Grant boosts universities’ green materials center

OSU and UO will work to reduce environmental impact of electronics

The Portland Tribune, Oct 20, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Two major Oregon universities will use a $1.5 million, three-year federal grant to create a new Center for Green Materials Chemistry.

The money from the National Science Foundation will boost the work by Oregon State University and the University of Oregon to develop advanced electronics with a reduced environmental footprint, higher performance and lower cost.

If research programs are successful, the new center will then be in line for continued federal funding of up to $25 million over five years, officials say.

“The concept is to use new, fundamental scientific advances to drive more efficient production and fabrication methods, use green materials and reduce environmental impacts,” said Douglas Keszler, center director and professor of chemistry at OSU. “The focus will be on electronics and related areas. This is cutting-edge science and technology, and it was born and bred here in Oregon.”

The initial work, Keszler said, will take place in the Department of Chemistry and the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at OSU, and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oregon. The new center will tap into the leading strengths of research programs at both universities.

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