Tyler S. Love (left), assistant professor of elementary/middle grades STEM education and director of the Capital Area Institute for Mathematics and Science (CAIMS), and Reuben Selase Asempapa (right), assistant professor of mathematics education, were recently awarded for their research on mathematical modeling.
Fariborz Tavangarian’s research focuses on investigating the microstructure, micromechanical properties, and crack development patterns and mechanisms found in certain marine sponges. Although their structural components — known as marine spicules (pictured above) — are made of a brittle ceramic (silica), they show unusual toughness and flexibility due to unique factors within the structure.
