Don Payne
President and CEO
Nanospectra Biosciences, Inc.

Educational path
· Undergraduate degree in accounting (Texas A&M)
· MBA (Rice University)

Special training for nanotechnology
Not really.

Tips/Advice to jumpstart a career in nanotechnology
Nothing in particular comes to mind.

Why did you choose the field of nanotechnology?
It sort of happened indirectly. My background is in Life Sciences and nanotechnology provides significant opportunities in Life Science applications. I utilize nanotechnology as a way of expanding my knowledge in Life Sciences.

How did you first get into nanotechnology?
I was looking for an entrepreneurial opportunity, and nanotechnology was a new technology being developed at Rice where I was a tech transfer, so I became aquatinted with it. I became aware of the science of nanotechnology and how it was capable of expanding the potential in Life Sciences.

What is it like to work in nanotechnology?
Challenging. It requires new tools and techniques as well as new methods of analysis. As one of our scientists put it, it really requires one to think outside of the box, in all aspects.