Discipline: Ecology, Environmental & Earth Sciences
Subcategory: STEM Research
- Cal State L.A.
Co-Author(s): Arturo Pacheco-Vega and Feimeng Zhou, Cal State Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
The NSF-CREST Center for Energy and Sustainability (CEaS), originally established in 2009 at California State University Los Angeles, is currently in its Phase-II. The center continues to prepare students, especially of Hispanic heritage, for advanced degrees in the areas of materials research, energy and sustainability. Cal State LA has been recognized by NSF to be the top MS granting institution that educates potential Latino doctorates, and now as the top institution in the country for social/upward mobility. A pivotal role in the success of Cal State LA – in preparing students for advanced degrees in STEM – has been the collective effort of the faculty in centers such as the CREST-CEaS (and others) being supported by NIH, NSF, etc.
CEaS fellows, mentored by the corresponding affiliated faculty, are making significant strides in their respective research thrust areas: (1) photovoltaics and emerging photovoltaic materials, (2) fuel cells and microfluidic-based direct methanol fuel cells, (3) new superconducting materials and applications, and (4) system modeling. To date, the CEaS faculty/students have over 150 publications/presentations and nearly 50% of our graduated fellows and affiliated students either moved on to M.S. and/or obtained PhD degrees in STEM. The center, in collaboration with the LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate program, will provide further professional development activities to better prepare students for doctoral programs, including assisting students with GRE preparation and the application process. At the institutional level, CEaS continues to be a pioneering research center on campus. The institution is in support of hiring of 6 new faculty across two colleges in the area of materials research, and we anticipate more faculty hires in the coming years. In addition, a new MS Program in Materials Studies was recently approved at the university level and is currently in revision by the California State University System’s Chancellor’s office. These accomplishments demonstrate the efforts and determination of the CEaS faculty and the institutional support for energy/materials research.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): National Science Foundation: CREST: HRD-1547723
Faculty Advisor: None Listed,