Exploring the intersection of materials, chemistry, and design.
Maya and her husband, Leo, were on a mission to find their first home in a market where bidding wars were the norm. When they stumbled upon a faded Victorian listed far below its neighbors' prices, their agent, Tony Cenkar , explained the catch: it was a , also known as Real Estate Owned (REO). The Pursuit of the Hidden Gem
: Unlike a traditional sale, their offer wasn't met with a quick handshake. It took weeks for the bank’s various departments to review and respond. Uncovering the "As-Is" Reality
The bank had already foreclosed on the previous owners and now wanted the asset off its books. While most buyers were scared off by the "as-is" condition, Maya saw potential. They followed the critical first steps:
: To show they were serious, they got pre-approved for a loan, knowing banks prioritize certainty over emotional offers.
When their offer was finally accepted, the real work began. They hired a certified inspector to look past the peeling paint. They discovered that because the home had sat vacant for months, the pipes had leaked and the HVAC was on its last legs. The REO Guide: 10 Steps to Buying a Bank-Owned Home
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Principal Investigator, Professor of Chemistry
Panče Naumov leads the Smart Materials Lab and the Center for Smart Engineering Materials at NYUAD. His group is internationally recognized for pioneering crystal adaptronics and advancing adaptive molecular solids, with applications in sensing, robotics, optics, and energy systems.
Meet the TeamMaya and her husband, Leo, were on a mission to find their first home in a market where bidding wars were the norm. When they stumbled upon a faded Victorian listed far below its neighbors' prices, their agent, Tony Cenkar , explained the catch: it was a , also known as Real Estate Owned (REO). The Pursuit of the Hidden Gem
: Unlike a traditional sale, their offer wasn't met with a quick handshake. It took weeks for the bank’s various departments to review and respond. Uncovering the "As-Is" Reality
The bank had already foreclosed on the previous owners and now wanted the asset off its books. While most buyers were scared off by the "as-is" condition, Maya saw potential. They followed the critical first steps:
: To show they were serious, they got pre-approved for a loan, knowing banks prioritize certainty over emotional offers.
When their offer was finally accepted, the real work began. They hired a certified inspector to look past the peeling paint. They discovered that because the home had sat vacant for months, the pipes had leaked and the HVAC was on its last legs. The REO Guide: 10 Steps to Buying a Bank-Owned Home
We are proud that the Smart Materials Lab is the leading team in impactful chemistry research in the United Arab Emirates, with research output that, according to the Nature Index, accounts for 40‒60% of the total chemistry publications within the country, both in fractional count and weighed fractional count. The past and current research projects in the Smart Materials Lab have been sponsored by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), Human Science Frontier Program Organization (HFSPO), and the UAE National Research Foundation (NRF), in addition to generous financial support from NYUAD and the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute. The members of the Smart Materials Lab work closely with NYUAD's Center for Smart Engineering Materials (CSEM).