He studied chemistry in China and then received his doctorate from the University of Miami. When not working on the nanotechnology program review, Huo conducts his own research in nanoscience. He recently published a paper on gold nanoparticles used in cancer detection. “The bottom line is, we want our students to become competitive,” Dr. Huo said. The program is designed to offer undergraduate students the opportunity to continue their education and gain valuable research experience. Huo said the purpose of the nanotechnology program is to teach students cutting-edge science and to give students the opportunity to work in a laboratory environment. “It encompasses everything, just on a smaller scale,” said nanotechnology student Jennifer Para. Parra worked as a microbiologist for a local pharmaceutical company for over two years after graduating from UCF with a degree in molecular and molecular microbiology in 2011. She was interested in returning to school when she received an email from Huo about starting the new nanotechnology program. at UCF. “I was intrigued by the name, I had no idea what nanotechnology was,” he said