Dillard University News May 31, 2016 Dillard Signs Five-Year Agreement with U.S. Army Research Laboratory Over the last fifteen years the Dillard University physics program has gained a national standing in graduating African American physicists who have earned advanced degrees. Dillard's program is among the Top 15 in the nation, and ranks as the second highest producer of African Americans who then earn PhDs in physics, according to the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and the American Physical Society (APS). During that time the University has also established a strong working relationship with the United States Department of Defense to perform research. As an extension of its current grants funding in physics, Dillard University has signed a five-year, multi-task Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL). Dr. Abdalla Darwish, Dillard's first Presidential Professor, has long-standing relationships with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Army Research office (ARO) and the Army Research lab (ARL). He said, "The funding that we have secured will go to support student research during summer for 10 weeks for hands-on training and continued work throughout the upcoming academic year." To date, more than 15 peer reviewed research papers and five patents are pending, as a result from the current research. "One of the most exciting projects developed is a double and triple Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) and Matrix assisted PLD," Darwish continued, "which has changed the way Pulsed Laser Depositions are done around the world and advanced the technology to another dimension." The agreement is based on the discovery of a Novel Adaptable and Sensory Materials System. The new materials system will be the building blocks in the development of unique capabilities in intelligent multifunctional materials capable of detecting, analyzing, and reacting to environmental changes of the interests. The ARL also sought out Dillard for its work on the cutting edge of the area of the fabrication of the thin film for optical, chemical and biosensors, and other nanotechnology sciences. "A CRADA is typically reached with R1 institutions, and Dillard University with our cutting edge technology is on the way to reaching that level," Professor Darwish said. "This will open the doors to greater opportunities for more training for our physics and pre-engineering students and provide them with the skills they need for graduate school and beyond." Through the agreement, the ARL will provide core competencies in cryogenic nanostructuring process and smart materials process sciences while Dillard will provide core expertise in related analytical materials sciences and in a physics multi beam pulsed laser deposition process, recently invented by Professor Darwish himself. Dr. Yolanda Page, Vice President for Academic Affairs, anticipates that the CRADA will strengthen the university's ongoing projects with both the Army and Air Force. "Physics is one of Dillard's signature programs and our goal is to be a primary destination for students who are interested in this particular discipline," she said. "What makes this doubly exciting are the opportunities that will be afforded to our students to be involved in research and the opportunity for faculty exchange, bringing new minds to our campus and to continue to elevate our program." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-592-4820 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/ 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 150 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.