Gary P. Halada is an Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at Stony Brook University in New York. There he directs an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree program in Engineering Science as well as a unique undergraduate program in Nanotechnology Studies developed with NSF support (www.stonybrook.edu/nanotech).  His research interests for the past twenty five years include nanostructures for engineering applications, including renewable energy, and the nature of environment-material interactions, including corrosion, remediation of soil and groundwater, and the fate and transport of nuclear contamination.  This work has led to more than 100 publications in journals, peer-reviewed proceedings and book chapters, as well as pending patents in new environmentally-benign and inexpensive methods for formation of catalytic nanoparticles and functionalized biomaterials.  He is also leading a committee on digital and additive manufacturing for the SUNY Network of Excellence in Materials and Advanced Manufacturing, and represents SUNY on a committee on additive manufacturing for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.  Halada also helps coordinate efforts of the Long Island Alternative Energy Consortium, a collaborative effort among seven campuses (Stony Brook University, New York Institute of Technology, Farmingdale State College, SUNY Old Westbury, SUNY Maritime, and Suffolk County and Nassau Community Colleges) as well as government and private entities, to develop multi-disciplinary, multi-institution undergraduate and experiential education programs for the emerging and rapidly evolving industries of renewable and alternative energies.  He is a recipient of the 2012 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Gary Halada also has a long-term association with science fiction fandom, as he was one of the founders of I-CON, was a coordinator or guest at more than 25 I-CONs over the years, had been president and head librarian of the Science Fiction Forum for three years during his undergraduate years at Stony Brook, and was one of the founders of “Destinies, the Voice of Science Fiction” on WUSB.  He continues to explore the uses of reading and writing science fiction as a method for teaching students about the potential risks and ethical concerns of emerging technologies.