Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials

The five technical divisions of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS) -Electronic, Magnetic & Photonic Materials, Extraction & Processing, Light Metals, Materials Processing & Manufacturing, and Structural Materials – sponsored the Student Poster Contest during the 2009 TMS Annual Conference & Exhibition held in San Francisco on February 15-19, 2009. The Poster Contest winners [...]

During the 2008 Sigma Xi Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference held in Washington, DC on November 20-23, 2008 UPRM PREM student Ronald Carrasquillo (Chemical Engineering) presented the poster titled “Development of an Alternative Aluminum Matrix Composite for Bearing Applications,” which was co-authored by undergraduate students Roberto Rivera (Chemical Engineering) and Yarimar Martínez (Industrial Engineering), [...]

The National Science Foundation has recently awarded $5 millions to the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez for the establishment of a nanotechnology center focused on research and education of biomedical and energy-driven systems and applications. This five-year project, set to start on September 1st, is led by doctors Carlos Rinaldi, Arturo Hernández, Oscar Perales, [...]

In July 2008 the Board of Directors of the Materials Research Society (MRS) has unanimously approved the establishment of an MRS chapter at the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez (UPRM).

The American Society for Materials (ASM International) has named PREM professor, Dr. Kumar Sridharan a Fellow of the society. Dr. Sridharan is a distinguished research professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Engineering Physics Department.

The summer of 2008 has become the most active season for outreach to diverse groups for the UPRM/UW PREM. Besides the scheduled research activities involving public high school teachers, this PREM partnered with other UPRM initiatives intended to attract and retain students interested in Engineering and Science. In early July five teachers from Mayagüez, Cabo [...]

The doping of MgB2 precast material with 2 at.% and 5 at.% TaB2 under varying high energy processing ball milling conditions with Pulverisete-4 and Spex mills was carried in order to investigate critical current enhancement condition. Higher critical current densities were achieved with the 5 at.% TaB2-doped MgB2 than with the 2 at.% doped MgB2. [...]

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) possesses excellent chemical stability, good mechanical hardness and a large positive first order crystalline anisotropy constant, making it a promising candidate for magneto-optical recording media. In addition to the precise control on the composition and structure of the ferrite, the success of its practical application relies on the capability of controlling crystal [...]

Scientific and technological progress of our society demands the development of new materials as well as the optimization of the properties in those materials of actual use; materials–related issues are present in all types of industries. Therefore, the formation of professionals with an effective background in the understanding of science and engineering concepts behind materials [...]

UPRM PREM and the UPR IFN (Institute for Functional Nanomaterials) from the 30th of March through April 6th joined forces to host Nanodays in several Puerto Rican cities and towns.

Three posters presented by University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez PREM students during the TMS Annual Meeting held in New Orleans in March 2008 received First Prizes during the poster competition. The corresponding departmental affiliation of the students reflects the inherent interdisciplinary nature that has fostered this PREM project.

The achievements of the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez PREM were highlighted in the January 25th, 2007 issue of El Nuevo Día (END). This is the largest Puerto Rican newspaper (est. circulation 250,000) and one of the largest Hispanic dailies in the US. The article titled “Fascinated by the Future Made Present” was also incorporated in [...]

The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez is providing opportunities to obtain meaningful experiences to undergraduates, especially minority students, in the area of synthesis of functional nanomaterials and the behavior of nanostructured materials.

UPRM PREM Prof. Carlos Rinaldi who in 2006 received the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award was one of the 20 NSF nominees who received the US government’s highest honor for scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers: The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

The Material Advantage Chapter of the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez (UPRM), founded under the auspice of UPRM PREM, received a spotlight on the October 2007 issue of JOM. This is published by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and is distributed globally. The 2-column spotlight underscores the impact of the UPRM chapter on advancing awareness [...]

During its 2007 Annual Meeting held in Orlando, FL (Feb. 25 – March 2) The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS) hosted their Technical Division Student Posters Contest. The competition included five technical categories. Two PREM undergraduate students won first prizes their corresponding technical divisions. José Vázquez: “Comparative Analysis of Processing Routes for the Synthesis [...]

In February 2007, UPRM PREM hosted more than 140 students, members of the five Materials Science and Engineering clubs formed in public schools under the auspices of PREM. The activity was organized by PREM’s Office of Outreach and Education led by Prof. J. Santos and was partly financed by UPRM Chancellor’s office. It took place [...]