NMSU and UCSB's PREM Initiative to Advance

Research and Education

New Mexico State University (NMSU), is collaborating with the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) to establish the Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM). This initiative seeks to strengthen NMSU's research and educational infrastructure in materials science while promoting careers in areas of national need. The partnership is designed to increase enrollment, graduation rates, and graduate school transfers among students in materials-related fields through focused recruitment and retention strategies. A key component of PREM is engaging undergraduates in research, facilitating their transition to graduate studies, and developing a skilled, workforce to address materials challenges in areas like advanced semiconductor manufacturing and clean energy.

The PREM initiative will focus on two main research areas: the superconductivity of ruthenates and their heterostructures, and the infrared optical response of topological insulators and semimetals. Collaborative research efforts will include materials synthesis, device fabrication, quantum transport, optical characterization, and density functional theory, aiming to advance electronic and photonic devices. Projects will involve engineering Cooper pair/polaron heterostructures and studying the properties of semimetals and topological insulators, such as strained alpha-tin alloyed with Ge. Additionally, outreach activities will enhance participation in materials research, supported by an external advisory board. The project, funded by the NSF (DMR-24223992) , aligns with the foundation's mission to promote intellectual merit and broader impacts.

Important Dates