FA LL 2020 U F D E PA R T M E N T O F M AT E R I A L S S C I E N C E & E NG I N E E R I NG
THE RHINES REPORT #
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UF IS NUMBER 6 AMONG PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
2021
AI UNIVERSITY
TH ROUG H A $70 M I LLI O N PAR TN E RSH I P W I T H N V I D I A , U F W I LL H O U S E T H E FA S T E S T S U P E R C O M P U T E R I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N IN THIS ISSUE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR USING AI TO STUDY GRAIN GROWTH pg. 4 FLORIDA TEACHERS GET EXCITED ABOUT STEM EDUCATION pg. 12 DISCOVERING A POTENTIAL PATH TO BONE GROWTH pg. 17
CHAI R’S M ESSAGE
Dear alumni, colleagues and friends, The year 2020 will forever be known as one like no other, not only here in the department, but around the world. Although this current page in history will be momentous for its unprecedented challenges, I am consistently reminded of our resilience, strength and the meaningful role that we continue to play in our vast, intersecting communities. A historic pandemic intertwined with calls for social justice against systemic racism has changed the face of institutions of higher learning. This shift has caused us to become more introspective, engage in crucial conversations and learn more about each other and our own core values. Yet, even in this challenging environment, several things remain the same. We’ve graduated students, including one of our largest graduating classes ever in spring 2020. We’ve also welcomed more of the best and brightest young minds with our incoming class, sustained our impactful research and, albeit through multiple teaching modalities, preserved the highest quality level of education possible for our students. In the midst of significant change and uncertain times, more than ever, we are proud of our accomplishments, broad capacities and intentionality on creating a greater and better future. With that in mind, I am pleased to present to you some of our inspiring stories from over the past year in this edition of the Rhines Report. Both of our graduate programs remain as strong as ever. In the 2021 U.S. News & World Report rankings our Nuclear Engineering graduate program rose to No. 12 and Materials Science & Engineering held steady at No. 8 among public institutions. A big thank you to our faculty, staff, students and alumni for their dedication and commitment. UF has announced a $70 million artificial intelligence (AI) partnership with NVIDIA, a world-wide leader in AI and accelerated computing based in Silicon Valley (pg. 10). Through the AI University initiative, UF will become home to the fastest supercomputer in higher education and stand at the forefront of artificial intelligence application. Amanda Krause, Ph.D., assistant professor, has
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brought AI into the world of MSE by applying machine learning techniques to help unlock the secrets of abnormal grain growth in materials under extreme temperatures and magnetic fields (pg. 4). Her research could lead to major advances in materials from ceramics to metals and beyond. Josephine Allen, Ph.D., associate professor and Genzyme Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, was elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows, and Christopher Batich, Ph.D., professor, was inducted to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. Congratulations to both on their milestone achievements. Since our last edition of the Rhines Report, we have also hired two lecturers, Aroba Saleem, Ph.D., and Ira Harkness, Ph.D. A warm welcome to them both! We also welcomed the arrival of Erika Moore, Ph.D., assistant professor and Rhines Rising Star Larry Hench Professor of Materials Science and Engineering to campus after a two-year visiting professorship at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Moore is researching immune and tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell-material interactions. As challenging of a year as it’s been, I have no doubt that we will persevere. We are sowing the roots of our legacy – one that will continue to grow strong in our pursuit of engineering excellence and community advancement. Thank you for all of your generosity and support.
Michele Manuel
Michele V. Manuel, Ph.D. CHAIR
DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
CONTENTS
IN THIS ISSUE
FALL 2020 AI AND GRAIN GROWTH...... 4
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STUDENT SUCCESS............. 6 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT. . ........ 8 AI UNIVERSITY................. 10 EQUIPD FOR SUCCESS. . ....... 12 FACULTY RESEARCH..... 16-17
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MILESTONES.................. 18 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT .........19
Cammy R. Abernathy, Ph.D. DEAN, HERBERT WERTHEIM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Michele V. Manuel, Ph.D. CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF M AT E R I A L S S C I E N C E & ENGINEERING
John Mecholsky, Jr., Ph.D.
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A S S O C I AT E C H A I R , D E PA R T M E N T O F M AT E R I A L S
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SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
Andreas Enqvist, Ph.D. NUCLEAR ENGINEERING PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Royce Copeland, MA M S E M A R K E T I N G & CO M M U N I C AT I O N S , EDITOR AND DESIGNER
* The photos in this magazine were taken prior to the global pandemic and are not reflective of the University’s current safety measures.
