Dr Steve Wilben Macquarie Supit will conduct research at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, on nanoparticles as construction material. He hopes that the application of nanoparticles will produce a significant breakthrough for optimizing the use of blended cement in building construction, especially useful in Indonesia where precursors from natural resources are readily available.

He received his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Sam Ratulangi University, Manado, a master’s from the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand, and a PhD at Curtin University, Perth, Australia.

Dr Supit is a lecturer in civil engineering at Manado State Polytechnic.