An April 8, 2014 news item on Nanotechnology Now describes an upcoming (April 16, 2014) fundraising event being held in California for the USA Science & Engineering Festival which is about to be held in Washington, DC on April 26 & 27, 2014,

NanoTecNexus (NTN), a premier nanotech educational organization, and members of the Graduate Society of NanoEngineers (GSN), a society formed within the Department of NanoEngineering at UCSD [University of California at San Diego], will delight attendees of the “Chemistry of Wine” event with eye-opening nanotechnology demonstrations. The fundraiser is scheduled for April 16th at Knobbe, Martens, Olsen & Bear LLP office located at 12790 El Camino Real, San Diego, CA.

Here’s why they want to raise funds (from the news item),

The event supports the first national scale program from NanoTecNexus to exhibit at the 3rd USA Science & Engineering Festival (USASEF) held in Washington, DC April 25-27. Fundraiser attendees will have the privilege of previewing a sampling of the visual hands-on demonstrations that will be showcased in DC and witness first-hand why nanotechnology is the most exciting field of study today.

“Nanotechnology is the future of virtually all of our existing technologies, and now nanoengineering has developed into its own field of study,” says Timothy O’Connor, co-founder and president of GSN and UCSD team leader for USASEF. “We founded GSN to be a resource for students pursuing nano-related fields and have an obligation to inform society and inspire the next generations at the USASEF”.

…

Adriana Vela, Founder and CEO of NanoTecNexus said, “Successful collaborations require more than a common goal. They require passion and conviction for the cause and we are pleased to see that dedication from the GSN team in their efforts to support the USASEF program.”

Poised for magnificent futures, contributing members of the GSN team share their aspirations:

Timothy O’Connor – is committed to using his five years of experience and knowledge in the fields of nano-electronics, renewable energy technologies, and nanoengineering to help secure a responsible energy future for our nations.

Tyler Dill – the son of two scientists, has always loved to tinker and figure out what makes the world tick. His driving force is to better the world through the development of new technologies; but also to spread science and engineering to those who are curious about joining the field, and to those who just want an answer to the question: how does it work?

Tarah Sullivan – works with plasmonic nanomaterials with the aim to make ultra-sensitive optical sensors. Through her research she strives to develop new technologies and contribute to developing the science and technology sector in her home state of Hawaii.

Chandler Miller – intends to receive his Ph.D. researching high voltage all-solid-state Li-based batteries. His inspiration for pursuing a degree in electrochemistry is to make green energy cheaper and more accessible. Ultimately, he plans to create a start-up to increase advanced battery chemistries to sizes capable of grid-scale energy storage that will allow better integration of solar, wind, and other forms of green power sources.

You can find out more about the April 26 & 27, 2014 USA Science & Engineering Festival being in held in Washington, DC here. As for the wine event in San Diego, here’s more from the NanoTecNexus Chemistry of Wine Fundraiser webpage,

Join us for an entertaining and educational evening with expert wine educator and chemistry professor, Dr. J. Ernest Simpson. Explore the whys and hows of your favorite wines with this structured lecture and wine tasting. Whether you’re the experienced oenophile or the wine lover “in waiting,” this event is sure to be a pleasure for all. Proceeds support the USA Science & Engineering Festival program and nanotech pavilion.

The lecture will include an overview of wine and wine making and more detailed descriptions of the chemical composition of grapes and wine, laboratory methods for analysis of grapes and wines, sensory and organoleptic methods used for wine, the role of tannin and other phenolic compounds in wine, and some potential health aspects of wine.

Combined with the lecture is a “component and varietal analysis”. During the component analysis, the audience will be given a reference wine sample with known levels of components such as acid, sugar, alcohol, etc. and then “unknown” samples in which one or more components have been increased by a known increment. During a varietal analysis a representative number of white and red wines will be compared.

I wish NanoTecNexus good luck with its fundraising effort and fun at the festival!