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Spotlight on Simmons

Move over, Madame Curie


Velda Goldberg and an entourage of students who are studying the physics of materials
Imagine a TV screen that rolls down like a window shade. Or a laptop computer that provides clarity and true color from all angles. Now fasten your safety goggles: Simmons undergraduates, in partnership with Cornell University, are engaged in scientific investigation that may help make such products available in the future.

Through the Women in Materials (WIM) program, students are working to develop tiny light sources called organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) that are not only flexible, but also have long-term durability. They are analyzing the potential of novel materials for use in OLEDs to improve the electronic displays of TVs and computer screens, as well as  stopping the materials from degrading over time.

Women in Materials, a research project funded by the National Science Foundation, involves Simmons science and pre-med students in all aspects of professional research — granting even first-year students an opportunity to use highly sophisticated instruments early in their studies. The project is a collaborative effort between Simmons College and the Cornell University Center for Materials Research. In addition to being members of a collaborative research team, WIM students have opportunities to participate in national science conferences, summer employment, and special courses and summer research at Cornell University. Through WIM, more than 40 student-authors at Simmons have contributed to professional research papers and presentations.

At Simmons, science is not a spectator sport. Undergraduates majoring in biology, chemistry and other sciences collaborate with faculty in many areas of scientific investigation including Alzheimer's research, bacterial cross-contamination studies, and research on gene splicing, crystal morphology, computer modeling, green chemistry, colloidal crystals, and more.