Welcome to the Merced nAnomaterials Center for Energy and Sensing (MACES)! With substantial support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), MACES was launched in the summer of 2015 at UC Merced, the first American research university founded in the 21st century. MACES serves as a nexus for nanomaterials-based research and education. We are creating innovative functional materials platforms to enable lightweight, compact, high-performance energy conversion and storage for future space missions. We are also developing new types of biosensors critical for planetary exploration, such as health monitoring and disease diagnosis. Education is another key facet of MACES. We have created a vertically integrated STEM education program, and we are committed to increasing student participation in research, particularly for historically underrepresented groups. To nurture the professional development of our students, we continuously refine our research training programs. Importantly, our research and educational programs are complemented by strong infrastructure building and enhancement. For example, MACES is playing a pivotal role in establishing a molecular characterization facility at UC Merced, the first of its kind in California’s Central Valley. "I believe that MACES, NASA, and UC Merced are ushering in a new era of innovative nanoscience research, particularly for sensing and energy. Join us as we change what’s possible." - Director Jennifer Q. Lu, maces@ucmerced.edu