Institute of Materials Science - Newsletter 2016

3 Engineering Ice Cream

10 Digging In with Soil Chemist Cristian Schulthess

22 Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Roald Hoffmann Enthralls IMS

Content 2 | COLLABORATION 3 | RESEARCH

4 Building the Next Generation of Efficient Computers

12 | FACULTY 14 | AWARDS 20 | OUTREACH 22 | SEMINARS & LECTURES

35 For Alumna Claire Weiss Brennan Failure is Not an Option

26 | STAFF 28 | STUDENTS 34 | ALUMNI

6 Liisa Kuhn Helps Build the Backbone of UConn Health

This newsletter is produced for the alumni, faculty, students, corporate supporters, and friends of the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Connecticut.

Please direct any questions or comments to: IMSinfo@uconn.edu.

STUDENT STAFF WRITERS: Kelly A. Salzo  Allison McLellan  CONTRIBUTORS: IMS faculty and staff Kim Krieger, UConn Communications Jessica McBride, Research Relations Colin Poitras, UCONN Today William Weir

8 Caution: Shrinks When Warm

EDITORS: Fiona Leek Heike Brueckner

PHOTOGRAPHY: Peter Morenus Al Ferreira et al.

DESIGN: Heike Brueckner

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Best wishes to all of you. We hope that you have had a great year. This past year has been very productive and rewarding for several of the faculty, staff, and graduate students in the Institute of Materials Science. You can read about many of these new developments in this issue of the yearly newsletter. There are some great new initiatives under way. One is the establishment of the UConnFEI Center for Advanced Microscopy and Materials Analysis. Five new electron microscopes from FEI have arrived and are being continually used in the IMS Microscopy Lab. Numerous proposals have been funded under this partnership with FEI and this work is already progressing admirably. Several students have been awarded FEI Fellowships to use this new instrumentation. When the Innovation Partnership Building of the Technology Park is completed in 2017, these and all other IMS electron microscopes will be moved to that building. A related development is that IMS researchers will move to Science Building 1 in 2019 as part of the large State investment in STEM in congruence with the NextGen CT Initiative. In fact, a STEM Dormitory is under construction now to help house the 5,000 new undergraduates majoring in STEM disciplines.

These are exciting times not just for IMS, but also for the entire University of Connecticut.

Mentioning every new development is very difficult, so a few other unique achievements will be summarized here. The total funding for IMS remains excellent due to the hard work of the faculty members, graduate students, and staff. The IMS Industrial Affiliates Program grew significantly in 2015 due to the substantial efforts of the new Interim Director Fiona Leek and others. Dr. Yang Cao has shown strong leadership of the Electrical Insulation Research Center and in a very short time has assembled a very strong research program. Dr. Avinash Dongare has received multiple contracts for his strong program in computational modeling. Dr. Rampi Ramprasad has been elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a very significant accomplishment. Dr. Puxian Gao has garnered a number of major research grants in the area of catalysis. The Materials Science and Engineering Department, under the excellent leadership of Dr. Pamir Alpay, has the highest ranking of any department in the UConn School of Engineering due to major research grants and contracts, excellent outreach, and teaching. In fact, Dr. Mark Aindow, Associate Director of IMS, won the 2015 School of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award. Under the new leadership of Dr. Raji Kasi, the Polymer Program has been rejuvenated in many ways including a new GAANN Fellowship Award that provides numerous fellowships to graduate students in polymer science and engineering. There are many more outstanding achievements which are summarized in this newsletter and that are continually developing.

Such awards and recognition could not be achieved without your tremendous support and help. I would like to point to the excellent advice of the External Advisory Board of IMS members that have spent considerable time and effort suggesting new ways to improve IMS. We hope that 2016 brings you success in all aspects of your life. We hope to see you at any time and extend an open invitation to visit.

Sincerely, Steven L. Suib Director, Institute of Materials Science

www.ims.uconn.edu

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UCONN/FEI PARTNERSHIP PUTS MICROSCOPY IN FOCUS

COLLABORATION

Slated for completion in 2017, the Innovation Partnership Building (IPB) will rise as the first of nine proposed buildings, kicking off the development of the UConn Tech Park. Taking cues from university technology parks sprouting across the nation, UConn’s technology park strives to “accelerate innovation with industry, from startups to mid-sized and large companies, provide an active interface linking basic research and industrial applications, and advance state economic development goals.”

In support of this massive undertaking, scientific instrument company FEI has partnered with UConn and IMS to develop a state-of-the-art microscopy center to be housed within IPB, generously providing special arrangements for the purchase of seven brand new microscopes, funding for a facility manager, and grant money to support future research endeavors. The recently dubbed UConn/FEI Center for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis (CAMMA), will be furnished with 10 electron microscopes from both FEI and the existing IMS Microscopy Laboratory. With instruments spanning across all three broad microscopy categories (SEM, TEM, and FIB), the Center will be available for IMS graduate students and faculty as well as UConn’s industry partners to satisfy all their materials testing and characterization needs.

Capable of examining the surface of materials to determine the structure and composition of micro- to nanosized features, Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) like the new FEI Teneo LVSEM, are specialized for failure analysis, guiding materials fabrication, and understanding relationships within and between materials.

The Teneo LVSEM also offers the added advantage of a “low vacuum” mode setting, permitting the examination of many materials that conventional, high vacuum SEMs cannot.

To determine the structure and composition of materials at the nano-scale level and smaller, Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM) like the FEI Talos F200X S/ TEM utilize an electron beam to probe the structure of the material at the atomic level, offering over 10 million times magnification. The Talos F200X S/TEM is especially designed to determine the chemical makeup of materials at extremely high magnifications.

Focused Ion Beam (FIB) instruments, or Dual-Beam FIB, incorporate high resolution SEM columns with an additional focused ion beam column to modify a sample at accurately positioned locations determined by the SEM. Capable of removing material, cutting into a material to probe buried layers and structures, adding material to create new shapes, and even cutting material from one location to be placed into another using an integrated micromanipulator, applications are limited only by one’s imagination. The Center will house two types of Dual Beam FIB: a conventional Nanolab G3

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Dr. Mauricio Gordillo operating the new FEI Helios Plasma FIB. gallium-ion beam FIB and FEI’s new xenon-ion Helios Plasma FIB. The latter is capable of much higher beam currents, which allows cutting and building at a scale approximately 30 times larger than the Nanolab. Together, these instruments allow samples to be modified at a variety of scales.

With a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Lehigh University, professional experience working at Seagate Technology, Accurel/Evans Analytical, and Sandia National Laboratories, and a decade of experience as the Microscopy Lab academic assistant, Dr. Roger Ristau has been appointed Manager to oversee the combined activities of the existing IMS Microscopy Laboratory until CAMMA is completed. The lab team also includes two professional staff members, Dr. Lichun Zhang and UConn Alum and Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Mauricio Gordillo, both of whom have extensive expertise in the operation and maintenance of all the lab’s instruments and will thus be instrumental in this monumental endeavor. Dr. Lichun Zhang received his Ph.D. from the University of Science and Technology in Beijing in 1999 and held a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Mark Aindow before joining IMS as an academic assistant in the Microscopy lab in 2010. Dr. Mauricio Gordillo received his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from UConn in 2004, and has previous postdoctoral experience supporting the electron microscopy facilities at the University of Pittsburgh.

Until the completion of IPB, however, the IMS Microscopy Laboratory will temporarily house the three original IMS microscopes and five out of the seven new FEI instruments for current material testing and characterization demands. The final two microscopes will join the ranks once all the microscopes are moved to the permanent facility. Even after CAMMA opens its doors, FEI will continue to fund the University’s research and the research of UConn’s several partner companies, which rely on the application of these microscopes. 

RESEARCH

ENGINEERING ICE CREAM What happens when you mix UConn’s renowned Creamery and its topnotch Chemical Engineering department? If things go right, you get an ice cream that forgoes traditional sugar, but still earns a place along with the famously delicious ice creams at the Dairy Bar. That’s the goal of two student teams working toward Senior Design Day. That event, May 1, is when students in the School of Engineering present their work toward solving a particular problem. Both teams are working with advisor Anson Ma, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Institute of Materials Science.

One of the teams met on a recent morning at the UConn Department of Animal Science Creamery in the George White Building. This is where UConn’s ice cream is produced and later sold at the Dairy Bar next door. Bill Sciturro, manager of dairy manufacturing in the Department of Animal Science, helped the team work the batch machine, which freezes the mixture into ice cream. The aptly named machine makes one batch at a time – no more than a half gallon – and is used for testing purposes. Once a new recipe meets Creamery standards, it goes into production and is made with the continuous machine, which operates on a minimum of 50 gallons.

Instead of cane sugar, this team is using erythritol, a natural sweetener derived from corn. They did so after surveys indicated a demand on campus for ice cream with alternative natural sweeteners. Erythritol is up to 70 percent as sweet as table sugar and has almost no calories.

Most ice cream companies would call this “sugar-free” for marketing purposes. The students call it “reduced-sugar” because they’re scientists, and they’re counting the sugar that already exists in the milk.

Nicholas Fleming ’15 (ENG) measures vanilla extract to add to a test batch.

(Peter Morenus/UConn Photo) Get rid of lactose, they say, and you’re working with a whole other set of circumstances.

Ice cream’s semi-solid state is the result of a fragile balance of ingredients, and it’s no easy trick to replace old-fashioned sugar and still get the rich taste and texture that makes the Creamery’s ice cream so popular.

“It’s difficult to change the solids, because that changes the freezing point – and that determines the way it behaves as an ice cream,” said Nicholas Fleming, one of the three team members. Too many salts and carbohydrates, he said, and the freezing point becomes too high for conventional freezers. To get it right, the team did a lot of experiments and calculations with heat transfer and ice recrystallization to see how their product fared with the Creamery’s current storage practices.

Considering the complexities of ice cream’s makeup, Ma says he is impressed by the students’ achievements so far. “Both teams have applied what they have learned in their engineering classes to arrive at their final recipe, while being cognizant of the economic feasibility, environmental impact, health, and safety,” he says.

So why ice cream? Using examples from everyday life is one of the most effective ways to engage the younger generation and the general public in science, Ma says: “The ice cream project really satisfies my passions for education, research, and food simultaneously!”

After finishing the first batch at the Creamery, the team handed out samples to a few observers. Even at the very non-ice cream hour of 9 a.m., it proved a tasty snack – smooth, creamy, and betraying no indication of a non-traditional sweetener. At least to the casual observer.

The team members were glad that the erythritol left no chemical hints or after-taste, but they agreed that the batch could use more vanilla.

Team member Anh Nguyen said his ice cream palette has become a good deal more discriminating since the start of the project: “I’m a lot more picky.”

For the next batch, team member Leonora Yokubinas was a little more generous with the vanilla extract, which she poured from a gallon jug into a graduated cylinder. They reached a consensus after a second taste test: erythritol-based ice cream is just about consumer-ready.

www.ims.uconn.edu

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RESEARCH

BUILDING THE NEXT GE UConn researcher Bryan Huey has uncovered new information about the kinetic properties of multiferroic materials that could be a key breakthrough for scientists looking to create a new generation of lowenergy, highly efficient, instant-on computers.

One of the drawbacks of computers today is that accessing memory creates heat and wastes energy.

Materials known as multiferroics have shown great promise for creating a low-energy memory storage and processing device because they have the rare ability to be both magnetic and ferroelectric, meaning they can be sensitive to magnetic and electric fields simultaneously.

(Left to right) Anh Nguyen ’15 (ENG), Anson Ma, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Leonora Yokubinas ’15 (ENG) and Nicholas Fleming ’15 (ENG) taste a test batch of reduced sugar ice cream at the UConn Creamery. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo) Ma’s other student team is using Splenda – an artificial sweetener derived from sugar. Team members Ivan Nguyen, Christina Fenny, and Mason Gao say they chose Splenda because it is FDA-approved, and has fewer harmful side effects than other artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame and acesulfame potassium). It’s also 600 times sweeter than sugar, so they don’t need to use much. This also means that there is less solid content in the base composition, however, so large ice crystals can form and make for a less creamy texture.

To address this issue, the team is flash-freezing their mixture with liquid nitrogen. This, they say, allows for some flexibility with the ice cream’s base composition because it freezes the ice cream quickly enough to form extremely small ice crystals – the key to maintaining a smooth texture.

Sciturro is just as invested in these projects as the students; the Dairy Bar could use a low-sugar option. They haven’t offered one in the past, but there have been requests.

Rarely do people go to an ice cream parlor specifically for a low-sugar treat, he says, but if someone with special dietary needs comes with their family then it’s great to have that option: “After all, who doesn’t know someone who has a need for low-sugar foods?”

By William Weir

But there is one major drawback. Most such materials only function in extremely cold temperatures, due to their inherent thermodynamic barriers and other conflicting properties. Scientists were convinced that using multiferroics at room temperature – which is essential if they are to work in computers – was impractical.

The fastest atomic force microscope in the U.S. That belief changed recently when Huey, working in collaboration with multiferroics experts at the University of California, Berkeley and Cornell University, aimed his lab’s powerful atomic force microscopy (AFM) system at a multiferroic compound known as bismuth ferrite and discovered a previously unknown two-step ferroelectric switching process.

