From coal mines, to grain silos, to the rings of Saturn, and to the granular mixers of the pharmaceutical industry, granular materials are an integral part of our universe. Funded through the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, this project will experimentally determine the region of applicability for competing theories of granular materials in both idealized and industrially relevant systems and incorporate research experience into the science curriculum. The project is headed by Mark D. Shattuck, Assistant Professor of Physics at The Graduate Center and City College and an associate of the Benjamin Levich Institute. A fundamental understanding of granular systems, like sand in an hourglass or grains in a silo, comparable to the current understanding of fluids and solids, does not exist today but would have far reaching impact across many industries, such as energy production, food processing, and pharmaceuticals. The basic assumptions used to derive current theories of granular flow are similar to those of normal fluids but are clearly violated for some granular systems. The goal of these experiments is to determine the conditions under which these theories can be used to calculate accurate results and to extend the theories to encompass a broader range of situations. The simple visual nature of these experiments creates an ideal opportunity to incorporate research into the undergraduate and graduate science curriculum through a combination of individual focused research opportunities, an advanced research methods course, and a granular materials course.