Wyeth has been honored with the Edward K.C. Lee Award, the highest distinction granted by UCI’s Department of Chemistry for graduate students. The award, which carries a $2,000 honorarium, recognizes exceptional productivity and impactful scientific breakthroughs....
News & Updates
Increasing STEM Proficiency: Impact of CCAM Education Modules
CCAM Junior Research Fellows and Faculty have had continuous engagement with Alliance middle school students and tracked the effect on academic performance. Through sustained interactions we have been able to measure the impact of activities on California Science Test...
Congratulations to Prof. Maxx Arguilla on His Awards and Honors!
We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Seed PI, Prof. Maxx Arguilla: Selected as a 2025 IUPAC Young Observer. Maxx has been chosen by the U.S. National Committee as one of ten 2025 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)...
Research
Our research focuses on two key areas: advancing interface science in complex concentrated metals and ceramics by establishing structure-property relationships to guide the design of innovative materials, and developing self-assembly strategies to study fundamental charge-matter interactions in supramolecular “living” materials.
Together, these efforts lay the foundation for designing novel materials with enhanced functionalities and bioinspired properties for a wide range of applications.
Research Highlights
2025 IRG-1: Grain Rotation Mechanisms in Nanocrystalline Materials: Multiscale Observations in Pt Thin Films
Using in-situ atomic resolution HAADF-STEM imaging, the study provides direct experimental evidence that grain rotation in nanocrystalline materials is primarily driven by disconnection-mediated shear-coupled grain boundary (GB) migration, confirming a...
2025 IRG-1: Neural Network Kinetics: Exploring Diffusion Multiplicity and Chemical Ordering in Compositionally Complex Materials
We introduce a neural network kinetics (NNK) scheme that predicts and simulates diffusion-induced chemical and structural evolution in complex concentrated chemical environments. The framework is grounded on efficient on-lattice structure and chemistry representation...
2025 IRG-2: Machine Learning-guided Investigation of Structure-Property Relationships in Materials Systems
Machine learning (ML) models can be interpretable, providing new fundamental physical/chemical insights into materials systems. We developed interpretable ML models1 to investigate two very different materials systems: • Peptide “wires” experimentally shown to exhibit...
Education & Outreach
CCAM is committed to fostering engagement, skill development, and long-term participation in STEM across all educational levels. Through hands-on modules, we introduce K-8 students to scientific concepts and career possibilities, while high school and college programs provide advanced training in materials science, including instrumentation, computational methods, and data analysis. Over the past four years, CCAM has engaged more than 1,000 students, inspiring future STEM leaders.
Our Junior Research Fellows, postdocs, and graduate students receive technical and professional development training to prepare for careers in both academia and industry. CCAM’s faculty and researchers have earned prestigious national awards and independent research funding, reflecting our dedication to advancing STEM education and career development.
Education Programs

Materials Bootcamp

Materials-SPIRE

Materials REU

Junior Research Fellows (JRF) Program
Materials Innovation Slam

Future Materials (K-12)
Facilities
IMRI’s world-class materials characterization facilities are central to interdisciplinary research at UCI and play a vital role in CCAM’s success. These state-of-the-art facilities operate 24/7 with support from dedicated technical staff and are accessible to UCI researchers as well as external academic and industrial partners. UCI’s leadership remains committed to expanding IMRI’s capabilities through new equipment acquisitions and technical upgrades. Recent additions include a Cryo-TEM (TFS Glacios) for soft material characterization, a pixelated direct electron detector on the Nion UltraSTEM 200 for enhanced imaging and spectroscopy of electron beam-sensitive samples, and a liquid-phase TEM holder for simultaneous heating and electrochemistry testing. Additionally, a customized double-tilt electro-cryo vacuum transfer holder has been introduced to improve imaging of soft and air-sensitive specimens, further advancing CCAM’s research capabilities.



