Rep. Michael E. McMahon announced today that the College of Staten Island (CSI) is the recipient of another federal grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The $450,000 grant, which is called a CAREER award and began on May 1, 2010, will support research aimed at further developing our understanding of the electronic properties of various materials.
“Since the NSF was created by Congress in the early 1950s, the agency has promoted the progress of science, discovery, and learning,” said Rep. McMahon. “As a result of federal funding in years passed, many of the technologies developed have truly been revolutionary. Now, graduate and undergraduate students at CSI will have the opportunity to further expand their research capacities on an entirely new level.
“I am please that the NSF has recognized CSI for the center for excellence in education that it is,” continued Rep. McMahon. “I am certain that these funds will not only enrich the experience of the students partaking in this research project but will also further our understanding of this area of science due to the novel approaches in research that will be undertaken.”
“My congratulations to Dr. Vadim Oganesyan on this prestigious accomplishment. His CAREER award will support important research that will increase our understanding of electronic properties of materials, and how energy is lost at the microscopic level. This fundamental research may lead to new technological applications,” commented CSI President Tomás Morales. “Of equal importance, this award supports the core mission of CSI by helping provide enhanced educational opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. Dr. Organesyan’s project plan includes a diverse research group with many students collaborating at different levels, including mentoring and hands-on research experiences. We are very proud and appreciative of his efforts and the support of the NSF. We also appreciate Congressman McMahon’s continued support and work to secure essential funding for higher education in our district.”
According to the NSF, Dr. Organesyan also plans to teach an exploration-based course in cross-disciplinary computational research as part of this award. Additionally, he aims to focus on exposing non-expert audiences to cutting-edge research in an accessible form with the aim of effectively stimulating lifelong interest in learning by creating colloquium-style public lectures about condensed matter physics and his own research.
One of the key components of the NSF grant awarded to CSI is that it supports educational opportunities. Graduate and undergraduate students will participate in different levels of research groups to expand the educational experience, increase the research creativity, and provide mentoring for students at the lower levels.
