The PREM Academy is a teacher/PREM researcher workshop - Goals: Address critical deficiencies in experiential learning through hands-on laboratory exercises with PREM faculty 40 hour training program Expose local educators to current materials research Introduce Project Based Instruction

Purpose of the Texas PREM Network: Share best practices for recruitment and retention of underrepresnted groups Provide a forum for student presenters Create a larger PREM identity

First-principles prediction that elemental Tellurium undergoes a trivial insulator to strong topological insulator (metal) transition under shear (hydrostatic or uniaxial) strain.

The first-principles calculation is based on the phonon-assisted charge transfer model. The ionic vibration brings the two electronic states closer whereby the charge carriers hop from one state to another with a transition rate. The charge transport mechanism is phonon-assisted charge t

Fullerenes are carbon cages that are currently being used in solar cells because of their unique properties as electron acceptors.

The PREM Nano Exhibición is presented in collaboration with Humacao’s Casa Roig Museum from March to December 2013. The basic exhibit was awarded to PREM by NISENet. Additional modules on “Nano, Stained Glasses and Materials in Historical Casa Roig” are being developed with the participat

CVD Graphene was synthesized at PENN. A Field Effect Transistor was fabricated at UPRH . No lithography was used (i.e. no harsh chemicals used) to define the source and drain electrodes, instead a TEM grid was used as a shadow mask. This is new to graphene based device fabrication. The dev

Recent experimental work has demonstrated production of quasi free-standing graphene by methane intercalation. The intercalation weakens the coupling of adjacent graphene layers and yields Dirac fermion behaviour of monolayer graphene.

The 2012 Pre-Freshmen Bridge Summer Science Program students conducted an interdisciplinary high altitude balloon research project. The research project involved eight teams of students working on original research projects.Two teams worked on materials science research, two teams on susta

Recent experimental work has demonstrated production of quasi free-standing graphene by gold intercalation. The intercalation weakens the coupling of adjacent graphene layers and yields Dirac fermion behavior of monolayer graphene.