The insight gave his fellow scientists the leverage they were looking for to overcome the prior barriers, and develop a unique spintronic memory device that switches its magnetization with the application of an electric field rather than an electrical current, which is more energy-consuming. This enabled – for the first time – a novel low-energy, highly efficient nonvolatile memory device known as a spin valve that operates at room temperature. The device could be a harbinger of the future when it comes to faster, cheaper, and cooler temperature ways for storing and processing data.

The findings were featured in the December 17, 2014 issue of Nature, considered one of the world’s most prestigious scientific research journals.

“Recognizing magnetic domains is how information is stored and read,” says Huey, an associate professor of Materials Science and Engineering. “By coupling the magnetic and electric fields, we’ve shown that you can make a more efficient electromagnetic device that will sense a magnetic field change 10 times more efficiently than comparable technologies.”

The research project was led by Ramamoorthy Ramesh, an expert in multiferroics affiliated with the

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RESEARCH

FACULTY

ENERATION OF EFFICIENT COMPUTERS U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a longtime collaborator of Huey’s. John Heron, Darrell Schlom, and Dan Ralph of Cornell University also worked on the project.

Heron served as the paper’s lead author, and spent several weeks in Huey’s lab during the effort.

“The advantage here is low energy consumption,” Heron told the Cornell Chronicle. “[The device] requires low voltage, without current, to switch it. Devices that use currents consume more energy and dissipate a significant amount of that energy in the form of heat. That is what’s heating up your computer and draining your batteries.”

The new device has some limitations in its current stage. It operates on only one computer bit and is prone to failure after only a couple of switches. By comparison, commercially popular flash memory systems can switch 10,000 times or more before showing signs of fatigue. But Huey and his colleagues are optimistic that those barriers can be overcome with further study.

One of the most important findings in the research was made by two of Huey’s graduate students, James Bosse and Linghan Ye, who provided critical data to the team by capturing the steps of the switching process in three dimensions using atomic force microscopy, something that had never been done so precisely before.

“By measuring in all three dimensions, we now know the switching steps for every single position, and at the nanoscale,” says Huey.

The work builds on UConn’s unique atomic force microscopy expertise and capabilities. Huey’s NanoMeasurement lab, a campus-user facility housed in the Institute of Materials Science, supports basic research and industrial projects in such diverse fields as pharmaceutical science, biomedicine, advanced metallurgy, microelectronics, and solar cells.

The atomic force microscopy systems in Huey’s lab are some of the most powerful in the country. They are based on a commercial platform (Asylum Research), but include several custom modifications and extensive additional hardware for higher speed and automated control of variables such as externally applied electric fields, optical illumination, and temperature gradients. The work often blurs the lines between materials science, electrical engineering, and computer science, as Huey’s research staff rapidly generates gigabytes of data – ironically – while investigating faster and more efficient data storage technologies.

“We have the fastest AFM in the U.S. for measuring properties. We also have one of the most flexible

systems in the world for coupling AFM and light,” says Huey. “I’m fortunate to have bright, motivated students along with supportive colleagues and administration.”

Working with partners in industry and academia from around the world, Huey and the graduate students in his research group are making scientific advances in a variety of areas: Yasemin Kutes is using the lab’s enhanced microscopy systems to map and improve how solar cells perform; Manuel Rivas studies micro-electrical mechanical systems for next generation GPS systems; James Steffes is working to improve multi-layer capacitors; Vincent Palumbo worked with future lithography systems for manufacturing microelectronics; Varun Vyas recorded how biological cells and tissue respond to minute forces; and Justin Luria just arrived with a highly competitive Department of Energy fellowship to study ways to improve the lifetime of solar cells and LED’s.

Undergraduates are equally important to what goes on in the lab: Alexandra Merkouriou is studying why some coral is sensitive to global warming; Zachary Thatcher will soon be a co-author on a paper about fuel cells, Aliya Carter is doing an honors project on energy efficient smart-windows, and Aaron Gladstein is working with Technion (Israel) on smart fibers.

By Colin Poitras Photo: Graduate student Yasemin Kutes adjusts a microscope. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo) www.ims.uconn.edu

5

LIISA KUHN HELPS BUILD THE BACKBONE OF UCONN HEALTH

RESEARCH

Associate Professor of Reconstructive Sciences at UConn Health and core faculty of the Biomedical Engineering Department, Dr. Liisa Kuhn traces her interest in bones back to high school. In pursuit of her bachelor’s degree, however, she found that the field of bone tissue engineering had not yet been established and studied mechanical engineering at Duke University instead.

Immediately following graduation, Dr. Kuhn worked as an engineer in the Signature Materials and Composite Design department at General Dynamics, San Diego, CA for a few years before returning to school to earn her M.S. and Ph.D. in materials engineering, from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Kuhn’s graduate research was inspired out of the need for a new mold for aerospace parts to prevent the products from becoming warped and deformed.

Under the direction of advisor Robert McMeeking, Dr. Kuhn used finite element modeling programs to predict the final densified shape of components made with powdered starting materials, to improve the manufacturing process.

With her graduate research focusing on theoretical mechanics, it wasn’t until her postdoctoral research that she finally had the chance to start working on her primary interest while studying biomineralized (Left to right) Martin Freilich, J. Robert Kelly, Liisa Kuhn, and David Shafer egg shells and seashells at Case Western Reserve discuss their technique to promote the growth of healthy new bone.

University, Cleveland, OH. It was there where she (Al Fereirra/UConn Photo) was exposed to stem cell research, which strongly influenced her decision to pursue a career in bone tissue livery systems to address the compromised bone healing engineering. ability of older adults by optimizing polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) technology applied to bone substitute mateEquipped with the knowledge and experiences from her rials to enable sequential, biomimetic delivery of multiple postdoctoral research, Dr. Kuhn launched her career, servgrowth factors. She is also investigating the bone repair ing as a research associate in the Skeletal Disorders and Recapability of osteoprogenitor cells, derived from pluripotent habilitation Department at a Boston children’s hospital and cells, which in previous tests has indicated an enhanced an instructor for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery ability for these cells to participate directly in the tissue at Harvard Medical School. She also helped surgeon and regeneration process. Dr. Kuhn takes her research to the researcher, Dr. Melvin Glimcher launch two start-up comclassroom with a combined undergraduate and graduate panies, Bio-Crystals Corporation and NaturApatites Co., advanced tissue engineering class, Controlling Stem Cells where she served as the director of development. She was with Biomaterials. then appointed to director of product development at Orthopedics and Oncology at ETEX Corporation, Cambridge, Motivated by the critical impact of medical product stanMA before joining UConn Health. dards on regulatory approval and product safety and reliability, Dr. Kuhn also became involved with the American “I believe that my training in both engineering and biology, Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) in 1994 as a task combined with my corporate and academic experience in force chair in the area of bone mineral characterization. As the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering, prepared task force chair, she has supervised and participated in the me to lead a comprehensive and rigorous academic redevelopment of five published ASTM standards related to search program as a faculty member of the world-renowned osteogenesis, tissue engineering cell culture, and biomabone research program at UConn Health,” Dr. Kuhn says. terials.

Within UConn Health’s Reconstructive Sciences Department, Dr. Kuhn’s research focuses on bone repair using growth factor delivery as a means to stimulate the progenitor stem cells that reside in our bodies to take a more active role in regenerating bone. As a PI of an ongoing NIH NIDCR R01 grant with collaborators Drs. Gloria Gronowicz and Marja Hurley, she is developing improved growth factor de-

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“Spurred on by biological discoveries on how tissue development regeneration occurs, I am convinced there is great potential in the area of sequential delivery of growth factors or other active biomolecules,” Dr. Kuhn says. “There are aspects of developmental biology that we as engineers can now mimic using materials chemistry to investigate ways to enhance the adult healing processes.” 

RESEARCH

WEI ZHANG BLOWS IMS AWAY Natural hazards resulting from the extreme coastal weather events of Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Irene, may have greatly compromised the safety and resiliency of coastal infrastructures and communities in the northeastern United States. Following these recent coastal natural hazards, Dr. Wei Zhang joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as an assistant professor with his long term goal to develop life-cycle performance design, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of structural systems to develop resilient and sustainable infrastructural systems.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Dr. Zhang began to design bridges including long span bridges. His largest bridge project involved designing Runyang Yangtze Bridge, which is one of the largest suspension bridges in the world, with a main span of 1,490 meters over the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China.

Inspired by the great challenges in designing this slender bridge, Dr. Zhang returned to academia to expand Dr. Wei Zhang, Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering his knowledge on wind hazards, by joining Tongji Uni(Peter Morenus/UConn Photo) versity in China in pursuit of his master’s degree. At Tongji University, Dr. Zhang was a research assistant at the “We start from the material level, then the structural comNational Key Laboratory for Civil Engineering. Equipped ponent level, and to the whole-structure system level,” with his experiences in design of long span bridges, he inDr. Zhang explains. “We can use numerical data collected vestigated the mitigation of wind-induced vibration of long about the materials to create a model of the system and span bridges using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) wind then we can use models to see how these damages affect tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simuthe entire system. Then we feed the statistical data into the lations. system to make sure the structure is safe.”

In 2012, Dr. Zhang received his Ph.D. in civil engineering With this idea in mind, Dr. Zhang recently started a new from Louisiana State University (LSU) for his work developproject, “Collaborative Research: Fatigue Damage Prognoing a vehicle-bridge-wind interaction framework for assesssis for Slender Coastal Bridges”, funded by the National Sciing fatigue damage of bridges in traffic-wind combined ence Foundation (CMMI-1537121). In addition to evaluating environments, and performing failure analyses of low rise the resiliency of bridges in the transportation network, Dr. buildings under hurricane wind loads.

Zhang and his colleagues will start working on a new projImmediately following graduation from LSU, Dr. Zhang put ect supported by CT Sea Grant which started in February his degree to use at Technip USA Inc., a corporation spe2016 to assess the resiliency of coastal residential homes cializing in subsea, offshore, and onshore engineering. As under natural coastal hazards including wind and flood. a senior specialist, he worked on the design of several offshore floating structures including Aasta Hansteen, HelderAside from research, Dr. Zhang is dedicated to his underberg, and Lucius spar, under extreme sea states. graduate and graduate students. As an assistant professor, he strives to make his courses effective and accessible to Dr. Zhang’s leap from bridges to off-shore structures bestudents at all levels, which proved particularly challenging gan while he was hard at work on his dissertation. “As I when creating his own course, Reliability for Engineers and was completing the literature review for my dissertation Elastic Stability. At the end of each semester, he meticuI began to see a number of people who were working on lously revaluates the course to engage students with the bridge fatigue were also involved with offshore structure,” material, increase learning, and cultivate interest. Through he explains. “This is how I learned that my knowledge and written assignments and presentations, he encourages background on fatigue on bridges could be transferred to students to develop and enhance their ability to effectively these floating structures.” communicate their findings to audiences with different knowledge backgrounds.

Since joining UConn, Dr. Zhang’s research integrates extreme coastal natural hazards and structural performance In the future, Dr. Zhang plans to continue his research to for resilient and sustainable coastal communities. At the resolve many of the uncertainties in the currently available most basic level, his research involves analyzing how data to reduce and eliminate possible failures that might coastal environment in different spatiotemporal scales, trigger catastrophic disasters. He recognizes that this goal such as hurricanes and corrosion damages, interact with is still far off and may be hard to achieve. “However,” he structural components and systems to determine methods says, “even if we might not finish in the short run, we can which ensure infrastructure life-cycle performance and get closer after each trial.”  public safety.

www.ims.uconn.edu

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CAUTION: SHRINKS WHEN WARM

Sahan Handunkanda, a graduate student in Physics and first author on the paper published by the American Physical Society, holds up a crystal of scandium trifluoride. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo) 8

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Most materials swell when they warm, and shrink when they cool. But UConn physicist Jason Hancock has been investigating a substance that responds in reverse: it shrinks when it warms.

Although thermal expansion, and the cracking and warping that often result, are an everyday occurrence – in buildings, bridges, electronics, and almost anything else exposed to wide temperature swings – physicists have trouble explaining why solids behave that way.

Research by Hancock and his colleagues into scandium trifluoride, a material that has negative thermal expansion, recently published in Physical Review B, may lead to a better understanding of why materials change volume with temperature at all, with potential applications such as more durable electronics.

The classical way to think about solids like glass, metal, and rock imagines them made of atoms hooked together by springs. The springs stretch and flex in response to heat. But because each spring, when it expands, puts pressure on its neighboring springs — and all those neighboring springs expand the same amount and exert the same pressure on the first spring and all their own neighboring springs — the forces they exert on each other should be symmetrical, and the material should neither expand nor contract.

“In many ways, the model is good,” says Hancock. “It explains inelastic scattering of neutrons and x-rays, lots of other optical effects, the speed of sound waves, aspects of elasticity and heat conduction, even the transition temperature of some superconductors.”

But it doesn’t do a good job of explaining thermal expansion.