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MACH I N E LE ARN I NG
CAN AI CREATE BETTER CERAMIC COMPONENTS? Amanda Krause, Ph.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Ceramics have been used for everything from wall tiles and glassware to artificial hip joints, cruise missiles and the thermal tiles for NASA’s space shuttle. It should come as no surprise, as a long list of benefits including low electrical conductivity, high melting points and exceptional resistance to chemicals make ceramic materials ideally suited for all of these applications.
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aircraft turbines regularly operate. Preventing that failure is at the heart of the latest research for Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) Assistant Professor Amanda Krause, Ph.D., and her team consisting of UF MSE colleague Michael Tonks, Ph.D., Joel Harley, Ph.D., from UF’s Department
hold the key to predicting why one particular grain expands abnormally while the ones next to it quickly succumb. “The DOE was interested in looking at the behavior of materials in extreme environments like temperature or magnetic and electrical fields. Our project deals
“WE CAN ENGINEER NEWER, EVEN BETTER COMPONENTS WITH FAR SU PE R IOR STR E NGTH AN D FR AC TU R E T O U G H N E S S P R O P E R T I E S T H A N W H AT W E ’ R E S E E I N G F R O M T O D AY ’ S M O S T A D VA N C E D C E R A M I C M AT E R I A L S .”
While innovations in advanced ceramics have progressed over the past several decades, many of its traditional downsides still remain. For instance, the lighter weight and high temperature resistance that make today’s hi-tech ceramics ideal for aircraft turbines still comes at the price of an arduous and costly manufacturing process.
of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Michael Kesler, Ph.D., from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Additionally, along with ceramic’s inherent strength and hardness comes a susceptibility to total failure under the extreme load conditions of heat, steam and forces under which those same
Backed by a $1.26 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Basic Energy Sciences (BES) program, Dr. Krause feels that artificial intelligence (AI), specifically machine learning, may
Dr. Amanda Krause
with both high temperatures and magnetic fields,” said Dr. Krause. Ideally, the microscopic grains that make up any material’s structure are relatively uniform in size throughout a given sample — which is usually the case at normal temperatures. The problem comes when a material, such as Alumina, is heated to extreme temperatures
FA R E W E L L
or placed under some other means of undue stress. When that occurs, these microscopic grains start to expand in size. While this growth is expected, what can’t be predicted is which grains, if any, will enjoy a special advantage that leads them to absorb their neighbors at an accelerated rate. This abnormal grain growth can lead to areas of weakness or instability in the material’s structure. Michele Manuel, Ph.D., Chair of UF’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering, is excited about the potential breakthroughs that harnessing AI’s powerful data analytics capabilities could uncover. “The term game-changing comes to mind, because that is exactly what this research is capable of doing,” Dr. Manuel said. “Unlocking the secrets of abnormal grain growth, in any material, will lead to incredible advances in materials science and engineering we’ve only dreamed about up to this point.” Dr. Krause agrees. “If machine learning can eventually recognize and predict abnormal grain growth, the next step from there is to ultimately control grain behavior not only during the manufacturing process but also during the material’s implementation,” Dr. Krause said. “At that point, we can then engineer newer, even better components with far superior strength and fracture toughness properties than what we’re seeing from today’s most advanced ceramic materials.”
LONGTIME MSE FACULTY MEMBERS RETIRE STEPHEN PEARTON, PH.D. Distinguished Professor Emeritus Materials Science & Engineering
Stephen Pearton earned his Ph.D. in 1983 at the University of Tasmania in Australia. Prior to joining UF in 1994, Dr. Pearton was a member of the technical staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories where he was responsible for developing new process and fabrication methods for compound semiconductor devices used on data transmission systems. His work encompasses a broad, multi-disciplinary approach, borrowing from physics, chemistry, electrical, chemical and materials science and engineering to understand the effects of processing techniques on the performance of advanced compound semiconductor devices.
RAJIV SINGH, PH.D. Professor Emeritus Materials Science & Engineering
Rajiv K. Singh completed his Ph.D. in 1989 at North Carolina State University and has been a professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering since 1990. Dr. Singh’s research interests include the innovative synthesis, processing and micro- and nanofabrication of materials and structures. Over the last two decades he has worked in several semiconductor processing areas, including transient thermal processing of materials, chemicalmechanical planarization (CMP), diamond science and technology and oxide-based electronics. Other areas of interest include the synthesis and processing of nanoparticles and nanoscale coatings on particles. 5
STUDENT SUCCESS
STUDENTS CONTINUE TO SHINE IN A YEAR THAT WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES, WE WISH TO CELEBRATE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS AND EXPERIENCES
Bryan Conry Wins NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Bryan Conry, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship.
