Abstract: Tele-microscopy has become a very active area of research and development in the 1990s where there was a desire to give researchers better access to expensive and specialized microscopes, breaking geographical and time barriers. Rapid advances in telecommunication, computers, and microscopy technologies make possible the establishment of the World Wide Web and the realization of the goal of developing a “laboratory without walls”. This provides unprecedented opportunities for researchers and educators alike to gain access to shared instrumental and educational resources.

In this presentation, a description of the Interactive Nano-Visualization for Science and Engineering Education (IN-VSEE) project will be given. The primary goals of IN-VSEE are to (i) convey the excitement of nanoscience and nanotechnology to promote studentmotivated learning and pursuit of science and engineering careers, (ii) teach fundamental interdisciplinary concepts in science and engineering using a visual format to help students learn and integrate information more effectively, (iii) provide students with the capability to routinely explore materials in three dimensions with resolutions at the nanoscale and even down to the atomic scale, and (iv) demonstrate the feasibility of remote operation of research-grade laboratory instrumentation for development into a powerful educational and collaborative tool.