Graduate Research Program

About

CREST CREAM provides support for six full time graduate students (M.S./Ph.D.) at Norfolk State University. Students’ graduate research focuses on one of the CREST CREAM subprojects. More information on the program and its prerequisites are available on the program’s website, https://www.nsu.edu/cmr

Application Requirements for CREST CREAM

Students must apply to the MSE (Materials Science and Engineering) program at NSU, following the application process and deadlines for both the program and the University.

Students should first contact CREST CREAM Education and Outreach Director Dr. Ashley Haines to determine the availability of funding.

Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 upon entry and maintain it throughout the program. 

Expectations

Each student’s thesis or dissertation research will be based on one of the CREST CREAM research sub-projects. 

Students are expected to present their research results at the Materials Research Society Meeting, the AAAS Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference and the Electrochemical Society (ECS) Meeting,

Students will be encouraged to apply for additional research funding and fellowships and to gain professional experience by teaching a lab course or mentoring an undergraduate and/or high school students. All students must submit at least two manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal before completing their degree program. 

During their first semester, graduate students supported by the Center will be encouraged to participate in a workshop to provide instruction on how to complete fellowship applications.

Support

  • Stipend of $21,000/year
  • Tuition waiver
  • Travel support to present research at regional/national meetings

For more information, please contact Dr. Ashley Haines at (757) 823-2477 or anhaines@nsu.edu.      

Research Projects

The CREST Center’s research focuses on three important components of renewable energy and advanced materials:

THRUST I: Renewable Energy Harvesting

  1. Quantum dots for energy and Device: Dr. Bahoura (Eng/CMR)
  2. Perovskite Organic-Inorganic -Based Solar Cells: Dr.Bonner (Chem/CMR) & Dr. Namkoong (ODU)
  3. Organic-Inorganic Thermoelectric Energy Conv: Dr. Sun & Dr. Bahoura (Eng/Chem/CMR)
  4. Development of Schottky Diodes for Energy Harvesting: Dr. Song (Eng/CMR)
  5. Dual Phase Vibration Energy Harvesting: Dr. Priya (VTech/Penn Sate)
  6. Modeling, Simulation, Optimization: Dr. Deo, Dr. Ibrahim, Dr. Bahoura (Eng+CMR)

THRUST II: Energy Storage

  1. Li-Ion Battery: Dr. Bahoura (Eng/CMR)
  2. Development of Solid-State Supercapacitors: Dr. Yoon & Dr. Bahoura (Eng/CMR)
  3. Cellulose-based Energy Storage Device: Dr. Ramesh (Biology/CMR)

THRUST III: Low-Power and High-Performance Electric/Optical Devices

  1. Ultrasensitive Low-Power Consuming Bio-sensors: Dr. Bahoura (Eng/CMR)
  2. Plasmonic Nanostructures for Preventive Healthcare: Dr. Bahoura (Eng/CMR)
  3. Transparent Heaters and Radiation Detectors: Dr. Bahoura (Eng/CMR)
  4. Graphene for Photonics and Ultra-high-Performance Switching Devices: Dr. Srivastava (LSU)