PREM-The University of Texas Pan American/University of Minnesota -Science and Engineering of Polymeric and Nanoparticle-based Materials for Electronic and Structural Applications

材料研究与教育伙伴关系(PREM)在德克萨斯大学泛美分校(UTPA)和明尼苏达大学(UMN)材料研究科学与工程中心(MRSEC)之间建立了合作伙伴关系，专注于聚合物和纳米颗粒材料和设备的开发。虽然这一合作建立在UTPA不断增长的研究活动的基础上，但这一PREM体现了UTPA的第一个这种规模的科学和工程合作。在这一伙伴关系中进行的研究有五个方面：(1)探索用于光伏太阳能电池的基于纳米颗粒的材料，例如纳米晶体和纳米光子晶体材料系统的激光诱导聚集，(2)开发用于旋转可加工的、低成本的塑料发光器以及共轭光子晶体系统的可溶共轭聚合物，(3)用于机械到界面能量转换的纳米孔材料的功能化，(4)用于智能材料应用的具有嵌段共聚物的自修复聚合物材料的开发，以及(5)纳米增强聚合物复合薄膜和金属薄膜界面的研究，以改善这些体系的力学性能。材料科学教育外展是利用现有的UTPA计划，如向上绑定、GearUp和TeX-Prep计划进行的。除了这些外展活动，该PREM还向K-12学生提供材料科学课程，并参与由合作伙伴密歇根州立大学MRSEC主办的面向科学教师的研究经验(RET)计划。除了教育和社区外展外，这一PREM增加了STEM女教员的参与，并促进了她们在材料研究方面的保留，因为参与UTPA的教职员工中有57%以上是女性。

This Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) creates a partnership between the University of Texas Pan American (UTPA) and the University of Minnesota (UMN) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) focused on the development of polymeric and nanoparticle based materials and devices. While this collaboration builds upon the growing research activity at UTPA, this PREM embodies the first science and engineering collaboration of this magnitude at UTPA. Research conducted in this partnership are in five thrusts: (1) the exploration of nanoparticle-based materials, such as laser-induced aggregation of nanocrystallites as well as nanoparticles-in-photonic crystal material systems, for applications to photovoltaic solar cells, (2) the development of soluble conjugated polymers for spin-processable, low cost, plastic light emitters as well as conjugated-polymer-in-photonic crystal system low-threshold lasers, (3) the functionalization of nanoporous materials for the application of mechanical-to-interfacial energy conversion, (4) the development of self-healing polymeric materials with block copolymers for smart flexible materials applications, and (5) the study of nanoreinforced polymeric composite-thin film and metal-thin film interfaces to improve the mechanical properties of these systems. Materials science educational outreach is performed utilizing existing UTPA programs such as Upward Bound, GearUp and Tex-Prep programs. In addition to these outreach activities, this PREM also presents materials science sessions to K-12 students and participates in the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program for science teachers hosted at the partner UMN MRSEC. Besides the education and outreach to the community in general, this PREM increases the participation of women STEM faculty members and promotes their retention in materials research as more than 57% of the UTPA participating faculty are women.