| Posted: March 25, 2008 |
UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy names new chair |
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(Nanowerk News) Miguel Jose Yacaman, a world-renowned authority in the field of nanotechnology, has joined The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to chair the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Sciences. Yacaman joins UTSA after serving seven years at The University of Texas at Austin.
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An author of four patents at The University of Mexico and UT-Austin, Yacaman has also received more than $8.1 million in grant funding over the past six years for nanotechnology research. He has also been cited more than 3,500 times and has more than 330 review papers or book chapters authored among the scientific literature.
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"Dr. Yacaman joining our faculty leadership team is terrific news for UTSA students and the San Antonio scientific community," said John Frederick, UTSA Provost. Under his leadership, UTSA is one step closer to reaching our goal of becoming a Top 100 premier research university."
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Under his supervision Yacaman has trained more than 50 post-doctoral, doctoral and master's degree students in his laboratories who have gone on to become leaders in some of the nation's top scientific and engineering companies.
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"I am very excited to be joining UTSA and will continue my efforts to try and connect with as many Hispanic students as possible," said Yacaman. "I strongly believe that the future of this part of the nation is strongly correlated to the education of the Hispanic population."
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Prior to UT-Austin, Yacaman directed the National Institute of Nuclear Research and served as deputy director for scientific research of Mexico's National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT). In addition to his role as an educator, Yacaman has also served as consultant for the Mexican Petroleum Institute, Pemex Oil Company, General Motors Research Labs and Exxon Research Corporate Labs.
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"I would like to lead the department to strive for excellence in research and teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels," said Yacaman. "I would also like the department to take advantage of programs aimed at supporting minority-serving institutions and fostering more collaborations with researchers in Latin America."
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Yacaman's list of awards include the Profesor Distinguido Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in 2003, CONACYT Investigador Nacion de Excelencia in 2002, the National Prize of Science in Mexico in 1992 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1988.
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He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Nanostructured Materials, Catalysis Letters and Microscopy and Microanalysis and is the associate editor of Scripta Metallurgica and Acta Metallurgica, Microscopy Research and Techniques and Revista Iberoamericana of Materials.
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Yacaman received his bachelor's and master's of science degrees in physics and his doctoral degree in material science from the National University of Mexico in Mexico City. He also earned postdoctoral experience at the University of Oxford's Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science and as a research associate in the materials science branch at NASA's AMES Research Center in Moffet Field, California.
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Serving over 5,000 students enrolled in nine undergraduate degree programs and 15 graduate programs, the College of Sciences is uniquely poised to prepare the next generation of scientists for careers in business, technology and academia. The college houses six departments: biology, chemistry, computer science, geological sciences, mathematics and physics and astronomy.
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The University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Texas and the second largest of nine academic universities and six health institutions in the UT System. As a multicultural institution of access and excellence, UTSA aims to be a premier public research university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
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UTSA serves more than 28,500 students in 64 bachelor's, 43 master's and 20 doctoral degree programs in the colleges of Architecture, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Honors, Liberal and Fine Arts, Public Policy, Sciences and Graduate School. Founded in 1969, UTSA is an intellectual and creative resource center and a socioeconomic development catalyst for Texas and beyond.
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