Special to UM News

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (May 13, 2016) — The University of Miami Office of the Vice Provost for Research, in a joint effort with the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), has announced the recipients of the first SPRINT (São Paulo Researchers in International Collaboration) Award: Rafael Nepomechie, of UM’s Department of Physics, and his Brazilian colleague, Antonio Lima Santos, of the Department of Physics at the Universidade Federal de São Carlos.

An independent public foundation of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, FAPESP’s mission is to foster scientific research and technological development. The SPRINT Award encourages and promotes research collaborations with institutions in the State of São Paulo by providing travel funds to allow each researcher to experience his/her colleague’s research environment.

Nepomechie’s and Lima Santos’ research will focus on “Temperley-Lieb spin chains,” which are integrable quantum mechanical models.

“With this award, the University of Miami joins a small group of U.S. universities, as well as others from around the world, in forming research partnerships with the largest state in Brazil,” said John Bixby, vice provost for research.”This program will strengthen research in both countries and forms a natural part of UM’s continued growth as a global, hemispheric university.”