Girl. In this episode of the podcast, we interview Dr. Jahren about communicating science with the public, the joys and challenges of…

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  40. Ep 12. Making Sustainable Nanoparticles From Plants

    Nanoparticles are widely used in a variety of technologies, and some researchers are looking for ways to make those nanoparticles more environmentally friendly. In this episode of the podcast, we interview Dr. Mike Curry about his research making nanoparticles from cellulose, a very common…

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  41. Spring 2017 Teaser

    We're back from winter break and preparing a fantastic batch of podcast episodes for spring 2017! Over the next few months we'll be featuring interviews with Dr. Hope Jahren and Dr. Mike Curry, plus a profile of Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, and much more. Stay tuned! 2017 is here! (image adapted…

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  42. Ep 11. When Artists and Scientists Collaborate

    Art and science are often though of as completely separate pursuits, but what happens when artists and scientists actually talk to each other? In this episode of the podcast, we interview Dr. Cathy Murphy about her experiences inviting art students to spend time in her chemistry lab at the...

  43. Ep 10. Why Were Plastic Mirobeads Banned? Marine Debris and Sustainable Plastics

    Plastic debris in our water is a huge pollution problem, and just one source of that pollution is the tiny microbeads that have been widely used in personal care products. In this episode of the podcast, we interview Dr. Richard Thompson, a Professor of Marine Biology at Plymouth University and…

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  44. Ep 9. Seven Stages of Technological Adaptation

    This episode of the podcast features an interview with University of Minnesota graduate student Peter Clement, discussing the book The War on Science by Shawn Otto. We focus on Otto’s explanation of the Seven Stages of Technological Adaptation — an observation that how our society adapts new...

  45. Ep 8. How Nanomaterials Can Build Better Bikes

    On this episode of the Sustainable Nano podcast, we talk about one example of how nanotechnology is changing something many people use every day: bikes! Margy Robinson, a graduate student in the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology and a competitive cyclist, explains how carbon nanotubes and...

  46. Ep 7. What Do Glaciers Have to Do With Nanoscience?

    Why do glaciers sometimes look blue? Hint: it’s not for the same reason we see blue as the color of the sky! On this episode of the podcast, we have an interview with Dr. Robert Hamers, following up on his recent blog post. Bob is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, and he...

  47. Ep 6. Happy National Nanotechnology Day!

    October 9, 2016 was the first ever National Nanotechnology Day (10/9 = 10-9 for nano!). On this episode of the Sustainable Nano podcast, we talk with Dr. Lisa Friedersdorf, Deputy Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, about National Nanotechnology Day, activities like...

  48. Ep 5. What’s the Deal With Triclosan?

    As you may have heard, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration recently announced a ban on using the antibacterial agent triclosan (and 18 other substances) in soaps, and then last week the issue of antibacterial resistance was discussed at the UN General Assembly. In this episode of the Sustainable...

  49. Ep 4. Nano Superheros: At the Interface of Art and Science

    Welcome to episode 4 of the Sustainable Nano podcast! In this final new episode of our launch week, we interview the three high school student finalists from NSF’s Generation Nano contest about their amazing nanotechnology-based superheroes. image credit: Vegas Bleeds Neon...

  50. Ep 3. Nanoparticles in Electric Car Batteries: How Do We Study Sustainability?

    Welcome to episode 3 of the Sustainable Nano podcast! In this episode, we talk about a recent research study that looked at how one type of battery nanomaterial affects bacteria called Shewanella oneidensis. We interview Mimi Hang and Ian Gunsolus, who were co-first authors of the study as…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Curious about nanotechnology, sustainability, and life in science? The Sustainable Nano podcast is produced by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, a chemistry research center funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

HOSTED BY

Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, Elfy Chiang

Produced by Miriam Krause

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Sustainable Nano have?

Sustainable Nano currently has 51 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Sustainable Nano about?

Curious about nanotechnology, sustainability, and life in science? The Sustainable Nano podcast is produced by the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, a chemistry research center funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

How often does Sustainable Nano release new episodes?

Sustainable Nano has 51 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Sustainable Nano?

You can listen to Sustainable Nano on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Sustainable Nano?

Sustainable Nano is created and hosted by Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, Elfy Chiang.
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