Hancock and graduate student Sahan Handunkanda decided to look at scandium trifluoride because its odd behavior might give them some clues on what to look for in more typical materials. Not only does scandium trifluoride drastically shrink as it warms over a huge range of temperature (almost 1,100K or 2,000 F); it also keeps the same, stable cubic crystal structure over an even larger temperature range, from near absolute zero to 1,800 degrees Kelvin (2,780 degrees Fahrenheit), at which point it melts. Very few materials can boast of being so stable; most have some kind of phase change, during which their atoms shift positions, at least once when they’re warmed over 2,780 degrees Fahrenheit.

To figure out what was happening inside scandium trifluoride, the researchers decided to use x-rays to show how the atoms in the crystal moved at very low temperatures, close to absolute zero. To do this right, they needed a perfect crystal of scandium trifluoride, something that was very difficult to get. After searching, they found possibly the only source for the perfect crystals they needed: a group at Kirensky Institute of Physics in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, led by Vladimir Voronov. Voronov agreed to send

Jason Hancock, center, Assistant Professor of Physics, with graduate students Erin Curry, left, and Sahan Handunkanda (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo) them crystals by mail, and they scheduled x-ray beam time at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory.

The researchers shone a beam of x-rays onto the perfect crystal. They knew exactly how much energy the x-rays had going in to the crystal, and they carefully tracked how much energy the x-rays had coming out. By tracking the amount of energy the x-rays lost, the angle they entered the crystal, and the angle they emerged, the researchers could calculate how the scandium trifluoride atoms moved.

“When x-rays bounce from the sample, they make little splashes of vibration in the lattice,” Hancock says. Columns of scandium trifluoride molecules, each shaped like a little octahedron, seemed to be rotating in place, even at close to zero degrees.

The ease with which the columns twisted at close to zero temperature is unusual — the structure is ‘softer’ than most materials at zero Kelvin. The observed softness of scandium fluoride’s molecular structure suggests it’s about to undergo a phase shift, but it never quite gets there, even near absolute zero. Such a shift near absolute zero is called a quantum phase transition, and is an area of intense research activity in physics, mainly because such transitions often challenge current theoretical understanding of how materials work.

The clues uncovered in this study suggest that there could be a deep relationship between quantum forces and the giant shrinkage the material experiences as it warms. Hancock and Handunkanda would like to explore the implications of that both experimentally and theoretically.

On a more immediate level, scandium trifluoride is a material with a future. Its crystal structure is similar to many materials used in electronics, and it’s transparent, making it an interesting potential component of devices that don’t shrink, crack, or break under thermal stress.

By Kim Krieger www.ims.uconn.edu www.ims.uconn.edu

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DIGGING IN WITH SOIL CHEMIST CRISTIAN SCHULTHESS

RESEARCH

Tucked away in the Wilfred B. Young Building, Associate Professor Cristian Schulthess (IMS/CAG) investigates a vital, yet often overlooked branch of materials science.

After obtaining his master’s in civil engineering at the University of Delaware, Dr. Schulthess opted to switch to soil chemistry for his Ph.D., focusing primarily on devising analytical methods of obtaining retention of ions on soils, particularly the retention of hydrogen protons. This task proved surprisingly “tricky” and inspired a thesis. This thesis would later receive the Emil Truog Soil Science Award by the Soil Science Society of America, solidifying his niche within the soil science community. + Following his graduate work, Dr. Cristian Schulthess tests the retention of sodium (Na ) ions in a column of a tightly-packed sand and montmorillonite clay mixture, which more closely mimics how soils exist in nature Schulthess completed a postthan a soil sample shaken in a liquid suspension. doctoral position at Oak Ridge National Laboratories in Tennessee modeling the mobility For the past 8 years, Dr. Schulthess’ interest has shifted to of natural colloidal organic matter in ground water and a studying the impact of mineral physics on mineral chemissecond at the National Chemical Laboratory for industry in try, such as the impact of nanopores on sodicity, an abunTsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan studying surface reactions on solid dance of sodium in the soil. This phenomenon is particuparticles and the effects of metals on the adsorption of orlarly problematic for agriculture as it affects the structure ganic compounds by solid particles before joining UConn’s of the soil, hindering its ability to support crops. Resulting Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture from climate change and rapid population growth, many in 1991. locations are experiencing dramatic groundwater levels. In areas that use drip irrigation as well as those where the As the resident expert in soil chemistry, Dr. Schulthess’ water table is rising, the water carries salt to the surface, research at UConn spans from investigating the effect of which is left behind after the water evaporates. While only nanopores on the entrapment of organic and inorganic constituting 7% of issues concerning agriculture, the issue compounds, to the effect of temperature and pressure has grown in severity from 4% and continues to rise with on the volatility of adsorbed organic compounds. An inpopulation growth and climate change. He found that the teresting aspect of his research involves consultations for physical properties and crystallographic structural details skeet fields. When a local community considers opening a of soil minerals will greatly impact their chemical properties, namely their chemical abilities to retain ions and comshooting range, he is hired to investigate how the chemipounds, even when these porous minerals are chemically cals from gun powder and lead pellets will affect the soil identical to their nonporous counterparts. Currently, this reand groundwater by taking onsite samples and evaluating search is focused on understanding sodic soils, but it also the probability that these chemicals will enter the local wahas great potential for environmental engineers with their ter supply. Chemical remediation of these soils frequently selection of reactive barriers in contaminated fields, and involves collaboration with other individuals such as soil for microbiologists in the study of ion channels in cell walls physicists who track the mobility of contaminants in soil, which have channel dimensions similar to those studied and biologists when the focus is on phytoremediation .

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by Dr. Schulthess, and for numerous other applications such as chromatography for the selective retention of ions or pharmaceuticals for the slow release of compounds. He is particularly interested in the potential for clay because of its close ties with sodic soil and their variability in interlayer dimensions as a function of the ions present and soil moisture variations.

“If you are a soils person, you look down and see more than just dirt.”

communicates with personal digital accessories like a smartphone. The device measures only 0.5 x 0.5 mm and vastly improves the quality of life for patients with diabetes. It eliminates the need for surgical sensor implantation and extraction, restores active lifestyle, and enables remote care for young people and the elderly.

The technology can also function effectively for 3-6 months without user intervention and saves between 50-70% in annual healthcare costs.

Dr. Schulthess incorporates his research within his courses to help students understand and visualize concepts he teaches. For his enthusiasm for soil chemistry and his dedication to his students, he received the 2015 College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. While his students have a variety of research interests, he strives to stimulate their curiosity in this dynamic discipline.

“Soil chemistry is a very exciting field. When I drive through the sodic fields of North Dakota, I know what I’m looking at and the history of what is going on in the soil,” Dr. Schulthess explains. “Just like when astrophysicists look up at the heavens and see things that we don’t see, if you are a soils person, you look down and see more than just dirt.” 

CT-BASED STARTUP

WINS BIG AT MASSCHALLENGE

Glucowizzard implantable sensor “We’re thrilled with our experience at MassChallenge, and are grateful to have received such a clear vote of confidence from the organization about the quality and potential impact of our technology,” said Co-Founders Faquir Jain and Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos, UConn Professors of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Chemistry/Institute of Materials Science, respectively.

The world’s biggest startup accelerator, MassChallenge accepts only 128 startups out of over 2,000 that apply each year to participate in the non-profit organization’s four-month program. During their time at the accelerator, startups receive educational programming and mentorship to advance their early-stage ventures.

Since 2010, startups accelerated by MassChallenge have raised $1.1 billion in funding, generated $520 million in revenue and created 6,500 jobs.

Connecticut-based medical device startup, Biorasis, was recently awarded the MassChallenge’s top prize at their annual awards ceremony. The company was one of only four “Diamond Winners,” receiving a cash prize of $100,000. They were also one of two teams to receive the Sidecar Award, providing an additional $200,000 in non-dilutive funding.

Biorasis plans to build on this momentum. According to Biorasis’ Chief Operation Officer, Dr. IIze Krisst, the next step for Biorasis is to develop the animal data needed to allow for clinical trials and FDA approval.

“This recognition by MassChallenge provides external validation of our product concept and its value to patients,” she said.

The technology developed by Biorasis, the GlucowizzardTM, is an ultra-small implantable biosensor for continuous, reliable glucose monitoring. This needleimplantable device wirelessly transmits glucose levels to a watch-like unit for real-time display, which in turn

R&D facilities for Biorasis are currently housed in the University of Connecticut Technology Incubation Program in Storrs.

By Jessica McBride

www.ims.uconn.edu

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NEW MINDS MATERIALIZING AT IMS

FACULTY

The Institute of Materials Science is made up of multiple departments that encompass a wide range of disciplines.

The addition of eight new faculty members to the various fields helps preserve IMS as a strong, multi-faceted cornerstone to the University. The innovation, passion, and motivation that these members will bring is evident in their accomplishments thus far.

Xu Chen, Assistant Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2013.

Dr. Chen became a lecturer at the university before coming to UConn in 2014. Dr. Chen’s research interests include theory and applications of dynamic systems and controls to advance the technology development in advanced manufacturing, mechatronics, robotics, precision engineering, system and optimization, and human-machine interactions. His “Manufacturing Automation and Control Systems (MACS)” lab researches controls for new manufacturing processes, high-precision and adaptive control in nanometer-scale manufacturing and precision systems, humanmachine interaction, rehabilitation mechatronics, safety robotics, vibration rejection, system identification, and optimization. He recently co-authored a paper entitled “Overview and new results in disturbance observer based adaptive vibration rejection with application to advanced manufacturing” that was published in the International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing. 

Maria Chrysochoou, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, received her Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken New Jersey in 2006. Among her environmental leadership awards, she most recently received the 20132015 Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship from the European Union.

Her research interests include environmental geochemistry, contaminated site remediation, beneficial use of industrial products and recycled materials, and clay mineralogy. She is particularly interested in leverage solid state, traditional geochemical, geotechnical and modeling approaches to assess and predict the behavior of soil constituents in complex geoenvironmental systems for purposes of characterization and treatment, as well as to characterize industrial waste materials.  Heidi M. Dierssen, Associate Professor in the Department of Marine Sciences and the Department of Geography, received her Ph.D. in geography with a marine science concentration from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2000. With her degree in hand, Dr. Dierssen completed two postdoctoral fellowships, one at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and another at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories at California State University. Since joining UConn, her research focuses on remote sensing of coastal habitats, imaging of organismal color and camouflage, Southern Ocean sources of backscattering, Long Island Sound color and exchange using remote sensing in optical complex water, and biogeographical distributions of marine organisms. For her involvement with PRISM Instruments in the development of new imaging devices to enhance coastal ocean science data collection, Dr. Dierssen received the 2014 NASA Group Achievement Award. 

Ying Li, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University in 2015. His current research focuses on multiscale modeling, computational material design, mechanics and physics of soft matter, design of mechanical metamaterials, and targeted drug delivery.

In 2015, Dr. Li received the Best Paper award from ASME Global Congress on NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology and the International Institute for Nanotechnology Outstanding Researcher Award in 2014. 

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Yangchao Luo, Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences, received his Ph.D. in nutrition and food science from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2012. After postdoctoral training at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dr. Luo joined UConn in 2014. With extensive experience in the combination of nutrition and nanotechnology, his research focuses on designing nanoand micro-sized delivery systems from natural macromolecules for food bioactive compounds, exploring in vivo fate of nanoparticles after digestion, evaluating drug delivery systems for efficacy to prevent chronic diseases, and developing nanoformulations to provide novel dietary interventions for health promotion. Since 2014, he has worked as both Editorial Board Member for the Austin Journal of Nutrition and Food Science and Associate Editor to the Journal of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 

Wendy S. Vanden Berg-Foels, Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering, received her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Cornell University in 2007. She was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and an AAUW Selected Professions Dissertations Fellowship.

Wendy continued her training in tissue engineering on an NIH T32 Training Grant Postdoctoral Fellowship. Her research focuses on tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cartilage regeneration, and helium ion and scanning. She has three principle ongoing research projects: characterization of local endogenous stem cells that may be recruited for cartilage regeneration, multi-stage growth factor delivery for endogenous stem cell recruitment and cartilage wound healing, and multi-scale characterization of native and regenerated cartilage collagen networks and their interface connectivity. The overall goal of her studies is to induce an in situ cartilage healing response in cartilage injuries that typically do not heal in the clinical population. 

David M. Pierce, Assistant Professor in the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University in 2007 before completing his habilitation in experimental and computational biomechanics at the Graz University of Technology, Austria. With his Interdisciplinary Mechanics Laboratory at UConn, he studies the theory, development, and application of pragmatic computational methods for physical problems of practical importance using computational and experimental solid (bio)mechanics, finite element methods, applied mathematics, and corollary programming/software. His current research proposes several new 3D large strain constitutive models for articular cartilage, facilitating FE simulation of sample/patient-specific cartilage deformation, fiber network response, and fluid permeation. 

Dianyun Zhang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, received her Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan. Afterwards, Dr. Zhang held dual appointment as a research associate in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington, Seattle, and the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Since joining UConn in the fall of 2015, her research focuses primarily on experiment characterization and computational modeling of lightweight materials, including laminated composites, 3D textile composites, and oxide/oxidewoven ceramic composites. Her research goal is “to develop a high-fidelity computational methodology to predict deformation response of heterogenous materials” using multiscale modeling methods and progressive damage and failure analyses across different material length scales. This year, she is featured in two publications that have been accepted into the International Journal of Solids and Structures. 

www.ims.uconn.edu

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AWARDS

Drs. Rossetti and Heitmann Receive Edward C. Henry Award

Dr. George Rossetti Jr.

