The Kavli Nanoscience Institute (KNI) has not only enabled breakthroughs in nanoscience but has also left an indelible mark on Caltech’s culture of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. To help celebrate this anniversary, ENGenuity spoke with former and present KNI directors, staff, faculty, and alumni to provide both a retrospective view of the KNI and insight into its future.
Aakash Indurkhya is a trailblazer in the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI), which continues to spark conversations (and heated debate) in the scientific and political realms. As the co-head of AI at Virtualitics, a Pasadena-based advanced analytics company, Indurkhya is focused on ways to make AI for analytics more effective, ethical, and relevant for real-world use cases.
Jennifer (Jen) Dionne channels the principles of nanophotonics to engineer new solutions for global health and sustainability. Growing up in Rhode Island, her inspiration to pursue science came from watching the X-Files, where she saw how interdisciplinary teamwork could tackle unsolved mysteries.
From West Africa to the West Coast, Ottman Tertuliano’s journey in materials science has brought him to the intersection of nanoscience, biomechanics, and biology. Now the AMA Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania, Tertuliano’s research group explores how mechanics can combine with biology, leading to enhanced outcomes for musculoskeletal diseases and tissue engineering.
Tim Chung’s growth as a robotics enthusiast and innovator, from his early days working with soccer-playing robots to his revitalization of robotics at Microsoft, is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary learning and curiosity.