Two Superseed projects and one Seed project have been awarded funding to pursue research as part of the Wisconsin Materials Research Science and Education Center (MRSEC). The collaborative Superseed and Seed projects will enhance the ongoing materials research of the Center and support the exploration of transformative new directions.
One Superseed project is directed by Prof. Randall Goldsmith and Prof. Zongfu Yu. The researchers are building on their work on a previously funded Seed project to explore intriguing effects in photonic and acoustic materials. Goldsmith and Yu believe these phenomena have transformational potential for energy, information processing, and sensing applications.
The other Superseed project is headed by Prof. AJ Boydston and Prof. Padma Gopalan. The project will tackle the challenge of building multiscale soft composite materials. Boydston and Gopalan envision methods that will allow the creation of materials with beneficial properties for diverse applications including flexible electronics, optical and acoustic switches, auxetic materials, surface pattern control, and soft robotics.
The third project to be selected is the Seed led by Prof. Jennifer Choy and Prof. Adrien Couet. The researchers will use quantum sensing to measure oxidation relevant to materials in extreme environments.
The MRSEC Seed program plays a key role in the vitality and evolution of the Wisconsin MRSEC by broadening and diversifying participation, introducing new research directions, evolving into new Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs), and providing professional development opportunities for graduate student and postdoc members.
These projects are listed on the MRSEC website here: https://mrsec.wisc.edu/superseeds-seeds/