The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) has awarded the 2015 Edward C. Henry Award to George A. Rossetti, Jr. and Adam A. Heitmann for their paper, “Thermodynamics of ferroelectric solid solutions with morphotropic phase boundaries,” published as a Feature Article in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society. Based in part on Dr. Heitmann’s dissertation, their research utilized the Landau theory of phase transitions to develop “a thermodynamic framework useful for guiding experimental investigations of ferroelectric solid solutions and for generating energy functions used in constitutive modeling and phase field simulations of microstructure and properties.”

“The Edward C. Henry Award is given annually to an outstanding paper reporting original work in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society or the American Ceramic Society Bulletin during the previous calendar year on a subject related to electronic ceramics.” The ACerS Electronic Division’s Committee Dr. Adam Heitmann on Awards and Scholarships selects the winning paper based on originality of content, scientific and technical merit, and quality of presentation.

Drs. Heitmann and Rossetti were formally presented with the award during the Materials Science and Technology 2015 conference held in Columbus, Ohio.

Dr. Rossetti is an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He received a Ph.D. in solid state science from the Pennsylvania State University, was a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University, and carried out ceramics research in industry for more than a decade. He joined IMS in 2006 where his research has focused on thermodynamics and crystallography of structural phase transformations, microstructure evolution, and structure-property relations in electroactive ceramics.

Dr. Heitmann received his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Connecticut in 2012.

After completing a post-doctorate fellowship at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI where he joined as an engineer working in the Devices, Sensors, Materials R&D branch. His research focuses on domain-engineered relaxor ferroelectric single crystals and the influence of crystallographic orientation on electromechanical behavior under naval operating conditions. 

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Professor Ramprasad Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society Dr. Rampi Ramprasad (IMS/MSE) has been named a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) through the Division of Materials Physics. The citation for his nomination is “For pioneering contributions to the computation-driven rational design of materials, especially polymeric and inorganic dielectric materials and catalysts.”

Representing over 51,000 members, APS is a non-profit membership organization that works to advance and circulate the knowledge of physics Dr. R. Ramprasad through its journals, scientific meetings, education, outreach, advocacy, and international activities. Fellowship with APS is a distinguished honor based on outstanding contributions to the field of physics in areas such as research, applications, leadership, service, and education.

The focus of Professor Ramprasad’s research is the development and application of quantum mechanics based materials computational tools and data-driven methods for the accelerated design and discovery of new materials. His research has been funded by several agencies, including the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and ACS Petroleum Research Fund. A recent project that has significantly shaped the manner in which he is able to use science-driven and data-driven methods to design new materials from the atomic level, and one that is consistent with the U.S. White House Materials Genome Initiative, is a multidisciplinary university research initiative (MURI) funded by the Office of Naval Research. The aim of this project is the rational design of capacitor dielectrics for high energy density and electrostatic energy storage devices.

Professor Ramprasad hopes to apply the methods and concepts that he and his colleagues have developed to other materials and application domains.

Professor Ramprasad has been previously recognized for his contributions as well. He is an elected member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and a recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, the Max Planck Society Fellowship for Distinguished Scientists, and the United Technologies Corporation Professorship for Engineering Innovation. He has authored or co-authored over 140 peer-reviewed journal articles, 3 book chapters, and 4 patents. He has been a guest editor for the Journal of Materials Science, delivered over 150 invited talks at universities and conferences worldwide, and has organized several international symposia. His election as an APS Fellow will spur his continued efforts in the field of materials physics. 

FACULTY

Anson Ma Receives 2015 Metzner Early Career Award Anson W. K. Ma (IMS/ CBE), Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, received the 2015 Arthur B. Metzner Early Career Award. Named after rheology pioneer Arthur B. Metzner, the award is distributed annually by the Society of Rheology to a young researcher “who has distinguished him/ herself in rheological Dr. Anson Ma receives the Arthur B. research, rheological Metzner Early Career Award Plaque from practice, or service Dr. Greg McKenna, President of the to rheology.” Dr. Ma Society of Rheology. also delivered a plenary lecture at the 87th Society of Rheology Annual Meeting in Baltimore, where he received a plaque and a $7,500 honorarium.

Anson W. K. Ma received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge in 2009. He joined UConn in 2011 as a member of both the IMS Polymer Program and the Chemical Engineering Program. As principal investigator of the Complex Fluids Laboratory, his research focuses on understanding the complex flow behavior (rheology) and processing of various complex fluids including foams, emulsions, nanoparticle suspensions, and biological fluids. His lab is developing new techniques to improve reliability and push the existing resolution limit of inkjet and 3D printing technology, both of which were featured on the front page of the Chronicle newspaper and Channel 8 News. In 2012, Dr. Ma received TA Instrument’s Distinguished Young Rheologist Award, which recognizes product innovation and research of new materials and applications that expand the field of rheology. The following year he received a prestigious NSF CAREER Award for his research on exploiting the size and shape of particles to improve the stability of emulsions typically found in agricultural, pharmaceutical, and personal care products. More recently, Dr. Ma is leading a major effort to establish a center of excellence for additive manufacturing of soft materials at UConn. The mission is to accelerate technology transfers to the industry and to provide an important training ground for a future workforce in advanced manufacturing. 

Faculty Award Briefs Dr. Douglas Adamson, Associate Professor of the IMS Polymer Program and the Chemistry Department, was a recipient of the 2015 Polymer Program Director’s Award for Faculty Excellence, an award that recognizes excellence and leadership in teaching, research, and service for the Polymer Program. His recognized research and appointment to the board of directors of TRI/Princeton contribute to Dr. Adamson’s demonstrated excellence in research and leadership in service.

Dr. Mark Aindow, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Associate Director for the Institute of Materials Science was awarded the 2015 School of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award. This award recognizes his dedication for providing the support and mentorship his fellow faculty need for their professional development.

Dr. Hal Brody, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, received the 2015 MSE Award for Teaching Excellence. Based on the votes from graduating seniors of the department, Dr. Brody was praised for his positive influence on the academic, research, extracurricular, and personal development of his students. Dr. Brody was noted primarily for his ability to help students “think like an engineer” and for his dedication to both his students and his field of study.

Dr. Avinash M. Dongare, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, was named a 2015 recipient of the Young Leaders Professional Development Award from the Structural Materials Division of the Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society. He also received the 2015 MSE Outstanding Faculty Award. Both distinctions honor Dr. Dongare’s contributions to research, teaching, and his commitment to outreach through the MSE department and the entire materials science and engineering community.

Dr. Luyi Sun, Associate Professor of the IMS Polymer Program and the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, was a recipient of the 2015 Polymer Program Director’s Award for Faculty Excellence. Also a recipient of the Department of Education’s Graduate Assistant in Areas of National Need award, Dr. Sun is repeatedly recognized for his excellence in research concerning bio-inspired and bio-mimetic materials and his commitment to support all research throughout the Polymer Program.

www.ims.uconn.edu

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FACULTY

The Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., Travel Fellowship Breaks Barriers in STEM Fields fare, hotels, transfers, and meals.

The student is also given a graduate student mentor to guide him or her through the Society meeting, pursuit of an advanced degree, and further professional ambitions.

Dr. Cato Laurencin, whom the fellowship was named after, is a strong contributor to STEM research, as well as to UConn. He is the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Chair Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in the School of Medicine and a tenured professor in three departments at UConn’s School of Engineering. He is the Director of the Institute for Regenerative Engineering and Director of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Center for Biomedical, Biological, Physical, and Engineering Sciences at UConn.

Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. Director, Institute for Regenerative Engineering; Chief Executive Officer, Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS); Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Chair in Academic Medicine; Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Engineering

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Dr. Laurencin’s own dedication to mentorship has received wide acclaim, awarding him the Association for the Advancement of Science Mentor Award, the Beckman Award for Mentoring, the Alvin F. Crawford Award for Mentoring, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Engineering and Math Mentoring from President Barack Obama in ceremonies at the White House.

Studies have found that AfricanAmericans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Native Alaskans are inordinately under-represented in STEM disciplines, inhibiting the progression of excellence in these fields. The creation of the Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., Travel Fellowship works to rectify this issue by providing motivation for the recipient to follow a career in biomaterials.

A Princeton graduate in Chemical Engineering and a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Medical School with a Ph.D. from M.I.T., Dr. Laurencin is the only faculty member at UConn to be elected both a Fellow of the Materials Research Society and an International Fellow in Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Dr. Laurencin is a designated University Professor at UConn, the 8th so named in the school’s 130 year history.

The fellowship supplies resources for an undergraduate student to attend the annual meeting of the Society for Biomaterials and become a member of the Society. These resources include registration, air-

In the Society for Biomaterials, Dr. Laurencin has been the recipient of the Clemson Award for Contributions to the Literature, and the Technology Innovation and Development Award. His work has been

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honored by Scientific American Magazine as one of the 50 greatest achievements in science in 2007, and his efforts in musculoskeletal tissue regeneration was featured in National Geographic Magazine’s “100 Discoveries that Changed Our World” edition.

Most recently, to add to Dr. Laurencin’s prestigious work, the Institute is going to undertake two bold goals: to build a fully functional knee within seven years and to regenerate a limb within ten years.

With a team assembled from multiple disciplines, the Institute plans to integrate the necessary tissues that they can already create – including bone, cartilage, ligament, tendon, nerve tissue, and vasculature. The unique challenge of the Institute is to replicate not just one process, but dozens of processes in an orchestration of complex actions, reactions, and interactions then emulate the ontogeny of complex tissues. The members believe they can do this in a way that is self-sustaining and self-repairing.

The Institute is built around the concept of “convergence” and decades of research in stem cell development and growth factor manipulation, bio-materials and ceramic and polymer science, lipid and glycoproteins, nanotechnology, and intracellular signaling. These studies have proven that the tissues they create can be built both in vitro and often in vivo. His work is supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, private foundations, and the National Institutes of Health which recently awarded him an NIH PIONEER Award to help fund his ambitious plan.

With this fellowship in place, named after such an outstanding role model, studies in biomaterials will gain tremendously from the advocated inclusion of these underrepresented groups. 

Educating

The Next Generation of Engineers Seize the unique opportunity to become a Senior Design industry partner and tap into the exceptional student talent, distinguished faculty, and state-of-the-art materials processing and characterization laboratory equipment that the UConn Department of Materials Science and Engineering has to offer!

Our MSE program was established to meet the high local demand for materials engineering professionals. Our students enjoy excellent employment opportunities, a choice of five academic concentrations (biomaterials, energy materials, nanomaterials, metallurgy, and electronic materials), first-rate faculty instruction, and hands-on laboratory experience and research opportunities. UConn MSE is the number one public MSE program in the Northeast, boasting a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1, industry co-ops, internships, and departmental scholarships.

The UConn MSE experience culminates with Senior Design, a twosemester project that provides students with exposure to real-world engineering problems, stimulating design challenges, collaboration with local companies, and potential future employment opportunities.

As an industry partner, you can expect collaborative impact with UConn MSE and the Institute of Materials Science, project updates and documentation, secure proprietary information, and the opportunity to hire skilled, engaged engineering students. Visit our Senior Design webpage for more information! www.mse.engr.uconn.edu/undergraduate-program/ senior-design

aterials Science & Engineering University of Connecticut Department of Materials Science & Engineering 97 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3136 Storrs, CT 06269-3136 www.mse.engr.uconn.edu www.ims.uconn.edu

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FACULTY

IMS RESEARCH AWARDS Jason Hancock Receives NSF Award Assistant Professor Jason N. Hancock (IMS/PHYS) has been awarded $381,979 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his project “Lattice dynamics of strong negative thermal expansion materials.” The award will provide funding over the next three years for Dr. Hancock to investigate negative thermal expansion (NTE), a peculiar phenomenon of heat-induced volume contraction. Applications, which have a potential to aid in telecommunication components and stabilization of rigid composite structural materials, are currently nonexistent.

Through the use of light- and X-ray spectroscopy, Dr. Hancock will pursue greater understanding of NTE to bolster the search for “quantum and many-body effects not before recognized in other materials.”

Dr. Hancock’s project also involves educational activities to support graduate student research as well as providing resources to encourage undergraduate students to create new document camera demonstrations for use in large lecture halls to share developments of this research project to train next generation scientists in future NTE applications.

Jason Hancock joined the University of Connecticut in 2012 after receiving his Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2005 and completing post-doctorate fellowships at Stanford University and the Université de Genève. As an assistant professor in the Department of Physics, his research interests in experimental condensed matter physics include a general interest in strongly correlated electron systems, studies of charge excitations in novel materials including high temperature superconductors and topological insulators, infrared and terahertz spectroscopy, and inelastic resonant X-ray scattering. 

