Synopsys:

Dr. Marco Curreli is a research scientist, educator, and social entrepreneur in the field of nanotechnology.  In 2012, Dr. Curreli consolidated his passions for nanoscience and teaching to become the Founder and Executive Director of Omni Nano, an organization that educates students about the cutting-edge science of nanotechnology. He is also the Director for nanotechnology research at Gamma Technology and teaches a nanotechnology course at UCLA. His innovative work in STEM education has been recognized and endorsed by the community. In 2014 and 2015, Omni Nano was a finalist for the Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Awards – dubbed the “Oscars of Innovation”. Dr. Curreli earned his B.S. in Chemistry at Cal State LA and holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from USC, where he focused the entirety of his graduate work on nanotechnology.

Full Bio:

At Omni Nano:  Dr. Marco Curreli is a research scientist, educator, and social entrepreneur in the field of nanotechnology. Dr. Curreli is the founder of Omni Nano, a not-for-profit organization that educates students about the cutting-edge science of nanotechnology by providing educational resources to the next generation of America’s scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. He founded Omni Nano in 2012 as a way to combine his two biggest passions in life – nanotechnology and education. He runs the organization on a day-to-day basis, developing curricula, presenting workshops, and pioneering the teaching of nanotechnology courses. For his work with Omni Nano, Dr. Curreli has been recognized by the innovation community as well as the education community: Omni Nano was a finalist in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2014 and 2015 Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Awards, Dr. Curreli has been nominated for Nonprofit Leadership Excellence at the 5th and 6th annual Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards.

Other current affiliations: In addition to his work with Omni Nano, Dr. Curreli is an investor and the Director for Nanotechnology Research at Gamma Technology, where he has developed nanotech-based aluminum alloys with unique properties tailored to the needs of the aerospace, defense, nuclear energy, and automotive industry.
He is also the West Coast Ambassador for the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association (NanoBCA), the world’s first non-profit association focused on the commercialization of nanotechnologies. In this volunteer position, Dr. Curreli assists NanoBCA as a liaison between the academic and corporate worlds, creating a community promoting tech-transfer, STEM internship programs, and industry involvement in developing relevant education resources

Education: Dr. Curreli received his B.S. in Chemistry from the California State University at Los Angeles (Cal State LA) in 2003 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2010. His entire graduate work was in the area of Nanotechnology, specifically in the chemistry of nanomaterials with applications in Nanotechnology-enabled sensor devices.

Past industry experience: After graduation, Dr. Curreli acquired two jobs in industry related to developing sensor technologies. Dr. Curreli worked as research scientist (2010-11) at Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS), where he led the DHS-funded gas and chemical sensing project, and contributed to the development of low-cost bio-analytical assays based on lateral flow test strips for microRNA tumor biomarkers and viral RNA. After his experience at IOS, Dr. Curreli joined Pharmaco-Kinesis Corporation (2011-12), a start-up company developing smart drug delivery systems and bioanalytical detection toolkits. At PKC, he led the development of rapid and low-cost detection toolkits for monitoring foods and beverages from possible E. coli contamination.

A History of Passion for Education: Throughout his higher education studies, Dr. Curreli has consistently demonstrated his passion and dedication to science education. While an undergraduate student at Cal State LA, the Chemistry Department offered Dr. Curreli a position as teaching assistant for organic chemistry laboratories. In graduate school at USC, he worked as teaching assistant (2003-05) for various chemistry courses, such as General, Physical, and Analytical Chemistry. After graduation, Dr. Curreli worked part-time for the Saylor Foundation as a Chemistry Course Designer & Research Consultant (2010-11), where he developed college-level, online-based chemistry courses for the Foundation’s Free Education Initiative.