Professor Gary P. Halada

To truly understand interactions between the environment and natural and human-made materials, it is essential to understand reactions at the nanoscale. It is at this level, from single molecules to ultra-thin films on surfaces, that structural and chemical transformations first occur which affect critical environmental processes, such as corrosion of advanced alloys, association of hazardous waste with soil or buildings, and transformation of radioactive materials by microbes. In addition, to create the next generation of materials and technologies to solve critical environmental problems we need to create new methodologies and research partnerships that will provide the necessary combination of tools, software and knowledge for cross-disciplinary problem-solving.