A version of this story was originally published in the Spring 2012 UW SRP eBulletin.
Dr. Andrew Maynard from the University of Michigan was the invited speaker at the UW-SRP Agency Seminar at EPA Region 10 in November. Dr. Maynard is a leading authority on the responsible development and use of emerging technologies. Our federal and state agency partners who work within a regulatory framework were interested in an opportunity to discuss what Dr. Maynard refers to as a 'nanoscale science and engineering.' Dr. Maynard described the lack of appropriate regulatory definitions of these materials and the importance of adopting a broader perspective that will reframe the discussion of potential impacts; not in terms of size, but rather, in terms of design. He offered the audience a model that incorporates a material's life cycle, its form, its use and product category - providing us an integrated perspective.
Dr. Maynard's presentation: The New Science of Sophisticated Materials: Nanomaterials and Beyond is available on the UW-SRP Vimeo site. The presentation reached a national audience on EPA CLU-IN, and is archived here.
The UW-SRP sponsors regular seminars held in Seattle at the regional EPA headquarters. These seminars are directed toward an audience of agency staff involved with risk assessment and communication at Superfund sites, such as EPA Region 10 and the Washington State Departments of Health and Ecology. The series provides a forum for intra-agency discussions with scientists about current research and applications of the science.
Remote connection to this presentation and access to upcoming seminars is available via EPA CLU-IN, a part of the EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division.