Phase II CREST Center for Interface Design and Engineered Assembly of Low-dimensional Systems (IDEALS II)

Maria C.Tamargo,1 PI; Swapan K. Gayen,1 Ilona Kretzschmar,1 Lia Krusin-Elbaum1 and Gustavo Lopez,2 co-PIs

1The City College of CUNY, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031

2Lehman College CUNY, Bronx, NY 10468

NSF Award No. EES-2112550

Building upon the salient accomplishments of Phase I IDEALS (IDEALS I), IDEALS II research addresses the need to strengthen the nation’s leadership in materials capabilities in the frontier areas of quantum materials, bioinspired reconfigurable materials, and photonic materials and technologies that address critical national needs, elevating CCNY as a premier research institution in these fields. IDEALS II also pursues frontier research and education transformative goals, including the following activities: (a) integrating research and education to enhance student experience and train tomorrow’s leaders; (b) implementing new strategies that focus on professional development and placement of students after graduation, enriched mentoring through preemptive interventions, and faculty awareness training to improve student success; (c) expanding recruitment practices and transforming institutional policy to ensure sustainable diversity at all levels, and (d) introducing the CCNY Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship program aimed at enhancing faculty diversity.