Vicki Colvin Director of the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology Rice University

Dr. Vicki Colvin received her Bachelor's degree in chemistry and physics from Stanford University in 1988, and in 1994 obtained her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, where she worked under the guidance of Dr. Paul Alivisatos. During her time at the University of California, Berkely, Colvin was awarded the American Chemical Society's Victor K. LaMer Award for her work in colloid and surface chemistry. Colvin completed her postdoctoral work at AT&T Bell Labs.

In 1996, Colvin was recruited by Rice University to expand its nanotechnology program. Today, she serves as Professor of Chemistry at Rice University as well as Director of its Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN). CBEN is one of the nation's six Nanoscience and Engineering Centers funded by the National Science Foundation. One of CBEN's primary areas of interest is the application of nanotechnology to the environment.

Colvin has received numerous accolades for her teaching abilities, including Phi Beta Kappa's Teaching Prize for 1998-1999 and the Camille Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award in 2002. In 2002, she was also named one of Discover Magazine's "Top 20 Scientists to Watch" and received an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship. Colvin is also a frequent contributor to Advanced Materials, Physical Review Letters and other peer-reviewed journals, and holds patents to four inventions.

For details related to current research projects in the Colvin Group, please visit nanonet.rice.edu/.

Co-chairing the symposium on Water Technologies.