The recognition highlights the role of the NSF PREM CIMA, in supporting undergraduate research and helping strengthen the pipeline of students entering materials science and STEM careers.

Students from TxState-UT PREM Center for Intelligent Materials Assembly (CIMA) recently received honors for research excellence and poster presentations at regional and national meetings, highlighting innovation, mentorship, and collaboration.

Olivia Downey, a senior Chemistry major at Xavier University of Louisiana and a student researcher in the Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) program, is making history as one of only six undergraduate students selected nationwide to speak at the ACS Presidential Symposium, “The Next 150 Years of Undergraduate Research,” during the Spring 2026 American Chemical Society meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

With a new partner, IMOD, a major goal of the last year of the partnership with STROBE was to provide as many opportunities as possible to for students to meet with their new community and learn their science.

During the past year, PEAQS students at Fort Lewis College (FLC), Durango, CO have successfully fabricated functional Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs).  MOSFETs are key components in digital and analog circuits, with modern smartphone processors containing around 15 billion of them.

With a new partner, IMOD, PEAQS undergraduates find themselves with access to an even larger community of scientists with new technical and professional skills to learn. A major goal of this first year of the partnership was to give the students as many opportunities as possible to meet with this new community and learn their science and professional skills.

Modern spacecraft requires the ability to perform complex and precise operations such as formation flying and collision avoidance. Microthruster technology, a key development in propulsion for spacecraft, address these performance needs through enhanced maneuverability while maintaining a minimal footprint.

During the duration of the grant, PREM research groups published 5 articles. Read all about it.

At the CSULB-OSU PREM symposium, students engaged in collaborative, interdisciplinary projects spanning quantum materials, molecular topology, and nanofabrication, supported by reciprocal exchanges and regular joint meetings. We had 21 CSULB summer research projects and 8 CSULB students doing REUs at OSU’s CEM.

On December 12, 2025, the UPR-PENN PREM celebrated its 20th Joint Annual Meeting. Since its start in 2004, the program has brought together faculty, students, and members of the External Advisory Board every fall in Puerto Rico to share research and education achievements and plan future initiatives.