Luyi Sun, Mu-Ping Nieh, and Rajeswari Kasi Receive GAANN Award

Kelly Burke and Anson Ma Receive CT Regenerative Medicine Grant The CT Regenerative Medicine Research Fund Advisory Committee has awarded Dr. Kelly A. Burke (IMS/ CBE) and Co-Investigator Anson W. K. Ma (IMS/CBE) a seed grant titled “Human intestine tissue model by 3D printing”. The grant will provide $200,000 for the research endeavor involving chemically modified silk proteins to be used for 3D printing, which will subsequently form stable hydrogels. These materials will be printed into intestine-like crypt structures and will incorporate cells from human intestines to improve understanding on how the geometry of the system alters the function of the cells. Dr. Burke is hopeful that “the data generated will not only advance our efforts in 3D printing soft materials, but will also enhance understanding of how cells interact and undergo repair processes in cultures with geometries that are more representative of the human intestine.”

The applications of this research will be important to the study of intestine tissue models, which may be used to investigate disease progression and to develop therapeutics.

Dr. Kelly A. Burke received her Ph.D. in macromolecular science and engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 2010. In 2014, she joined UConn as an assistant professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department and is a member of the IMS Polymer Program. Her research interests include synthesis and structure-property relationships of multifunctional polymeric materials, stimuli responsive polymers and networks, natural and synthetic biomaterials, and the design and application of polymeric systems to modulate inflammation and promote healing.

Dr. Anson W. K. received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge in 2009.

He joined UConn in 2011 as an assistant professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department and the IMS Polymer Program. As principal investigator for the Complex Fluids Laboratory, his research centers on understanding the complex flow behavior (rheology) and processing of various complex fluids including foams, emulsions, nanoparticle suspensions, and biological fluids. 

PI Luyi Sun (IMS/CBE) and Co-PI’s Mu-Ping Nieh (IMS/CBE) and Rajeswari Kasi (IMS/CHEM) have been awarded a grant from the Department of Education’s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program to support their research on “Multi-functional Polymer Based Materials – Derived and Learned from Nature”. The $738,195 grant is matched with an additional $228,518 from the University, to support five Ph.D. fellowships over the next three years to investigate applications for bio-inspired and bio-mimetic materials. While Drs. Sun, Nieh, and Kasi formally received the award, the research is a collaboration spanning the entire Polymer Program. 

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Funding from UConn’s Academic Plan for Excellence Two years ago, UConn announced a program to enhance excellence in research and education in five fundamental areas: undergraduate education, graduate study, teaching, engagement, and research.

To achieve this goal, almost $10 million dollars in grants will be distributed across a variety of departments including the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and professional schools and colleges. An additional $700,000 will be allocated to encourage teaching excellence, enabling more faculty to become even better teachers.

Dr. Jeffrey McCutcheon

A number of IMS professors and researchers have received funding from the initiative to pursue their respective research goals.

Dr. Rainer Hebert

Dr. Jeffrey McCutcheon (IMS/CBE) with colleagues Richard McAvoy and Xiusheng Yang from the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources received funding to build a Smart Resource Grid facility to enable the development and demonstration of new technologies to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges associated with food security, water conservation, and alternative energy resources.

Dr. Xiuling Lu

Dr. Xiuling Lu (IMS/PHARM) and colleagues from the School of Pharmacy and Medicine were funded to develop a modular polymer-based nanocarrier platform for effective delivery of potent chemotherapeutic agents based upon precise understanding of the relationship between the physical characteristics and structure of various polymer nano carrier systems and the efficacy/safety of delivered drugs.

Dr. R. Ramprasad

Dr. Xu Chen (IMS/ME), Dr. Rainer Hebert (IMS/MSE), and Dr. Anson Ma (IMS/CBE) received funding to develop an open-source powder bed fusion additive manufacturing machine capable of fabricating multiple materials, such as metals, polymers, and ceramics.

Dr. Rampi Ramprasad (IMS/MSE) in collaboration with Dr. Michael Mundrane, Dr. Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, Dr. Yong-Jun Shin, and others will use their funding to develop high performance computing infrastructure to promote research in genomics, materials, digital media, and other disciplines requiring high-bandwidth computational resources.

Dr. Xu Chen

With these investments, IMS and the University of Connecticut as a whole will continue to grow as a research and academic institution.

Dr. Anson Ma

Adapted from “Investments in Our Academic Future” by Susan Herbst, UConn President, and Mun Y. Choi, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, UConn.

www.ims.uconn.edu

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OUTREACH

INDUSTRIAL AFFILIATES PROGRAM (IAP)

A Year in Review The IMS Industrial Affiliates Program welcomed three new member companies in 2015: GE Global Research, Specialty Cable Corporation, and Total Cray Valley Division. The program also welcomed partnerships with a number of non-member companies including Bar-Ray Products, Enflo Corporation, Franklin Products, LiquidPiston, RTI Group, Sontara Old Hickory, and Toray Plastics of America.

In May, the Industrial Affiliates Program’s Annual Meeting brought 54 industry representatives from 18 member companies and 16 non-member companies.

New IMS faculty members: Kelly Burke, Jie He, SeokWoo Lee, Xiuling Lu, and Richard Pettes presented highlights from their research. IMS Associate Director, Mark Aindow, introduced the new UConn/FEI Center for Advanced Microscopy and Materials Analysis (CAMMA) which opened May 2015.

The Affiliates Program sponsored two popular short courses: “Introduction to Polymer Science” taught by Raji Kasi and Anson Ma, and “Additive Manufacturing and 3-D Printing” taught by Dr. Rainer Hebert and Dr. Anson Ma. The Program also hosted its first webinar “Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) for Nanostructural Characterization” taught by Mu-Ping Nieh.

The Program is gearing up for an exciting 2016 – we hope you can join us!

Coming This Spring!

IMS Industrial Affiliates Program 2016 Annual Meeting

IAP Short Course

Scattering – A Method for Global Nanostructural Characterization April 26th & 27th, 2016 The function of advanced nanomaterials strongly correlates with their nanostructure. The two most common techniques to probe nanostructures are microscopy and scattering. These two methods are complementary, yet most are familiar only with the former, which provides real images of local structures (i.e., micrometer or nanometer square).

Scattering provides global (average) information of the nanostructures and has the advantage of providing in-situ measurements under complex conditions such as solutions, solids, temperature, and other external fields. However, scattering data is presented in reciprocal space and needs proper interpretation in order to resolve the material structures. This complexity has limited the use of scattering for structural characterization.

This two-day short course will focus on scattering techniques available at the Institute of Materials Science (IMS): small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and static/dynamic light scattering (S/DLS). Each day is dedicated to one of these two techniques and will include lecture, experiment, model analysis based on experimental data collected, and an open forum for discussion. Attendees will leave with a solid understanding of the fundamentals, applicability of these techniques to a variety of systems plus hands-on experience with both experimental logistics and structure interpretation using available scattering models.

Instructors Yao Lin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Chemistry and Polymer Program at IMS

Mu-Ping Nieh, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Polymer Program at IMS

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IAP Short Course

Advanced Composite Materials May 17th & 18th 2016 Advanced composite materials are being used in many diverse industries and applications, such as aerospace, marine, automotive, medical, energy, and recreation.

Besides improving performance and saving weight, these materials provide the designer with the ability to tailor the mechanical and thermal properties of the structure.

This two-day short course will provide an introduction to the material types, processing and mechanics of polymeric composite materials. The course will begin with a broad overview of polymeric composite material types and forms, followed by detailed discussions of constituent materials, manufacturing processes, analysis methods, testing, non-destructive inspection, advanced architecture, and multi-scale modeling. The course will include hands-on activities, computer demonstrations, and a laboratory tour to provide a better practical understanding of composite materials, processing, mechanical behavior, and stress analysis.

After completing this course, attendees will have a clear understanding of the unique mechanical properties of composite materials and learn how to apply this knowledge to the design and analysis of composite structures.

Instructors Rajiv A. Naik, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor of Materials Science & Engineering, UConn Fellow of Computational Materials, Pratt & Whitney

Dianyun Zhang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

INSTRUCTORS Yao Lin, Ph.D. Dr. Lin received his Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2005. He was then a George W. Beadle postdoctoral fellow at the Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago. In 2008, he joined UConn’s Chemistry Department and the IMS Polymer Program. His research focuses on the mechanistic studies of the synthesis, folding, assembly of complex macromolecules such as comb or brush-like polymers grafted with polypeptides, and the hybrid nanomaterials that convert chemical energy to mechanical motions. Many of these studies require the extensive use of scattering based characterization techniques.

Rajiv A. Naik, Ph.D. Dr. Naik has taught graduate level courses in Advanced Composite Materials since 2009 as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Connecticut and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He received his Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from Old Dominion University in 1986 and has worked in composites research and development for the past 30 years.

His research interests are in the areas of composite mechanics and the modeling of progressive damage in composites under dynamic impact and fatigue loading, including both laminated and textile (2D and 3D woven and braided) composite architectures. He has worked at Pratt & Whitney since 1995 and leads the characterization, design data and modeling developments for polymer composite materials. He has published 70 papers and received 3 best paper awards.

He also holds 7 patents in the area of advanced composite materials.

Mu-Ping Nieh, Ph.D. Dr. Nieh received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1998. Afterwards, he was a postdoctoral fellow at NIST Center for neutron research from 1998 to 2002. From 2002 to 2010, he became a research officer at Canadian Neutron Beam Centre of National Research Council. In 2010, he joined UConn’s Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department and IMS Polymer Program.

His research focuses on probing structures of nanomaterials using scattering techniques, understanding the fundamental function-nanostructure relationship in advanced materials, which can be used for drug delivery carriers, and high-sensitivity, high-selectivity biosensing through onepot self-assembly.

Dianyun Zhang, Ph.D. Dr. Zhang joined the University of Connecticut in 2015 as an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Prior to that, she was a research associate in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington, Seattle, with a dual appointment in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She obtained her M.S. (2013) and Ph.D. (2014) degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. Her broad area of research interest is in experimental characterization and computational modeling of lightweight materials, including laminated composites, 3D textile composites, and oxide/oxide woven ceramic composites. Her research goal is to develop a high-fidelity computational methodology to predict the deformation response of heterogeneous materials. The focus is on the multiscale modeling methods and progressive damage and failure analyses across different material length scales.

www.ims.uconn.edu

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SEMINARS & LECTURES

Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Roald Hoffmann Enthralls IMS The Institute welcomed Dr. Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Laureate in chemistry from Cornell University, as the 2015 IMS Distinguished Lecturer. His lecture entitled, “The Chemical Imagination at Work in Very Tight Places” addressed how high pressures impact chemical bonding and structure.

The lecture was standing room only, attracting students and faculty from various departments interested in hearing about Dr. Hoffmann’s work. His passion for teaching was evident, captivating the audience’s attention and interest. At the conclusion of his lecture, he offered advice to those hoping to pursue or advance their careers in related fields. He urged everyone present to attend lectures and seminars on unfamiliar topics to recognize the complexities in the world and make interdisciplinary connections.

Following the event, students and faculty were invited to attend a reception to meet with Dr. Hoffmann one-on-one.

After receiving his Ph.D. in chemical physics from Harvard University, Dr. Hoffmann began his career as a theoretical chemist, later switching his interests from theory to applied organic chemistry. In 1965, he joined Cornell University where he received a number of honors, including being named the John A. Newman Professor of Physical Science and later the Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters, now Emeritus.

He was then awarded the 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Dr. Kenichi Fukui.

Dr. Roald Hoffmann Nobel Laureate in Chemisty, Cornell University

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As an applied organic chemist, Dr. Hoffmann’s research focuses on the electronic structure of stable and unstable molecules, and of transition states in reactions. By applying various computational methods and qualitative arguments, he

works to solve problems of structure and reactivity of both organic and inorganic molecules of medium size.

“My first major contribution was the development of the extended Huckel method, a molecular orbital scheme which allowed the calculation of the approximate sigma- and pie- electronic structure of molecules, and which gave reasonable predictions of molecular conformations and simple potential surfaces,” Dr. Hoffmann explains. “My second major contribution was a two-pronged exploration of the electronic structure of transition states and intermediates in organic reactions. In a fruitful collaboration, R.B. Woodward and I applied simple but powerful arguments of symmetry and bonding to the analysis of concerted reactions. These considerations have been of remarkable predictive value and have stimulated much productive experimental work.”

Despite all of these achievements, Dr. Hoffmann says he is most proud of his contribution as a professor at Cornell, where he taught undergraduates general chemistry and graduate courses in bonding theory and quantum mechanics. His teaching background influences his lectures, which he targets towards students, explaining concepts in a simple and intuitive manner, even implementing human subjects to demonstrate complex concepts.

Dr. Hoffmann believes that great opportunities and excitement lies in the intersection between the sciences and the humanities. He has written a variety of books, plays, and poetry that challenge him to find new ways to understand his research. This, in turn, helps him find new ways to teach himself, his coworkers, and others. “I write poetry to penetrate the world around me, and to comprehend my reactions to it,” Dr. Hoffmann explains. 

