In honor of the 75th birthday of Vladimir Agranovich, Nobel laureates and top international scientists converged at UTD for a conference on nanotechnology.

The Jan. 22-24 conference, “21st Century Research in Matter – Photonic, Excitonic, Spintronic Processes in Nanostructures,” included lectures on nanotechnology and its application.

Agranovich was named “Pioneer of Nano-Science” at UTD’s Nanotech Institute last year. Head of the theoretical physics department at the Russian Academy of Science’s Institute of Spectroscopy, he is also a professor of physics at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

“By European tradition, when a major scientist reaches a milestone birthday, researchers in the field dedicate their work to him in respect,” said Beth Keithly, manager of events and communication for the vice president for research and graduate education’s office.

“This event celebrates Agranovich’s career, achievements and what his research has allowed other scientists to accomplish,” she said.

Among the speakers was Valery Rupasov, senior scientist at the ALTAIR Center in Massachusetts and Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics in Russia. Rupasov was one of Agranovich’s graduate students and worked under him for 20 years at the Russian Academy.

“Dr. Agranovich is a great man in all aspects – a great human being and a great scientist,” Rupasov said.

Apart from his pioneering research in nanotechnology, Agranovich played a key role in establishing Russian-American scientific relations.

Discussion topics included carbon nanotubes, bio-nanotechnology, optical responses, insulators and superconductors, organic and polymeric devices, photonic crystals, and linear and non-linear spectroscopy.

Posters describing the scientists’ works in nanotechnology were put on display outside UTD’s School of Management main auditorium, the venue for the conference.

According to Vice President of Research and Graduate Education Da Hsuan Feng’s website, Agranovich said of the event, “I simply cannot wait to listen to and learn from each and every one of the lecturers. I know everyone will have something fantastic to tell the audience.”