News

Olga Ricketts-Peart is not what she calls a “science person.” But she loves science anyway. The 77-year-old has been attending “Science with Seniors,” a program offered at the Levy Senior Center in Evanston that’s gone online in the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The third Thursday of each month, graduate students from Northwestern University meet virtually with seniors from the Levy Center for lectures on science and technology, topics that range from sleep to solar cells.

This year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is awarding 11 MRSECs totaling $200 million over six years. In addition to eight existing Centers successfully recompeting, NSF is establishing three new MRSECs.

Consider a hypothetical scenario: A new faculty member is happy to start her independent university faculty career with a substantial startup package, which allows her to purchase a state-of-the art diffractometer. Research is progressing well, and the group is productive. However, come year four, problems commence.

The analytical facilities at Penn State, the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Minnesota are collaborating on a free seminar series on characterization. One hour Zoom lectures will be held three times per week starting March 30th. The initial lectures will provide broad overviews of various analytical techniques. Future lectures will address more specific measurements, applications and materials.

Division: Materials Research (MPS/DMR) Directorate: Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Job Type:  STEM Appointment Type:  Temporary / Rotator Position Summary

New research by engineers at the University of Illinois combines atomic-scale experimentation with computer modeling to determine how much energy it takes to bend multilayer graphene – a question that has eluded scientists since graphene was first isolated. The findings are reported in the journal Nature Materials.

The goal of I-MRSEC’s “Musical Magnetism” curriculum was to expose Franklin STEAM Academy eighth grade students to materials science and magnetism, but also to another of the center’s main emphases: scientific communication.

A group of around 80+ mostly Hispanic K–5 students and their families showed up for the November 5th Cena y Ciencias (Spanish for “Supper and Science”) at Dr. Preston Williams Elementary School in Urbana.

New Publication from the Illinois MRSEC: Next-Generation Logic and Memory Devices    By Illinois MRSEC News, Posted July 3, 2018

At the recent American Physical Society (APS) March meeting in Los Angeles, more than 100 attendees stopped by the NSF MRSEC booth to learn more about this interdisciplinary program.  Close to 50 volunteers representing 16 of the 20 Centers helped answer questions that ranged from “What is the MRSEC?” and “What are the benefits of being involved?” to “How do students become part of the program?” and “How does the funding structure work?”.