HybriD3 Theory Training Workshop

2/8/2022 | Volker Blum (Duke University), Yosuke Kanai (U. North Carolina)

A three-day program of lectures and simple hands-on sessions was offered, designed to provide an entry point to the current most important, density-functional theory-based simulation approaches in computational molecular and materials science.

Luis De Jesus: From Undergraduate to Assist. Prof.

1/1/2022 | S. Banerjee, D. Watson

(Top) Undergraduate workshop at University of Puerto Rico-Cayey. (Lower left) De Jesus and Banerjee discussing research in laboratory. (Lower right) De Jesus and Banerjee received 2018 Robert S. Hyer award.

MGI Outreach in Puerto Rico

1/1/2022 | S. Banerjee (TAMU), D. Watson (U. Buffalo), and L. Piper (Binghamton)

Designing Materials to Revolutionize Our Engineering FutureBroader ImpactsDMREF-1626967MGI Outreach in Puerto RicoTop: Workshop at UPR Cayey, 5th March 2019. Bottom left: Summer intern Kenneth Martinez Algarin performing research. Bottom right: Luis De Jesus and Sarbajit Banerjee at the Robert S. Hyer Award ceremony.

A Physical Chemistry Lab Experiment Demonstrating Tunable Wettability

1/1/2022 | Sarbajit Banerjee, Texas A&M University

We recently designed a physical chemistry laboratory experiment that brings materials which were designed as part of our active research projects into the undergraduate laboratory curriculum.

AI/ML for Materials Design Workshop

1/1/2022 | David Watson (SUNY-Buffalo) and Sarbajit Banerjee (Texas A&M University)

Over the course of our DMREF project, Banerjee from Texas A&M Univ. (TAMU) and Watson from Univ. at Buffalo (UB) have mentored 10 URM undergraduate summer research interns from Univ. of Puerto Rico Cayey (UPRC), recruited from 4 materials workshops at UPRC led by Banerjee and featuring presentations from former DMREF interns.

Sarbajit Banerjee awarded the American Chemical Society Diversity Award

10/27/2021 | Sarbajit Banerjee (TAMU) and David F. Watson (Buffalo)

Sarbajit Banerjee was awarded the 2021 American Chemical Society Stanley C. Israel Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences

Luis De Jesus Named Assistant Professor

10/27/2021 | Sarbajit Banerjee (TAMU) and David F. Watson (Buffalo)

With support from the DMREF program, we have built and sustained an authentic partnership with the University of Puerto Rico Cayey. One of our UPR students, Luis De Jesus, was a PhD student with Sarbajit Banerjee at Texas A&M.

Observation of Structural Phase Changes Driven by Electrostatic Gating

10/13/2021 | Evan J. Reed

Our efforts in data mining and machine learning have resulted in a number of new databases and predictions. These include: a database of over 1,000 2D materials that exist naturally as layered materials in the bulk (a), exploration of possible 2D materials that could be used in phase change applications, prediction of new superionic solid state Li-containing battery materials, and the creation of a website that allows researchers to easily search and predict the conductivity of solid-state electrolyte materials.

Engaging Underrepresented Undergraduate Students in Organic Semiconductor Research

7/1/2021 | J. Anthony & C. Risko (U. Kentucky)

Due to COVID restrictions, it was difficult to bring undergraduate researchers into our laboratory over the Summer of 2021. So instead, we reached out to local PUI Centre College in Danville, KY, and particularly Prof. Vanessa Song, a first-year professor at that institution.

Dynamic Control of Hierarchical Soft Materials via Molecular Design and 3-D Printing

10/19/2020

The grant has helped support an outreach program for high school girls of grades 9-12 co-organized by the Women in Engineering Program at University of Illinois. Over the past year, we added brand new activities introducing molecular assembly through fun exercises on liquid crystals, nucleation and growth, and shape memory alloys. Further, visiting students were excited to experience 3D printing of chocolate during our outreach program.

Broader Impact Highlights