The UPRH-PENN PREM is a collaborative research and education center of excellence that will advance knowledge and diversity in materials science. Integrated research and education efforts will focus on Multi-functional nanodevices from optoelectronic materials and Nanoscale interactions of macromolecules at soft and hard interfaces. The PREM builds on long-term collaborative successes between the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) (Humacao, Cayey and Bayamón undergraduate campuses) and the University of Pennsylvania’s Materials Research Science & Engineering Center. It will continue to create a transformative culture of research and education at UPR which serves as a local and national model for broadening and diversifying participation in science. The research accomplishments of the partnership will be made possible by the integration of current and new faculty with diverse backgrounds and from an enhanced organization that incorporates Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs), shared facilities management, technology transfer, and international collaborations.