February 11, 2009: The Foresight Institute, a nanotechnology think tank, has appointed Dr. J. Storrs Hall as its new president.

Prior to joining Foresight, Hall was a researcher at Rutgers University, a research fellow of the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing and the founding chief scientist of molecular modeling company Nanorex Inc. He is a prolific writer on nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, machine ethics, and other social impacts of technology with more than 30 years research experience in academia and industry, according to a news release from Foresight.

“With Dr. Hall’s expertise, Foresight’s range can broaden to include a wider variety of coming technologies,” said Christine Peterson, founder and former president of Foresight Institute. “His integrated vision of how nanotech interacts with other advanced fields will enable us to more effectively promote technology’s benefits and head off potential downsides.”

Peterson will remain with the organization as vice president.

The Foresight Institute was founded in 1986 to educate the public about nanotechnology. The Institute’s 1st Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology preceded the signing of the National Nanotechnology Initiative by 10 years. The Foresight Institute Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology has honored top nanotechnology research scientists since 1993.