Department Careeer Fair • 09/2019
Conry graduated from Stony Brook University with a double major in Chemical Engineering and Applied Math and was a guest researcher at Brookhaven National Lab’s X-ray synchrotron for a year before joining the Krause Lab in fall 2019. His research focuses on how texturing the microstructure of alumina influences abnormal grain growth. “It is truly an honor to receive this national recognition. Of course, I could not have gotten to where I am today without my friends and colleagues at Stony Brook, Brookhaven National Lab and here at UF,” Conry said. “I look forward to making the most of this opportunity and working throughout my career to spread scientific knowledge and awareness for the betterment of society.” The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing researchbased master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions nationwide.
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Grad Student Research • 01/2020
Girls Engaged in Engineering • 03/2020
STUDENT SUCCESS
Emily Kwapis and Kyle Latty Awarded SMART Scholarships Emily Kwapis, a Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. student in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, was awarded a fellowship from the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program. Emily graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan with a B.S.E. in Nuclear Engineering and a minor in Electrical Engineering. She joined the Hartig Lab in fall of 2019 to research remote sensing of actinides using optical spectroscopy with laser ablation. She is also a member of the Consortium for Monitoring, Technology, and Verification (MTV) and a student researcher with the newly formed Interaction of Ionizing Radiation with Matter - University Research Alliance (IIRM-URA) with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
optical instrumentation and detection systems used for national-defense-related applications. Latty is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the UF NE Program. “I really think Dr. Hartig’s passion for defense- and security-related research rubbed off on me during my time at UF. It’s the reason why I chose the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to be the sponsoring facility for the SMART fellowship, and also the reason I like detection-related research,” Latty said. “It’s the best graduation gift a senior could hope for.” The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines to receive a full scholarship and guaranteed civilian employment with the Department of Defense upon degree completion.
“I’ve been given an amazing opportunity with the Department of Defense, and I can’t wait to start my career with them. I would especially like to thank everyone who has supported me along the way,” Kwapis said. “Honestly, it’s a dream come true.”
Kyle Latty, who recently graduated from the University of Florida Nuclear Engineering (NE) Program with a bachelor’s degree, was also a SMART scholarship awardee.
Ice Cream Social • 09/2019
Engineering Alumni Tailgate • 11/2019
During his sophomore year, Latty joined the Hartig Lab. His research interests include
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STUDENTS
NE STUDENT WINS INTERN POSTER SESSION AT OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LAB SEE HOW THE SOPHOMORE FELT ABOUT THE “WOW!” MOMENT AND WHAT SHE HOPES TO ACCOMPLISH IN NUCLEAR ENGINEERING What’s your major and why did you choose that path?
Kaylee Cunningham Sophomore, Nuclear Engineering
Why did you decide to come to the University of Florida? I chose to attend UF because of its excellent academic standing, its strong, yet challenging, engineering program and the school’s multitude of research opportunities available to undergraduates.
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I’m a second-year Nuclear Engineering major. I chose Nuclear because the field always made me curious. Anything I’d ever heard about it was negative. But in my senior year at Olympic Heights Community High School in Boca Raton, I learned a little bit about nuclear energy in my Principles of Engineering course. I was intrigued by the thought of using something so “dangerous” or “bad” for something good, like producing carbon-free, sustainable energy. After just one lecture, I was hooked. What has been your biggest “Wow!” moment so far with regards to your chosen major? Winning first place at the Nuclear Engineering Intern Poster Session at Oak Ridge National Laboratory this past summer was certainly my biggest “wow” moment. Considering that, at the time, I had only finished my freshman
year at UF, and my competitors were juniors, seniors and graduate students at big name nuclear schools like MIT, Michigan, NCSU, etc., I really wasn’t expecting anything. When I was told I won, I asked my mentor if they even had the right “Kaylee” since another student had the same name as me. At the award ceremony I got to meet the Associate Laboratory Director for the Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate at ORNL, Alan S. Icenhour. He’s kind of like a celebrity in Oak Ridge, so it was an incredible experience. What specific areas of your major do you see yourself potentially specializing in? I most likely see myself specializing in modeling and simulation. I really enjoy programming and computer science, and it meshes very nicely with nuclear in the modeling and simulation world. What has been your favorite part of the undergraduate experience at UF? As much as I love learning and my major, I think finding and establishing a social life has been the most meaningful part of my experience at UF, so far. There are so many organizations on campus that can help you find your niche at such a large school. Joining the American Nuclear Society and rushing Phi Sigma Rho, an engineering social sorority, have helped me develop an excellent support network of people to lean on or just have fun and socialize with. I never had anything like that in high school, and I don’t think I would have found it if I didn’t
