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The National Science Foundation

Center for the Chemistry of Molecularly Optimized NETworks

Welcome to MONET

Center for the Chemistry of Molecularly Optimized NETworks

The National Science Foundation

MONET researchers across three labs at MIT hosted an interactive "Materials Science of Soccer" booth at the Cambridge Science Festival Carnival. Over 250 participants engaged in hands-on experiments, with the majority being school-aged children (ages 5-18) resulting in an increased public understanding of materials science and its applications in everyday objects, fostering STEM interest among youth.

Our Annual Climate Survey, distributed to MONET trainees in September 2024, achieved a 70.6% response rate with overwhelmingly positive feedback. The survey identified areas of success in trainee development and opportunities for improvement in inclusivity, prompting targeted actions to enhance our inclusive environment.

In July-August 2024, MONET PhD student Brian Carrick participated in the 26th National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering (NXS), gaining hands-on experience with neutron and synchrotron sources at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. This SPDE provided a strong technical foundation in scattering techniques, enhancing his career readiness and aligning with MONET's objectives in scientific breadth and professional development.

From July 23 to 25, 2024, Senior Investigator Luis Campos from MONET attended the International Symposium on Photon Fusion and Fission, which included a dedicated educational component for undergraduate summer students. This initiative, partially funded by a Department of Energy grant, aimed to increase the participation of underrepresented students in science. The symposium featured 70 participants, with 7 undergraduate students presenting posters and flash talks, providing valuable professional development opportunities for the graduate students involved.

Through a partnership with Science Olympiad and the Carole Robertson Learning Center, MONET graduate students delivered 6 engaging outreach events to approximately 15 inner-city Chicago students, aged 5-17, during the summer of 2024. This initiative not only increased public scientific literacy, with 80% of participants reporting an increased interest in science and a better understanding of basic concepts, but also provided valuable professional development opportunities for the graduate students involved, enhancing their science communication and outreach skills.

In the summer of 2024, Alex Foret participated in a 10-week international research experience in Dresden, Germany, hosted by Professor Joseph Tracy and NC State. This SPDE, informed by his participation in MONET, expanded his exposure to relevant methods and applications in materials synthesis and testing, enhancing his career readiness and professional development.

In May 2024, MONET graduate students Christina Hemmingsen, Emmanuel Alejandro Garcia Villatoro, and Steven Chapman from the Julia Kalow lab at Northwestern University gained valuable experience in science communication, content creation, and outreach by assembling and delivering summer science activity kits to 178 3rd-grade students at Hayt Elementary School in Chicago. This SPDE aimed to enhance the graduate students' career readiness while fostering curiosity and engagement in STEM among elementary students during school closures.

MONET's Director of Innovation Outreach Diversity and Education (DIODE), Dr. Vanessa Rosa, led an engaging hands-on science activity for 60 students at Section Elementary School's High-Interest Day on May 22, 2024. Through interactive experiments and teamwork, students discovered the materials science behind soccer balls, fostering curiosity and scientific thinking.

On May 15, 2024, MONET postdoctoral researcher Jorge Leganés Bayón and his team engaged 30 girls aged 12-18 in a two-hour interactive materials science outreach event at the Fleet Science Center in San Diego, California. Feedback from the 21 participants surveyed revealed high engagement with hands-on activities, with 52.4% enjoying seeing the soccer ball cut open and testing water interactions with materials.

On April 19, 2024, MONET Senior Investigator Dr. Juana Mendenhall led a highly successful STEM Day outreach event at the Barack and Michelle Obama Academy Media Center, engaging a cohort of 13 fourth graders. The activity received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 100% of participants reporting enjoyment and one student expressing a strong interest in pursuing chemistry.

On February 15, 2024, MONET trainees Grace Yao, Annika (Alex) Foret, and Jafer Vakil from Stephen Craig's lab at Duke University led an engaging materials science outreach event at Olive Chapel Elementary School's STEM Night. Approximately 200 participants attended the event, which highlighted the need for age-appropriate, intuitive activities to effectively engage younger students aged 7-10.

MONET's groundbreaking partnership with Morehouse establishes a pioneering collaboration between a premier HBCU and our center's polymer science expertise. This partnership creates unprecedented research and training opportunities in hyaluronic acid innovation for underrepresented minority students, while strategically positioning both institutions for a comprehensive multi-million dollar PREC proposal to ensure long-term sustainability of this impactful collaboration.

MONET researchers across three labs at MIT hosted an interactive "Materials Science of Soccer" booth at the Cambridge Science Festival Carnival. Over 250 participants engaged in hands-on experiments, with the majority being school-aged children (ages 5-18) resulting in an increased public understanding of materials science and its applications in everyday objects, fostering STEM interest among youth.

Our Annual Climate Survey, distributed to MONET trainees in September 2024, achieved a 70.6% response rate with overwhelmingly positive feedback. The survey identified areas of success in trainee development and opportunities for improvement in inclusivity, prompting targeted actions to enhance our inclusive environment.

In July-August 2024, MONET PhD student Brian Carrick participated in the 26th National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering (NXS), gaining hands-on experience with neutron and synchrotron sources at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. This SPDE provided a strong technical foundation in scattering techniques, enhancing his career readiness and aligning with MONET's objectives in scientific breadth and professional development.

From July 23 to 25, 2024, Senior Investigator Luis Campos from MONET attended the International Symposium on Photon Fusion and Fission, which included a dedicated educational component for undergraduate summer students. This initiative, partially funded by a Department of Energy grant, aimed to increase the participation of underrepresented students in science. The symposium featured 70 participants, with 7 undergraduate students presenting posters and flash talks, providing valuable professional development opportunities for the graduate students involved.

Through a partnership with Science Olympiad and the Carole Robertson Learning Center, MONET graduate students delivered 6 engaging outreach events to approximately 15 inner-city Chicago students, aged 5-17, during the summer of 2024. This initiative not only increased public scientific literacy, with 80% of participants reporting an increased interest in science and a better understanding of basic concepts, but also provided valuable professional development opportunities for the graduate students involved, enhancing their science communication and outreach skills.

In the summer of 2024, Alex Foret participated in a 10-week international research experience in Dresden, Germany, hosted by Professor Joseph Tracy and NC State. This SPDE, informed by his participation in MONET, expanded his exposure to relevant methods and applications in materials synthesis and testing, enhancing his career readiness and professional development.

In May 2024, MONET graduate students Christina Hemmingsen, Emmanuel Alejandro Garcia Villatoro, and Steven Chapman from the Julia Kalow lab at Northwestern University gained valuable experience in science communication, content creation, and outreach by assembling and delivering summer science activity kits to 178 3rd-grade students at Hayt Elementary School in Chicago. This SPDE aimed to enhance the graduate students' career readiness while fostering curiosity and engagement in STEM among elementary students during school closures.

The chemistry of the future is driven by community.

We are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM and globally:

We aim to provide opportunities for a broad range of participants to engage with STEM meaningfully. We partner with Minority Serving Institutions and other organizations to promote diversity and inclusion.
Through our research programs and outreach modules, we aim to improve retention in the sciences, increase interest in pursuing a Ph.D., and broaden participation in underrepresented groups.

If you would like to propose a broadening participation partnership, please contact us here.

Follow Our Center's Research:

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