Dr. Svetlana Neretina has been awarded the prestigious NSF CAREER award for the project entitled: “CAREER: II-VI Semiconductor Vapor Phase Epitaxy Guided by Kinetically Active Surface Agents”. The work will explore the viability of using exotic growth pathways for the fabrication of thin film and nanostructured materials of technological relevance to next-generation photovoltaics. The research being conducted will provide for CdTe photovoltaics which are more efficient, use precious finite resources more wisely and establish growth pathways capable of producing other technologically significant materials. The award also advances a number of important education and outreach activities which are geared towards the implementation of engineering solutions that promote sustainability through the use of renewable energy and nanotechnology.