choose to go to UF. I think it’s the Gator spirit! What do you feel is the greatest challenge that undergraduate students face, and how have you dealt with this challenge? I think the greatest challenge is, again, finding your group of people. For many, college is the first time away from family, and if you’re all close, it can be extremely difficult to adjust to being on your own. One of my best friends always says that to deal with it you have to find your college family. That’s what I did, and I think that plays a really important role in not only my happiness but also my academic and professional successes. Based on your experience, what advice would you give to a firstyear student? Don’t be afraid to fail, don’t be afraid to talk to people in your classes or join an organization, and go to office hours!!! Getting to know your professors and getting questions clarified at the same time is the best way to set yourself up for success in the course and in the future. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In 10 years, I see myself hopefully with a Ph.D., researching at either a national lab or university. I think the coolest thing would be to work on models for a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion system or reactor fuel for the space program. This story has been edited for space. For the full interview, please visit mse. ufl.edu/kaylee-cunningham-brightfuture-nuclear-engineering/
UF ON THE RISE
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BEST PUBLIC MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING GRADUATE PROGRAM 2021 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
BEST PUBLIC NUCLEAR ENGINEERING GRADUATE PROGRAM 2021 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
The UF Department of Materials Science & Engineering and the Nuclear Engineering Program, housed within the department, are once again ranked among the best graduate school programs at public universities in the U.S. The Nuclear Engineering graduate program climbed two spots to No. 12 among public institutions, from its previous No. 14, according to the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools Ranking. Additionally, the Materials Science & Engineering graduate program maintained its No. 8 ranking among public institutions. U.S. News & World Report determines the top graduate schools through a combination of objective measures including placement success, student selectivity and an industry-wide assessment of reputation. “Rising two spots in the nuclear engineering graduate school rankings is challenging given the high caliber of our peers but reflects the hard work and dedication of our department as a whole,” said Michele Manuel, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. “Our students, faculty and staff all play a major role in keeping UF at the top and on the rise.” 9
AI UNIVERSITY
UF ANNOUNCES $70 MILLION ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PARTNERSHIP WITH NVIDIA The University of Florida announced a public-private partnership with NVIDIA that will catapult UF’s research strength to address some of the world’s most formidable challenges, create unprecedented access to AI training and tools for underrepresented communities and build momentum for transforming the future of the workforce. The initiative is anchored by a $50 million gift -- $25 million from UF alumnus Chris Malachowsky and $25 million in hardware, software, training and services from NVIDIA, the Silicon Valley-based technology company he cofounded and a world leader in AI and accelerated computing. Along with an additional $20 million investment from UF, the initiative will create an AI-centric data center that houses the world’s fastest AI supercomputer in higher education. Working closely with NVIDIA, UF will boost the capabilities of its existing supercomputer, HiPerGator, with the recently announced NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD™ architecture. This will give faculty and students within and beyond UF the tools to apply AI across a multitude of areas to improve lives, bolster industry, and create economic growth across the state.
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“This incredible gift from Chris and NVIDIA will propel the state of Florida to new heights as it strives to be an economic powerhouse, an unrivaled leader in job creation and an international model of 21st-century know-how,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “Over the coming years, tens of thousands of University of Florida graduates with this unique AI-oriented background will create their futures and ours, transforming our workforce and virtually every field and every industry here in Florida and around the world.”
future public-private cooperation, and a model for addressing society’s grand challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. By deploying AI across the curriculum, this powerful resource will address major challenges such as rising seas, aging populations, data security, personalized medicine, urban transportation and food insecurity. “UF’s leadership has a bold vision for making artificial intelligence accessible across its campus,” said Malachowsky, who serves as an NVIDIA Fellow. “What really
“PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THE GLOBE ARE LOO KI N G TO U N IVE RSITI ES TO E XPAN D ACCESS TO H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N A N D T E C H N O L O G Y A N D T O L E V E L T H E F I E L D O F O P P O R T U N I T Y F O R A L L .” UF President Kent Fuchs
UF’s National AI Leadership The partnership will be central to UF’s vision to be a national leader in the application of AI, including an expansive plan to elevate its reach and impact in research, teaching, and economic development. It provides a replicable framework for
got NVIDIA and me excited was partnering with UF to go broader still, and make AI available to K-12 students, state and community colleges and businesses. This will help address underrepresented communities and sectors across the region where the technology will have a profound positive effect.”
