Denny Hamill, PhD
Vice President of Corporate Alliances
Nanotechnologies, Inc.

Educational path
PhD in solid-state physics

Special training for nanotechnology
I worked in the industry for 30 years in mostly electronic and telecommunication businesses.

Tips/Advice to jumpstart a career in nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is very broad and it encompasses a lot of different fields of work. Technical backgrounds in many areas are appropriate for nanotechnology. But the understanding of physical, mechanical, and optical effects at the nano scale is something that's new and needs to be learned and experienced. The businesses are just like other businesses in the sense that the challenge is to find a technical solution to a business problem and then commercialize it.

Why did you choose the field of nanotechnology?
I found the nanotechnology companies that I worked with to be very exciting and they had special marketing challenges – that is what initially drew me in.

How did you first get into nanotechnology?
I started out as a business advisor for a small nanotechnology company.

What is it like to work in nanotechnology?
It's an important field because the opportunities for totally new phenomena, and products are so exciting.