SEMINARS & LECTURES

IMS Distinguished Lecture April 20th, 2016 at 4 p.m. in room IMS 20 Professor E.W. Meijer Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Department of Biomedical Engineering Department of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology The Netherlands

IMS Holds First Webinar Concerning Small Angle X-Ray Scattering

IMS Polymer Program Spring Seminars 2016 (11:10 a.m. in room IMS 20) January 29, 2016 Prof. Jeffrey McCutcheon, University of Connecticut “Polymeric Materials Enabling Forward Osmosis for Water Treatment, Desalination and Reuse” February 26, 2016 Dr. Bruce Shapiro, National Cancer Institute “Understanding RNA Structure and Function: Prediction, Analysis and Nanodesign” March 4, 2016 Prof. Rodney Priestley, Princeton University “Confined Glassy Properties and Constrained Volume Processing of Polymer Nanoparticles” March 11, 2016 Prof. Shu Yang, University of Pennsylvania “Foldable, Responsive Soft Metamaterials from Microstructured Polymers” March 25, 2016 Dr. Burtrand Lee, American Chemical Society “Crystallography of Functional Nanomaterials and Preparation of Competitive Grant Proposal” April 1, 2016 Prof. Padma Rajagopalan, Virginia Tech “Engineering the 3D Liver Microenvironment” April 8, 2016 Prof. Joseph Thrasher, Clemson University “New Facility for and Advances in Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE)-Based Fluoropolymers” April 15, 2016 Prof. Bryan Coughlin, University of Massachusetts, Amherst “Robust and Dynamic Polymer Membranes for Anion Transport” April 22, 2016 Prof. M. Muthukumar, University of Massachusetts, Amherst “The Ordinary-Extraordinary Transition in Dynamics of Solutions of Charged Molecules”

Professor Mu-Ping Nieh, IMS Polymer Program The Institute held its first webinar entitled, “Small Angle X-Ray Scattering” led by Mu-Ping Nieh. Fifteen industry engineers and scientists attended the free two-hour webinar which provided background on the small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique and its application to industrial challenges, including pharmaceuticals, fibril structures and orientation, and composite materials. The webinar is especially important to industry research and development groups, since a thorough understanding of the complex relationship between nanoscopic structures and macroscopic properties is key to the effective development of new materials and for the understanding of existing materials. The information provided by SAXS allows modification of a material function based on its nanostructure. In between lecture topics, Mu-Ping Nieh offered interactive polls to engage the audience and test for understanding.

The feedback from the event has been extremely positive, with all reviews ranging from very good to excellent.

Mu-Ping Nieh is an associate professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Biomedical Engineering and a member of the Polymer Program.

Dr. Nieh obtained his Ph.D. from the Chemical Engineering department/Polymer Science and Engineering program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1998. His current research leverages the fundamental principles of self- or directed- assemblies to make unique functional nanomaterials with low-cost and scalable manufacturing processes for biomedical, sensing, and energy applications. 

www.ims.uconn.edu

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External Advisory Board The IMS External Advisory Board (EAB) helps to focus the efforts of IMS in areas of teaching, service, and research. The EAB is made up of world-wide experts in the area of materials science and consists of members from governmental and industrial labs. The Board meets twice a year to provide advice and help in long-range planning.

Harry H. Birkenruth Rogers Corporation

Jack Crane CONNSTEP, Inc.

Robert Daigle Rogers Corporation

Anthony Demaria

Matthew Dougherty GE, Industrial Solutions

Thomas Gordon Gerber Technology

Werner Kaufmann BASF Corporation

Joseph Kozakiewicz Cytec Industries, Inc.

Joseph Krzyzaniak Pfizer Global R&D

Bob Luther Lex Products Corporation

Matthew Mashikian IMCORP

Carmen Molina-Rios DECD, State of CT

Richard Muisener Evonik Corporation

Karl M. Prewo Innovatech, LLC

Leah Reimer Cantor Colburn, LLP

Mark Roby Neomend, Inc.

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David L. Pappas Duracell Research and Development

Francis Preli Pratt & Whitney

IMS AFFILIATED FACULTY Biomedical Engineering

Materials Science & Engineering

Marine Sciences Dr. Heidi M. Dierssen

Dr. George M. Bollas Dr. Kelly A. Burke Dr. Cato T. Laurencin Dr. Yu Lei Dr. Anson W. K. Ma Dr. Jeffrey R. McCutcheon Dr. William E. Mustain Dr. Mu-Ping Nieh Dr. Richard S. Parnas Dr. Leslie Shor Dr. Luyi M. Sun Dr. Julia A. Valla

Dr. Mark Aindow Dr. S. Pamir Alpay Dr. Harold D. Brody Dr. C. Barry Carter Dr. Avinash M. Dongare Dr. Pu-Xian Gao Dr. Rainer J. Hebert Dr. Bryan D. Huey Dr. Theodore Z. Kattamis Dr. Cato T. Laurencin Dr. Seok-Woo Lee Dr. Radenka Maric Dr. Serge M. Nakhmanson Dr. Ramamurthy Ramprasad Dr. George A. Rossetti Jr. Dr. Mei Wei

Chemistry

Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Kazunori Hoshino Dr. Cato T. Laurencin Dr. Wendy Vanden Berg-Foels

Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Dr. Douglas H. Adamson Dr. Alexandru D. Asandei Dr. William F. Bailey Dr. Robert R. Birge Dr. Jie He Dr. Rajeswari Kasi Dr. Challa Vijaya Kumar Dr. Yao Lin Dr. Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos Dr. Eugene Pinkhassik Dr. James F. Rusling Dr. Thomas A. P. Seery Dr. Gregory Sotzing Dr. Steven L. Suib Dr. Jing Zhao

Civil & Environmental Engineering Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Jeong-Ho Kim Baikun Li Ramesh Malla Kay Wille Wei Zhang

Electrical & Computer Engineering Dr. Rajeev Bansal Dr. Yang Cao Dr. Maria Chrysochoou Dr. Ali Gokirmak Dr. Faquir C. Jain Dr. Helena Silva Dr. Geoff Taylor

Molecular & Cell Biology Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Peter Burkhard James L. Cole Kenneth M. Noll Wolf-Dieter Reiter Victoria L. Robinson Carolyn M. Teschke

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Baki Cetegen Xu Chen Wilson K. S. Chiu Robert X. Gao Eric H. Jordan Kazem Kazerounian Leila Ladani Ying Li George Lykotrafitis Julian A. Norato Michael T. Pettes David M. Pierce Dianyun Zhang

Pharmaceutical Sciences Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Robin H. Bogner Diane J. Burgess Bodhisattwa Chaudhuri Devendra Kalonia Debra A. Kendall Xiuling Lu Michael Pikal

Physics Dr. Elena E. Dormidontova Dr. Niloy Dutta Dr. Gayanath W. Fernando Dr. George Nicholas Gibson Dr. Philip L. Gould Dr. Douglas S. Hamilton Dr. Jason Hancock Dr. Menka Jain Dr. Richard T. Jones Dr. Jeffrey S. Schweitzer Dr. Boris Sinkovic Dr. William C. Stwalley Dr. Barrett O. Wells

Nutritional Sciences Dr. Yangchao Luo

Plant Science & Landscape Architecture Dr. Cristian P. Schulthess

UConn Health Center Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Douglas J. Adams A. Jon Goldberg J. Robert Kelly Yusuf Khan Liisa Tiina Kuhn Sangamesh Kumbar Cato T. Laurencin Lakshmi S. Nair Syam Nukavarapu

Emeritus/Retired Faculty Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Thomas Anderson James P. Bell Philip E. Best Joseph I. Budnick Anthony DiBenedetto Steven A. Boggs Harry Frank James Galligan Norman Garrick Maurice Gell William Hines Lawrence A. Kappers Quentin Kessel James Knox Harris L. Marcus Matthew Mashikian Robert Northrop Arthur McEvily Douglas Pease Donald Potter Dan A. Scola Montgomery T. Shaw Winthrop W. Smith Chong Sook P. Sung

IMS Scientific Staff Mr. Mark Dudley Mr. Gary Lavigne Dr. Fiona Leek Dr. Laura Pinatti Dr. Roger Ristau Ms. JoAnne Ronzello Dr. Lichun Zhang Dr. Heng Zhang IMS resident faculty are indicated in bold

www.ims.uconn.edu

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STAFF

MEET THE STAFF

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Rick George, Manager of Technical Projects, has been a member of the IMS Electronics Laboratory staff since he joined the University in 1987, after serving as a missile technician in the U.S. Naval submarine service for 12 years. Rick and his team are responsible for instrument design and fabrication as well as repair, maintenance, and upkeep of all of the electronic instrumentation within the Institute, ranging from electron microscopes and laser systems to simple laboratory equipment. In addition, he oversees IT support for all of the Institute’s servers and workstations. Finding the day-to-day challenge of solving new problems to be the most exciting aspect of his job, Rick enjoys the satisfaction he receives when assisting people with repairs and modifications, providing graduate students with advice regarding instrumentation, and solving various computer problems. He finds his position most rewarding watching graduate students earn their degrees after years of hard work, knowing that he had a part in making that happen. 

Matthew Beebe, Machinist for the Institute, reflects that his role in IMS has shifted significantly since he joined in 1998. Beginning primarily as an instrument maker, his job currently focuses on machine repairs and small design projects on existing instruments, as well as aiding students, faculty, and industrial affiliates with sample preparation and even providing students with advice and guidance on their research projects. Without a typical day, Matthew instead looks forward to and embraces each new day and the unique requests that come through the door. A machinist all his life, Matthew graduated from Windham Technical High School in 1980 before opening his own machine shop specializing in machine casting with his brother in 1992.

Providing his son Christopher Beebe with the best educational opportunities led Matthew to his current position at the University of Connecticut. In his leisure time, he rides a Harley Davidson and owns a lakeside cabin in Maine where he enjoys fishing, jet skiing, and waterskiing with his family. 

Michael Chebro is the Electronics Design Technician for the Institute.

Growing up on a farm, Michael found his passion for repairs at an early age. Working as a certified auto mechanic for several years, Michael returned to school to earn his degree in electronics.

Following graduation, Michael began working for a cable TV company, was later hired by Pratt & Whitney within their experimental testing department, and finally joined IMS in 2002. At the Institute, Michael’s job entails building and repairing computers, solving software and virus issues, building customized circuitry and equipment to be used by graduate students, and ensuring that all machines within IMS, from the Instron Metal Fatigue test machines to electron microscopes, are functioning at full capacity. In his free time, Michael is a true outdoorsman, enjoying saltwater and freshwater fishing and taking his RV to the Rhode Island coastline for frequent camping excursions. 

Robert Bouchard, Manager and Machinist, joined IMS in 1986. Prior to his appointment, Robert worked at Prym manufacturing in Dayville, CT within their machine shop, before transferring to Electric Boat of Groton, CT building submarines. At the Institute, Robert’s role as Manager entails anything from ensuring safety throughout the machine shop, to ordering materials, to divvying up the work between him and his coworker, Matthew Beebe. As Machinist, he helps design and build instruments for faculty and student research. However, Robert explains that you cannot just be a machinist in a place with such a wide variety of projects. Instead, Robert receives frequent walk-in requests ranging from cutting samples for research projects to advising students with their research endeavors – the latter he finds to be the most rewarding aspect of his job. Outside of work, Robert restores old tractors and trucks and offers small shop repair parts for farmers. 

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JACK GROMEK RETIRES AFTER 27 YEAR WITH IMS Dr. Jack Gromek has retired from IMS after serving 27 years as the X-Ray Diffraction Lab specialist.

Since joining the Institute, Dr. Gromek had been involved with the majority of research conducted by graduate students, working with them to determine the most effective ways to approach their projects.

Through his years of experience working with X-rays, Dr. Gromek says his favorite aspect was putting together the ‘puzzles’. “You are seeing the results of the interaction of waves of light repeating patterns of material. As a result, you see the Fourier transform of the individual wavelets of light going through the material. So basically it’s a puzzle,” Dr. Gromek says. “You have to say: ok this is my pattern, and then come up with a model that is consistent with that pattern.”

When Dr. Gromek first joined IMS, the facility was equipped with basic X-ray machines, many of which were open and required caution when operating. Currently, the lab contains state-of-the-art equipment, all of which are exceptionally safe.

Before joining the Institute, Dr. Gromek received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania under the direction of his advisor Jerry Donohue. Following his degree, Dr. Gromek served three post-doctorate fellowships: one modeling whole body thermal motions at the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, another studying neutron diffraction of water intercalated Montomorillonite clay at the University of

Dr. Jack Gromek

Guelph in Ontario, and the third as a Research Fellow in developing a photo-induced chemiluminescent device to measure photo-oxidation in silk and paper in order to preserve displayed materials at the Getty Conservation Institute.

After spending a few years away from X-rays, Dr. Gromek had jumped at the opportunity when a position opened in the X-ray Diffraction Lab at the Institute. His experience as an LRSM at Penn State University made him especially interested in the interdisciplinary approach involved in Xrays and he knew that he would enjoy the work environment.

Outside of work, Dr. Gromek enjoys a variety of hobbies including programming and building 3D printers. His plans for retirement include traveling by RV across the U.S. from southern Idaho, to Washington state, to Arizona with wife Jodi, a former student of Jim Knox, and his four dogs. While he says he will miss working at IMS, he is also excited for the opportunity to travel across the United States without a time limit.

