About Us

SHINE's final day of operation was March 31, 2018


SHINE: Seattle's Hub for Industry-driven Nanotechnology Education is the regional center for nanotechnology in the Pacific Northwest, serving students, educators, industry and communities.

SHINE is a National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Center at North Seattle College (Award No. 1204279).


SHINE's recourses have been achieved on nanoHub

The SHINE Team

​Kristine Schroeder, Center Director

​Kristine oversees the day-to-day running of the SHINE Center as well as the long-term strategic direction of the Center. She works with a small team to achieve Center goals and support the regional nanotechnology community. Kristine earned her BS in Chemistry with a minor in Computer Science from San Diego State University and MS in Chemistry from The University of Washington. Kristine started with SHINE as the Nanotechnology Lab Technician and was responsible for managing the Nano Lab at North Seattle College and providing training on all laboratory instruments. She also has research experience in bioinorganic chemistry and organometallic chemistry, as well as experience in quality control testing of active pharmaceutical ingredients and oral dosage drugs. Kristine can be reached at [email protected].

​Brian Rucci, Program Manager

​Brian manages the day-to-day operations of SHINE. One of his primary roles it to work with SHINE Center stakeholders to ensure the Center continues to meet its goals and objectives. In addition to working for SHINE, Brian previously worked for a district wide National Science Foundation grant. The Ready, Set, Transfer Project (Award No. DUE – 0969607) and the ONSIGHT Collaborative Scholarship Project (Award No. DUE – 0966314). Brian loves snowboarding and has a passion for the outdoors. He has his BA in Environmental Studies and a Minor in Environmental Science and Resource Management from the University of Washington. Brian can be reached at [email protected].

Joe​ Amann, Lab Manager

Joe manages the day-to-day goings on in the Nanotechnology Lab. Joe graduated with an AAS-T degree in Nanotechnology from NSC. In his former life, he received a BS in Civil Engineering and a MS in Water Resources Engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in Washington and Oregon and worked in that industry for 15 years before making the career change to nanotechnology. Joe’s interest include biomimicry, synthetic biology, materials science, clean energy production and storage, and quantum mechanics. Joe can be reached at [email protected].

​Alissa Agnello, Principal Investigator

​Alissa serves as the Principal Investigator for SHINE, and is the Dean for the Math & Science Division at North Seattle College, which includes biology, chemistry, environmental and earth sciences, computer science, economics, engineering, math, nanotechnology, and physics. Prior to her role as dean, she taught chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology. Alissa can be reached at [email protected].