EWS August 10, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jerome Saintjones, (256) 372-5607

Praise for Physicist Ila Keeps Coming

Huntsville, Ala. ---- An unbelievably energetic yet long-time Alabama A&M University physicist who is credited with spearheading the institution’s landmark Research Institute (AAMURI) is still getting accolades for his role in the coordination of the recent Huntsville Ion Beam Institute.

Throughout a four-day conference, Dr. Daryush Ila helped to pull together an assembly of enviable ion beam specialists who addressed numerous facets of nanotechnology with multiple applications. Moreover, researchers at AAMU have been involved with ion beam technology for more than two decades at the University’s Center for Irradiation of Materials alone.

“The (Institute) has been a very challenging opportunity to broaden the vision of science,” commented attendee and Professor Giovanni Marletta of the Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Catania in Italy. “I profited enormously from the overall visit.”

“Thanks for a beautifully organized meeting which was fruitful for all who attended,” stated Professor Ahmet Oztarhan of the Bioengineering Department at Ege University in Izmir Turkey.

Dr. John E. E. Baglin of the IBM Almaden Research Center r in San Jose, Calif., labeled the Huntsville Ion Beam Institute “absolutely heroic” in terms of its “successful management.”

Nearly a year ago, Ila—directing the AAMU Research Institute and leading Alabama’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to unprecedented levels—proudly announced a five-year, $15 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help strengthen the state’s ability to participate in, conduct and compete for nanotechnology research.

Alabama EPSCoR is a seven-school partnership designed to help the state to become a more formidable force in conducting and promoting nanotech research. “We are setting the pace and creating a road map that will help Alabama become a world class nano/bio-science and sensor presence in the country,” said Ila last October, adding that the award was among the largest ever awarded a university partnership.