“I have had the best job in the world!” Jack says. “I’m going to miss it, but I’m also excited for what’s to come.” 

www.ims.uconn.edu

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UCONN-FEI PARTNERSHIP OFFERS FIRST GRADUATE STUDENT FELLOWSHIPS

Snehasis Bhakta

Jingjing Liu

Jian Ren

STUDENTS

Sravan Thota

Six bright and talented UConn graduate students have been awarded the first UConn-FEI Graduate Student Fellowships.

Made possible by the partnership between UConn and scientific instrument creator FEI, these fellows have been granted access to state-of-the-art FEI microscopes for their respective research ventures. Students, their advisors, and the titles of their projects are given below.

Snehasis Bhakta is working with Professor James Rusling of the Chemistry Department on a project entitled, “Synthesis and Characterization of Protein A like sites for Antibody Separation on Magnetic Nanoparticle using Molecular Imprinting”. This project entails constructing an artificial receptor for monoclonal antibodies, called a ‘MIPProteinA,’ using surface molecular imprinting techniques. The new Center will provide instruments for surface characterization, surface morphology, and size determination. Bhakta’s interest in science began at an early age. Initially planning on becoming a doctor, his chemistry teacher, Dr. Nabakumar Bera, fueled his desire to pursue chemistry. With his passion and enthusiasm for teaching, Bhakta looks to one day become a professor.

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membranes that enable forward osmosis (FO) has potential applications for wastewater treatment and seawater desalination. The new Center instruments will be utilized to characterize the morphology and structure of FO membranes. China’s severe shortage of freshwater motivated Jian to pursue her Ph.D. in chemical and biomedical engineering to research polymeric membranes for water purification, because of their potential for desalinating sea water. In the future, Jian sees herself as a research scientist at a global chemical company, applying her membrane science experience and skills to address challenging water stress problems.

Jingjing Liu with Professor Luyi Sun of the Polymer Program and CBE will work on “Polymer and Polymer/ Inorganic Composites”. The fellowship will provide her with the opportunity to hone her skills in characterization through microscopy. Jingjing finds her passion for research embedded in the discovery and development of potential applications to solve society’s problems. In five years, she hopes to be recognized within the polymer community for her expertise in characterization.

Jingjing is also excited to take on more management responsibilities and leadership roles for future research projects.

Sravan Thota working with Professor Jing Zhao of the Department of Chemistry will study “Bimetallic Hollow Alloy Nanorods for Catalytic Applications.” The fellowship provides him with the opportunity to enhance his skills in electron microscopy and to make significant progress in research pertaining to the synthesis and growth mechanisms of hollow alloy nanorods at nanoscale resolution, and correlation of optical and structural properties at a single particle level. An aspiring scientist since childhood, Sravan found himself initially drawn to biology. Realizing that chemistry is needed to understand biology even at its fundamental level, Sravan shifted his focus to chemistry. In five years, Sravan looks to pursue a career in academia or in industry as a research scientist.

Jian Ren is working with Professor Jeffrey McCutcheon of CBE to investigate “Thin Film Composite Membranes for Osmosis”. As an emerging membrane separation technology, the fabrication of thin film composite

Sibo Wang with Professor Puxian Gao of MSE will research “Nanoarray Monolithic Catalysts”. The project will investigate the optimization of the catalytic performance of nano-array catalysts by rational material selec-

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STUDENTS

is also open to the opportunity to boost the commercially available exhaust after-treatment system using nano-array technology.

Sibo Wang

Wei Wu

tion, structure design, and geometric manipulation of the catalysts. The advanced electron microscopes will be fully utilized to investigate the nanoscale or even atomic scale morphology, composition, and interface structures in the synthesized nano-array catalysts that may play critical roles in the demonstrated catalytic performances for CO and hydrocarbon oxidations. Following graduation, Sibo plans to continue his research with an energy or environmentally relevant company, as a team leader of product research and development. He

Wei Wu working with Professor Michael Pettes of Mechanical Engineering will investigate “TEM based in situ Structure-Mechanical-Electrical-Thermal Metrology Tools for Two Dimensional Nanomaterials”. Through his research he aims to develop a transmission electron microscopy TEM-based in situ technique to probe the structure/strain effect on phonon and electron transportation for two-dimensional (2D) materials. The overarching goal of the project is to understand the basic physics of electrical/thermal transportation phenomenon coupled with elastic strain quantified through a new TEM in situ strain device to fill critical gaps in knowledge of researchers developing the next generation of flexible nanoelectronic transistors. Wei’s desire to pursue mechanical engineering stems from his passion for synthesizing materials and studying their thermal and mechanical properties as well as the interdisciplinary nature of the research. Following graduation, Wei plans to remain in academia while continuing to carry out his research. One day, Wei aims to make a valuable contribution to the Society of Nanoscale Energy Transportation research. 

Polymer Program Honors Graduate Student Excellence Graduate student Zhen Cao of polymer science and fourth year doctoral student of polymer chemistry Steve Woltornist were the recipients of the 2015 Samuel J. Huang Graduate Student Research Award.

Named after founding member and first program director of the Polymer Program, the Samuel J. Huang Graduate Student Research Award was created to recognize graduate students who have demonstrated excellence in their research endeavors. All graduate students in the program are eligible for this award regardless of their home department. Recipients receive a personal plaque, are added to the Polymer Program’s recognition plaque, and receive a monetary award of $250.

Zhen Cao

Steve Woltornist, Ph.D.

Under the direction of his advisor Andrey Dobrynin, Cao’s research focuses on wetting and adhesion at the nanoscale and bottlebrush melts and networks. Woltornist specializes in the discovery and development of graphene-based materials with advisor Douglas Adamson. 

www.ims.uconn.edu

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STUDENTS

UCONN SPE RECEIVED 2015 OUTSTANDING STUDENT CHAPTER AWARD The UConn SPE student chapter was selected as a 2015 Outstanding Student Chapter Award recipient. This distinguished award is presented to the top 5 chapters in the nation who have demonstrated the most activity and made the highest impact as a chapter throughout the course of the past year. In order to be considered for this distinction, each student chapter must submit an application summarizing their accomplishments over the last year to be judged by a student involvement committee under three main areas of emphasis: community outreach, presentation of research, and participation/organization of technical meetings. These factors along with the list of involved students are used to determine how active the student chapter is and evaluate the overall participation of its members. All student chapters are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to self-evaluate their efforts and strengthen their chapter.

The UConn SPE student chapter’s success is largely attributed to their strong focus on the technical aspects demonstrated by the SPE seminar series that hosts senior graduate students and post-doctoral scholars from UConn and neighboring universities including MIT, UMass-Amherst, Yale, and Harvard. The chapter also host events inviting program alumni to talk about their current companies and how their career path developed after graduation. Additionally, they organize a variety of social events and company tours with industrial contacts in the region. This award comes only a few years after the student chapter obtained official recognition by the national chapter. Under the direction of President Garrett Kraft and SPE faculty advisor Professor Luyi Sun, along with hard work from all its members, the UConn SPE chapter has grown significantly in recent years.

Garrett officially received the award at the ANTEC 2015, the largest and most respected technical conference in the plastics industry. At the conference, the UConn SPE student chapter emerged as the most outstanding chapter of 2015 taking first place, receiving an honorable mention and $100 to support and stimulate

The Society of Plastics Engineers Student Chapter, open to graduate students, works towards expanding industry connections while educating the public about plastic benefits and technology, through outreach and academic seminars. http://spe.engr.uconn.edu

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Garrett Kraft (right) receiving the student chapter award from Russel Broome, Managing Director of SPE.

even more success within the chapter. In addition to the award, Garrett’s research entitled “Pristine Graphene: From Interfacial Trapping to Strong, Electrically Conductive Foams” took 2nd place among all graduate students at the conference and the chapter took 2nd place in the Plastics Race, an event that challenges the participants’ knowledge of a variety of polymer-related topics.

“This award means a lot to the UConn student chapter because it recognizes the hard work we have put into this organization to make it beneficial for its members, UConn, and the greater plastics field,” Garrett explains.

“This award has worked to both inspire us to continue the great work that has gotten us to this point and motivate us to do even better in the future.” 

The Materials Advantage Student Chapter offers students access to four prestigious materials science and engineering societies, offering generous scholarships and grants, outreach opportunities, and professional development programs. http://ucma.uconn.edu

STUDENTS

UNDERGRAD JORDAN KOVACS SOARS WITH IGOR SIKORSKY SCHOLARSHIP Jordan Kovac, an MSE sophomore under the advisement of Dr. Serge Nakhmanson, received the Igor Sikorsky Scholarship. This scholarship provides her with the opportunity to work at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a world leader in the design, manufacture, and service of military and commercial helicopters and fixed-wing aircrafts. The Igor Sikorsky Scholarship Program (ISSP) is a crucial element of Sikorsky’s diversity recruiting effort, simultaneously preparing students for full-time employment through hands-on training, challenging job assignments, and mentorships to enhance career development.

Six scholars were chosen, all receiving $10,000 scholarships for the next two years to support their education and a 10-week summer internship at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in each student’s area of interest. Recipients are also required to plan and participate in service and volunteer events.

Jordan Kovac

concrete recipes would result in different strengths and “This program is an amazing opportunity to learn how properties. This experience helped make her decision to large engineering companies are organized,” Jordan pursue MSE at UConn. says. “System integration is crucial for any engineering product, but at Sikorsky they’re making an entire prodAside from her studies, Jordan is also involved with the uct from start to finish with many different complicated Time Capsule to Mars research parts that must not only project, which is an intercolmeet industry standards, “You should follow your interests within engineering. legiate project involving over but also be reasonably There are always opportunities at UConn through the 15 schools including UConn, manufacturable. It’s really SOE department to get involved with a lot of diferent MIT, Duke, and Georgia Tech. great to be able to see all of organizations – or start your own!”

The mission is to send a time that come together.” capsule to Mars using crowd funding and sponsorship from large aerospace compaFor her summer internship, Jordan is working in support nies. UConn is specifically looking at storage devices to of a materials testing program using industry standards be used for the time capsule, as well as various types to design and test samples for strength and fatigue. Adof materials that would protect the storage device as it ditionally, she will be testing for surface and core hardenters the Mars atmosphere and lands on the surface. ness to determine which surface hardening techniques Last year, she focused her research on adhesives and is work best and are most cost effective for gears. looking forward to continuing the project.

She says that she is most excited for the opportunity “Don’t be afraid to try new things,” Jordan advises. “The to work for a company that creates helicopters. “It’s a Sikorsky Scholarship looks for people who possess leadgreat feeling knowing that you contributed to the sucership qualities and are looking to go above and beyond. cess of a program.”

That being said, you should follow your interests within Jordan first became interested in materials science and engineering. There are always opportunities at UConn engineering after touring a concrete plant during high through the SOE department to get involved with a lot school. She was especially interested in how different of different organizations­­­– or start your own!” 

The Keramos Student Chapter of the National Professional Ceramic Engineering Fraternity, provides students with professional development skills within a ceramics research-based community, creating a local network of peers, engineers, and scientists to discuss current research and developments in the field. http://keramos.uconn.edu/

The Materials Research Society University Chapter is a group of over 16,000 researchers in the materials science industry, which grants members access to monthly publications and journal databases on the latest developments in the field as well as networking opportunities for graduate students in materials science. http://mrs.engr.uconn.edu

www.ims.uconn.edu

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STUDENTS

POLYMER PROGRAM STUDENT SONIA CHAVEZ RECEIVES LSAMP FELLOWSHIP

Sonia Chavez

Graduate student Sonia Chavez of the IMS Polymer Program has received the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) fellowship. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), this program provides continued support for students who participated in an LSAMP program during their undergraduate, offering up to two additional years of STEM education at the graduate level.

Sonia’s fellowship is part of LSAMP’s initiative to encourage and support “historically under-represented students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.” During her undergraduate studies at DePaul University, Sonia became involved with the Chicago Initiative for Research and Recruitment in Undergraduate Science (CIRRUS), NSF’s STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP), and the Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Each organization shares a common goal of increasing the number of students graduating with STEM degrees, particularly students from populations currently underserved in these fields.

Sonia’s participation within these programs has provided her with opportunities to attend and organize support workshops for under-represented students.

Additionally, she helped implement outreach activities to expose inner city children to science. By being awarded the LSAMP fellowship, Sonia hopes to continue her outreach and professional development, while devoting the rest of her time to research. 

The Alpha Sigma Mu International Honor Society Student Chapter celebrates materials science and engineering students with exceptional scholastic standing, character, and leadership. www.alphasigmamu.engr.uconn.edu/

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Institute of Materials Science | 2016

STEVE WOLTORNIST BRINGS ADVANCED MATERIALS TO EVERYDAY LIFE Steve Woltornist is a graduate student and research assistant within Professor Douglas Adamson’s research group at the Institute of Materials Science.

Woltornist attained his bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and mathematics through the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He worked as a research intern at the University of Notre Dame and a laboratory assistant at Steubenville before coming to UConn in 2012 as a teaching assistant. In December 2015 he obtained his Ph.D. in polymer chemistry. He took the time to tell us more about his work and motivation.

