The National Science Foundation has recognized Timothy Rupert, UCI assistant professor of mechanical & aerospace engineering and chemical engineering & materials science, with a CAREER award. The $537,053 over five years will support Rupert’s research on the grain-boundary network of nanocrystalline metals. “The hope is to develop new structural materials that are tougher,” Rupert says. “Down the line, these new materials could replace steel, for example, so that when building a bridge or a skyscraper, we might need less material, resulting in a lighter structure.” The CAREER award is one of the NSF’s most respected grants, given to support the early-career development of teacher-scholars who effectively integrate research and education into their organizations.