About Nanotechnology Center

CREST is supported by the US NSF. In this case, this is the Phase II of our prior Nanotechnology Center for Biomedical, Environmental and Sustainability Applications. To this purpose, the Foundation provided $5,000,000 to the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez (UPRM) for five years from April 2014 through March 2019.

The Center executive committee members are professors O. Marcelo Suárez (Center Director, Engineering Science and Materials Dept.), Arturo J. Hernández-Maldonado (Co-Director, Chemical Engineering Dept.), Madeline Torres-Lugo (Co-Director, Chemical Engineering Dept.), Agnes M. Padovani-Blanco (Co-Director, Engineering Science and Materials Dept.) y Oscar J. Perales-Pérez (Co-Director, Engineering Science and Materials Dept.). More than 20 faculty members of the UPRM, and the University of Florida, spearhead the Center’s research and education activities. Upon completion of Phase I of the Center, by the end of August 2015 with a total budget of $4,200,000, Phase II represents the largest active NSF grant ever awarded to UPRM.

Mission

The Center’s mission is to promote research and innovation in Nanotechnology in fields related to biomedical engineering and environmental science, and sustainability while seeking to train a new generation of nanoengineers and nanoscientists.

Member Spotlight: Nanito

Nanito is a fictional character which was designed to embody “the ambassador of Nanoland” and to engage the youth into nanoscience. Since his creation, he has been adopted as a mascot in our Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Clubs in Western Puerto Rico and also participates in all of our education activities.

IN THE NEWS: CREST Participant Articles