Aalto Professor Risto Nieminen: an appointment recognising our research efforts
27.08.2010
A nanoscience seminar arranged in honour of Risto Nieminen, the first Aalto Professor, attracted an audience of more than one hundred people to the Dipoli Conference Centre at Otaniemi in Espoo on 27 August 2010. The event was opened by University President Tuula Teeri, who illustrated her address with examples from professor Nieminen’s career and thanked him for his outstanding research work.
Risto Nieminen’s international career has taken him far and wide, including periods spent at the University of Cambridge in the UK, and in Denmark and the USA. Nieminen has held a chair at Aalto University School of Science and Technology since 1988, and is now in his second term as leader of its Center of Excellence in Computational Nanoscience (COMP). He was appointed as the first Aalto Professor at the opening ceremony of Aalto University in January 2010.
Three cornerstones support the multidisciplinary field of material physics
While talking pride in the appointment, professor Nieminen is keen to stress that the distinction was addressed to the University’s entire Department of Applied Physics.
“It is gratifying that the President and University have expressed their appreciation in this way. Our sustained, systematic, long-term efforts have brought results, and the esteem of colleagues and peers is warmly received.”
Nieminen went on to explain the nature and practical applications of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
“Three cornerstones support research in this field. These are synthesis, manufacturing and processing; determining the properties of nanostructures; and modelling and theoretical simulation. The research conducted at our Center of Excellence represents the global cutting edge of work on the third cornerstone.”
As an example of research leading to practical applications, Nieminen points to an ongoing research partnership with Nokia Corporation.
“We can already see some revolutionary applications emerging for materials solutions in touch screen technology. The key to all this is graphene, a carbon-based material structure that is tipped to gain a status at the core of information technology rivalling that of silicon.
Distinguished close research colleagues of professor Nieminen who also delivered specialist addresses to the seminar included professor Adam Foster, professor Kari Laasonen, professors Päivi Törmä and Jukka Pekola, professor Sebastiaan van Dijken, Dr. Peter Liljeroth and Dr. Filip Tuomisto.
For further details please contact:
Risto Nieminen
+358 50 350 0900
risto.nieminen [at] tkk [dot] fi
