Ron Reifenberger
is currently a professor of Physics at Purdue University and
a member of Purdue’s Center for Sensing Science and Technology.
He received his undergraduate degree in Physics from John Carroll
University in 1970 and his PhD in Physics from the University
of Chicago in 1976. He joined the Physics faculty at Purdue
in 1978 following a two-year post-doctoral appointment in the
Physics Department at the University of Toronto. Upon joining
the faculty at Purdue, Reifenberger initiated a program to measure
photo-induced field emitted electrons from a variety of metals.
Since 1986, Reifenberger’s scanning probe group has been
active in furthering inter-disciplinary nanoscale research at
Purdue by establishing collaborations with faculty throughout
campus. His group has focused on research problems that emphasize
the role of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) as one of the key
enablers of nanotechnology. His current research is focused
on non-linear dynamics of SPM cantilevers, micro patterning
of substrates for the rapid detection of targeted bacteria,
and fundamental measurements related to current flow in molecules,
carbon nanotubes and Au nanocluster networks. This work is currently
supported by grants from ARO, NSF, DOE, NASA and NAVSEA and
has resulted in ~130 refereed publications and three US patents.
Reifenberger has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from
John Carroll University in 1992, is on the Editorial Board of
the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and has been
a Conference Co-organizer of the European Trends in Nanotechnology
2001 and Trends in Nanotechnology 2002 Conferences. He recently
participated in the international APEC Foresight Committee entitled
Nanotechnology, The Technology for the 21st Century.