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Navajo Technical University Student Develops Sensors to Detect Heavy Metals in Water
Wayant Billey, a Navajo student at Navajo Technical University, knows firsthand how important water quality is for families who haul water for drinking, livestock and crops. His research uses small, low-cost laser-induced graphene sensors to detect heavy metals in water — work that could help communities better understand local contamination risks while inspiring the next generation of STEM students.
Xavier PREM Scholar Olivia Downey Selected to Speak at Upcoming ACS Presidential Symposium
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.
UPR and PENN celebrate their 20th PREM Joint Annual Meeting
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.
STEMS 25 Brings Emerging Materials Research and Career Development to the University of Central Florida
The PREM Center for Quantum Materials Innovation and Educational Excellence recently organized the Science and Technology of Emerging Materials Symposium at the University of Cnetral Florida.
New Water Sensor Detects Toxic Iron Pollution with Extreme Sensitivity
PREM Web Team
A team of researchers from the U.S. and India has developed a powerful new sensor that can identify dangerous levels of iron in water faster, cheaper, and with far greater accuracy than existing methods. The project was led by Fei Yan, professor at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Yan is also part of the NSF PREM for Hybrid Nanoscale Systems.
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