Congratulations on being this year’s recipient for the Polymer Program Samuel J. Huang Research Award! How did you react upon receiving this honor?

Thank you! I was very excited about it! It’s always gratifying to have recognition for the hard work you do. It was also really nice sharing the award with Zhen Cao. He has done amazing work in computational chemistry, separate from my work, and truly deserved it as well.

When did you discover your passion for chemistry and what drove you to focus on polymer chemistry?

Chemistry has appealed to me since I was a child.

Back then, it was as simple as mixing baking soda and vinegar together. In high school, I had an encouraging teacher that helped me realize that chemistry was what I wanted to do with my life.

As far as polymer chemistry goes, I have always been interested in chemistry that has real life applications.

I felt that polymer chemistry was probably the best way to actually make something that will have a real life impact. When you look around, most things you see incorporate some kind of polymer. Just looking around myself now: my eyeglasses, mousepad, parts of my computer, notebook cover, and pen. All of these use some kind of polymer. I want to make something that people will use every day and have an impact on their lives.

STUDENTS

You’ve worked and studied at various schools over the years. What brought you to the University of Connecticut?

Two things: 1) My now wife, Kathryn, is from Connecticut and went to UConn.

2) The reputation of the IMS Polymer Program. We are known to have some of the best faculty and facilities around.

What research projects have you been involved with at the University?

The idea that ties together all of my research is making real world materials using pristine graphene derived from bulk graphite (~$4/lb). Since I have started, the three major projects that I have worked on are transparent conductive graphene films, graphene infused fabrics, and polymer/graphene nanocomposite foams.

What is your most current research project?

Right now, I am working on the foams and it is quite exciting work! Basically, we have developed a very easy and cheap way to make conductive plastic foams. They can be used for pressure sensors, oil sensors, filtration, and energy storage, just to name a few ideas.

How would you say your current and past research applies to your motif of creating advanced materials to influence everyday life?

Steve Woltornist

Physical Society, American Chemical Society) impacted your education and work at UConn?

Through some of the organizations, I have actually met some leaders in industry and have been working with them on job opportunities.

Which personal qualities would you attribute to your success?

I believe the graphene foams we are making have a good chance of getting used in everyday life. They are just so easy to make. We are actually working with some industrial partners to get them into products!

I think most research is a little bit of luck, and a LOT of hard work. I also think it is important to communicate well. I could not have accomplished what I have without the help of many other people.

What has been your favorite experience with UConn?

What are your interests or hobbies outside of the scientific fields?

My favorite experiences have been working with my research group. Group dynamic is extremely important to me. We all work really well together and have become friends. Beyond that, everyone is truly passionate about what they do. It makes collaboration easy and makes coming to work every day enjoyable. Our PI, Dr. Adamson, is also an amazing boss.

He is very involved in my research and helps guide it, but also lets me have the freedom to explore ideas and discover new things.

I love to cook! I think it goes hand in hand with chemistry. I also like spending time with friends and visiting family. The people in my life are very important to me.

How has your membership in various organizations (Society of Plastic Engineers, American

What are your academic and professional goals for the future?

Ultimately, I am not looking for fame or fortune. As I mentioned before, people are important to me. Family is certainly first, and I would like to provide stability for my family. That motivates me to strive for a stable job at an innovative company with dynamic people. ď Ž

www.ims.uconn.edu

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ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI

Alumnus Max Villa’s Dedication to Improving Lives From mechanical to tissue engineering, bone regeneration, genomics, and microbiology, Dr. Max Villa has a wide range of engineering experience. The UConn MSE alumnus is now a postdoctoral associate at the Duke University Medical Center where he develops platform technology for high throughput microbiology.

Directed by Dr. David Lawrence, the laboratory is a multidisciMax Villa, Ph.D. plinary team of engineers, biologists, and computational scientists focusing on the human microbiome and how it impacts human health.

His current work involves identifying new and crucially needed antibiotics, allowing Dr. Villa to learn new genomics and computational biology skills.

With an initial concentration in mechanical engineering, Dr. Villa had received his B.S. and M.S. from UConn by 2009, assisting in undergraduate and graduate research over the six years. One recommendation the Postdoctoral Associate stresses for current UConn engineering students is to get involved with their own projects as soon as possible – there are opportunities in research labs, clubs, internships, or even independent projects. With his experience garnered at the University, he was able to briefly enter the medical device industry with Covidien and generate new intellectual property with a novel electrospinning device.

Motivated by the training record of his role models at Covidien, Dr. Villa realized the need to undertake more advanced scientific training. During his master’s studies, he had learned about the applications of tissue engineering and was impressed with the field’s potential impact, motivating him to pursue it.

As a doctoral student, he was made a GAANN Predoctoral Fellow, a program that supported him in the majority of his studies. He became involved with Dr. Mei Wei’s lab in tissue engineering through the Materials Science and Engineering Department, where he conducted research on biomaterials and tissue engineering for bone repair.

Professor Mei Wei, also Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, played a critical role in Dr. Villa’s aca-

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Institute of Materials Science | 2016

demic career. He says, “She is still an active supporter of my academic work; in fact she very recently wrote a letter of support for a grant proposal I submitted. Most importantly however, Dr. Wei provided me with the mentorship, resources, and support to do top-notch science in a highly multidisciplinary field.”

Recently, Dr. Villa collaborated as lead-author on an article with Professor Wei. In conjunction with Dr. Liping Wang (M.D.), Dr. Jianping Huang (M.S.), and Dr. David W. Rowe (M.D.), it was published in the biomedical journal Tissue Engineering in November 2013, entitled “Visualizing Osteogenesis In Vivo Within a Cell-Scaffold Construct for Bone Tissue Engineering Using Two-Photon Microscopy.”

A research image from Dr. Villa’s work was featured on the cover of the issue.

On his transition to tissue engineering, he reflects, “The idea that science and engineering can dramatically improve medicine is not a new one, but is the major motivator behind my work. To work on bone was a privilege because of the feasibility that we can make a real impact on bone tissue engineering in its preclinical stages of development.”

With his dissertation on “In Vivo 2-Photon Microscopy and Collagen-Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering,” Dr. Villa graduated with his Ph.D. in 2014 having forged strong connections with his fellow scientists.

“Research at the University of Connecticut was incredible for a variety of reasons: certainly because the physical resources such as instruments, lab space, research centers, and having learned a great deal. Personally, the most rewarding experience was the relationships that I developed working alongside other researchers and mentors that last to this day.”

Presently, Dr. Villa’s main goal is to make scientific contributions that ultimately improve the quality of life for patients.

In the future, he would like to lead a small team working at the interface of engineering and cell biology on problems that impact human healthcare.

With regards to the future advancements of tissue engineering in general, he elaborated, “Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine still have tremendous promise to improve the standard of care for tissue transplantation.

There are currently clinical trials nearing completion for badly needed vascular grafts. In addition, the production of human tissue-specific samples has also emerged as an important tool for drug discovery and personalized medicine. As for what will be next is anyone’s guess; scientists worldwide are actively working on cartilage, bone, tendon, hearts, and lungs. I am confident that Dr. Wei, Dr. Rowe, and the University of Connecticut will be a part of the progression of bone biomaterials and regeneration.” 

ALUMNI

ALUMNUS SPOTLIGHT For Claire Weiss Brennan Failure is Not an Option Dr. Claire Weiss Brennan realized her passion for science at an early age.

This passion only intensified through high school after she was introduced to physics, which she would later major in during her undergraduate studies at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

When it came to pursuing her Ph.D., Dr. Brennan considered the University of Connecticut for a ‘change of pace’.

“Lawrence University is a small, liberal arts school in a medium-sized city, and UConn is a large, public school in a small town.” Dr. Brennan reflects.

“I was ready to try something new and I was excited to move to another part of the country that I was not at all familiar with.” After visiting UConn as a prospective graduate student, Dr. Brennan became intrigued by the research conducted within MSE and impressed by the department’s “accomplished faculty members.” She had made her decision.

Claire Weiss Brennan, Ph.D.

Aside from academics, Dr. Brennan became involved ing with customers or other engineers in my group to with Materials Advantage, the Materials Research Sobounce ideas off of each other.” ciety (MRS), and the Society “I think important qualities for students of Women Engineers (SWE).

The Materials Science and Enpursuing this field of study are: a scientific Her summers were spent gineering lab at UTC Aerospace curiosity, a passion for science, and creativity as an intern at the Army Systems in Rockford, IL is to help answer difficult questions and solve Research Lab (ARL) in Aberequipped with chemical analysis complex problems.” deen Proving Ground, MD. tools, X-ray imaging equipment, optical and electron microscopes, Under the advisement of Dr. S. Pamir Alpay, Dr. Brenand mechanical testing equipment. The Materials Scinan completed her dissertation on the fabrication and ence and Engineering department supports a variety characterization of strontium titanate (SrTiO3) thin films of business units across United Technologies, which for electronic applications. Immediately following, Dr. provides Dr. Brennan with the opportunity to work with Brennan was offered a job at the Army Research Lab materials and components from all areas of aerospace where she worked in the Ceramics and Transparent technology, including electronics, power generation, Materials Branch on the synthesis, processing, and and actuation. characterization of ceramic materials for armor and battery applications.

“I think materials science is a great field of study with many opportunities.” Dr. Brennan says, reflecting back Currently, Dr. Brennan works for UTC Aerospace Systo her time at UConn. “I think important qualities for tems in Rockford, Illinois where her job focuses on students pursuing this field of study are: a scientific failure analysis and design support of aerospace techcuriosity, a passion for science, and creativity to help nology. Dr. Brennan describes her perfect day as “a answer difficult questions and solve complex probmix of lab work, analysis or report writing, and interactlems.” 

www.ims.uconn.edu

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ALUMNI

Alumnus Peter G. Edelman Inducted into AIMBE The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) announced the induction of IMS Alumnus Dr. Peter G. Edelman into its College of Fellows.

Dr. Edelman was nominated, reviewed, and elected by members of the College of Fellows for his “outstanding contributions to the development and characterization of novel biomedical polymers and leadership in the biomaterials community.” He joins the 1,500 professionals comprising the top two percent of the medical and biological engineering community who have made significant contributions to the field in research, industry, and academia.

Peter G. Edelman, Ph.D.

Since its founding in 1991, AIMBE‘s College of Fellows has “led the way for technological growth and advancement in the fields of medical and biological engineering” and “has helped revolutionize medicine and related fields in order to enhance and extend the lives of people all over the world.”

The formal induction took place during AIMBE’s 2015 Annual Meeting at the National Academy of Sciences Great Hall in Washington, DC. Dr. Peter G. Edelman received his Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Connecticut in 1986 under the advisement of the late Dr. Samuel J. Huang.

He strengthened his skills in surface science during his post-doctoral research with Professor Buddy Ratner at the University of Washington. He is currently a research and development fellow at Boston Scientific, a worldwide developer, manufacturer, and retailer of medical devices. For the last 25+ years of his industrial career, he has devoted his time to developing and characterizing new polymers and surfaces for biosensors, neurosurgical sealants, microarray technologies, and minimally invasive implants. Dr. Edelman continues to demonstrate a life-long commitment to supporting the ongoing growth, development, and education in the biomaterials field by serving multiple leadership roles in the Society for Biomaterials and, most recently, as President of the Surfaces in Biomaterials Foundation. He also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. 

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Institute of Materials Science | 2016

SUPPORT UCONN IMS Over the past fifty years, the UConn Institute of Materials Science (IMS) has invested in scientific developments within the state, nation, and across the globe. Our students, faculty, staff, and alumni continue to make countless contributions made possible by the educational, outreach, and research efforts of IMS. IMS is home to more than 150 graduate students performing research in our materials science, materials science and engineering, and polymer science programs.

Please consider donating to the Institute as we make strides toward a richer future.

Your donation to the fund(s) of your choice will directly contribute to our efforts to keep our research infrastructure and graduate education strong.

An Unrestricted IMS General Fund Account (20312) This account supports all IMS activities, from maintenance of supplies to industrial collaborations.

Julian F. Johnson Alumni Fellowships Fund (22177) This account provides fellowships to graduate students in the IMS Polymer Program. The Polymer Program is the only center in Connecticut dedicated to research and education in polymer science and engineering and is nationally and internationally recognized for its excellence.

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) General Fund Account (22165) This account supports the materials science and engineering program offered by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. MSE focuses on the production, processing, characterization, selection, design, and modeling of materials.

The Owen F. Devereux MSE Undergraduate Excellence Scholarship (31384) Funds will be used to provide undergraduate merit-based scholarships in honor of Professor Owen F. Devereux, to students in the Materials Science and Engineering Program.

IMS Equipment and Maintenance (21753) This account provides cutting-edge equipment and maintenance for the wide-range of advanced research instruments and facilities housed within IMS.

IMS Polymer Mixture Thermodynamics (20334) This account supports graduate students and faculty studying polymer mixtures.

Please make checks payable to The UConn Foundation in the memo line and indicate the fund(s) of your choice.

Mail payment to: Steven L. Suib, Director Institute of Materials Science University of Connecticut 97 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3136 Storrs, CT 06269-3136

www.ims.uconn.edu

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