Heliotactic: (adj) describing organisms that follow the sun.
Nanomech is: Dr. Jeffrey R. S. Brownson, Asst. Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University.
Prof. Brownson directs research and education in solar energy conversion, particularly dealing with thin film materials synthesis for photovoltaic devices (advanced solar cell materials and designs), System-Integrative Photovoltaics (SIPV): design for building integration, system-scale transient energy simulations for buildings, and solar resource assessment. Jeffrey has been the faculty director for the Natural Fusion project in the Solar Decathlon 2009.
Dr. Brownson offers a unique background as a materials scientist for energy systems, having pursued his degrees within the context of environmental chemistry and the geosciences. His complementary background in environmental chemistry and mineralogy provides a basis for materials research within the constraints of sustainability and materials fate in the environment. Jeffrey has developed an approach of environmental materials science, from the perspective of premediation and integrative design. The goal is to develop technologies and alternative energy systems (e.g. solar cells) that exhibit less of an impact (or footprint) on the environment for the carbon-costrained economy.
