Texas State University awarded $7.5 million NSF grant to launch CREST Center for Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductor Device Materials

Texas State University has received a $7.5 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish the CREST Center for Ultrawide Bandgap (UWBG) Semiconductor Device Materials, a national hub for pioneering research, training, and innovation in next-generation semiconductor technologies.

The five-year initiative, directed by Edwin L. Piner, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Physics, will unite faculty experts, students and industry collaborators to advance UWBG materials and devices with high speed, performance and energy efficiency. Research led by Ariful Haque, Ph.D., Yoichi Miyahara, Ph.D., and Damian Valles, Ph.D., College of Science and Engineering, will integrate state-of-the-art materials fabrication, processing and characterization with modern artificial intelligence (AI) modeling to transform investigations of semiconductor heterostructures.

TXST President Kelly Damphousse, Ph.D., celebrated the award as a testament to the university’s strategic vision. 

“This NSF CREST award demonstrates our transformation into a national leader in high-impact semiconductor research while staying true to our mission,” Damphousse said. “By combining cutting-edge science with a focus on inclusion, we are preparing our students to lead in one of the most critical industries of the future.”

Shreek Mandayam, Ph.D., vice president for Research at TXST, praised the NSF award as a milestone for the institution’s research trajectory.

"This investment from the NSF shows Texas State’s capacity to address national priorities in semiconductor technology while cultivating a broad spectrum of talent,” Mandayam said.

The CREST Center will recruit and mentor undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students. Participants will gain hands-on experience with advanced instrumentation, AI-driven data analysis and professional skill development. The center will also engage local high school students and teachers through multi-day STEM demonstrations to foster early interest in semiconductor careers.

The center will collaborate with federal agencies, industry partners, and organizations like the Texas Institute for Electronics. These partnerships will accelerate technology transfer, workforce training and innovation commercialization. These efforts bolster the national push for semiconductor manufacturing leadership under the CHIPS Act.

The CREST Center for Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductor Device Materials reinforces TXST’s role as a driver of high-impact research by catalyzing scientific breakthroughs, talent development and economic growth.

The NSF’s Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the enhancement of research capabilities through the establishment of centers that integrate research, education and workforce training.