The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) proposes the establishment of a Center for Materials Science. Researchers at the Center will form Multidisciplinary teams to study: (a) The Corrosive Wear of Iron, Nickel, and Chromium Alloys; (b) The Chemistry of Nonplanar Aromatics; and (c) Silicon Transition Metal Materials and Complexes. Each team will conduct research on the chemistry and physics of materials. The studies will include investigations of phenomena and structures in surfaces, interfaces between different media, and developing atomic-level models of fracture and other modes of metallic failure. The Center will also be used to motivate minority students at all educational levels to consider careers in science and engineering. In addition, the Center will develop strategies to strengthen partnerships with industry and other major research institutions. This project meets the major goal of the Minority Research Centers of Excellence (MRCE) program: to increase the minority presence in science and engineering by making substantial resources available to upgrade the research capabilities of the most productive minority institutions. The project will at the same time enable this institution to use research as a tool to increase the effectiveness of related science and engineering activities for minority groups in its region. The Center will accomplish this by providing opportunities for faculty and students at UTEP and other nearby institutions with sizable minority student enrollments to engage in meritorious research that leads to publications in refereed journals.
