Names: Tim Miller (ECE’79) & Kenny Schwartz

Gig: Research Engineers

Years on the job: Tim: 40, Kenny: 14

On duty: We both work in Birck Nanotechnology Center. We’re two of five left who helped design the facility and its systems. Tim makes the purest water in the world. We go through a few thousand gallons of water a day. Kenny manages the gases and liquid nitrogen for the facility. He also evaporates metal, which is pretty cool.

For the kids: We started doing “nano” ice cream demonstrations at Nano Days to illustrate how liquid nitrogen freezes molecules as quickly as possible to keep them as small as possible. 

In the mix: The recipe is simple. It’s made with sugar, vanilla, whipping cream, half and half, and a whole bunch of enthusiasm. 

People don’t understand: When you’re talking nano, it’s hard for people to understand just how small that is. The thickness of one hair in nano scale is the equivalent of a football field. 

You’d be surprised: There are projects and research conducted in Birck that nobody else in the world can do. We’ve been lucky that Purdue has gone to great lengths to keep the integrity of this building intact.