AI UNIVERSITY
Extensive Collaboration with NVIDIA NVIDIA’s technology powers twothirds of the world’s 500 fastest supercomputers, including eight of the top 10. The third-generation HiPerGator will have access to NVIDIA’s most advanced AI software and integrate 140 NVIDIA DGX™ A100 systems with 1,120 NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs and highperformance NVIDIA Mellanox HDR 200Gb/s InfiniBand networking to deliver 700 petaflops of AI performance. UF is the first institution of higher learning in the U.S. to receive DGX A100 systems, which are designed to accelerate diverse workloads, including AI training, inference, and data analytics. NVIDIA will also contribute its AI expertise to UF through ongoing support and collaboration across the following initiatives: • The NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute will collaborate with UF on developing new curriculum and coursework for both students and the community, including programming tuned to address the needs of young adults and teens to encourage their interest in STEM and AI, better preparing them for future educational and employment opportunities. • UF will become the site of the latest NVIDIA AI Technology Center, where UF Graduate Fellows and NVIDIA employees will work together to advance AI. • NVIDIA solution architects and
product engineers will partner with UF on the installation, operation and optimization of the NVIDIAbased supercomputing resources on campus, including the latest AI software applications. • Establishing UF’s Equitable AI program, led by Dr. Juan Gilbert, Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering. The effort is convening faculty members across the university to create standards and certifications in developing tools and solutions that are cognizant of bias, unethical practice and legal and moral issues. Integrated AI Curriculum, Intelligent-Decision Support, Equitable Access As a comprehensive institution, UF has a goal of bringing together students and faculty from across campus—and across the state. It will be among the nation’s first to integrate AI across all disciplines and make it a ubiquitous part of its academic enterprise. It will offer certificates and degree programs in AI and data science, with curriculum modules for specific technical and industry-focused domains. The initiative includes a commitment from UF to hire 100 more faculty members focused on AI. They will join 500 new faculty recently added across disciplines -- many of whom will weave AI into their teaching and research. “More than ever before in my lifetime, people around the country and the globe are looking to universities to expand access to higher education and technology and to level the field of opportunity
for all,” UF President Kent Fuchs said. “UF intends to meet that challenge, and this partnership will help us do it.” To ensure no community is left behind, UF plans to promote wide accessibility to these computing capabilities and work with other institutions to develop a talent pipeline able to harness the power of AI through several initiatives. These include creating partnerships with industry and other academic groups, such as the Inclusive Engineering Consortium, whose students will work with members to conduct research and recruitment to UF graduate programs. “This initiative will allow us to recruit and equip a diverse, talented cadre of faculty and students across multiple disciplines and bring them together with colleagues from government and the private sector to find solutions to our most important problems,” said Dr. Cammy Abernathy, dean of UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. University officials expect this announcement will spark additional excitement among others who have significant resources and abilities related to AI, and reaffirmed their commitment to serve as a catalyst for those who wish to step up and join in this amazing adventure. This story has been edited for space. For the full story, please visit news.ufl. edu/2020/07/nvidia-partnership/
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S T E M E D U C AT I O N
FLORIDA TEACHERS GET EXCITED ABOUT STEM EDUCATION Nancy Ruzycki, Ph.D. SENIOR LECTURER
U F LE A DS W ITH I N N OVAT I V E P R O C E SS E S T O S T I M U L AT E E F F E C T I V E N E W T E AC H I N G M E T H O DS F O R K-12 E D U C AT O R S
Near the end of December 2019, the Florida Talent Development Council released a report outlining the path forward for workforce development in the state. Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted the importance of the report, saying, “Ensuring that Floridians are prepared for the jobs in the 21st century is critical to the future success of our great state.” The University of Florida has already set plans in motion to help accomplish this goal. The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is using a $5-million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to teach K-9 educators how to use sensors and probes as a means of collecting and analyzing data in order to build core concept models for students. Known as the EQuIPD program, which stands for Engaged Quality Instruction through Professional Development, it provides services and coaching to 100 “intervention” teachers in 11 school districts. Teachers in the program are learning to use process mapping for concept models, as well as system thinking, to enhance students’ science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) awareness and empower
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them to pursue engineering careers. The modeling and process mapping help clarify the overall course goals for students. Technology use via sensors and probes supports the development of the model through hands-on, inquiry-based activities in a collaborative setting. These concepts were fully explored among a group of Florida teachers in a daylong professional development workshop organized by Nancy J. Ruzycki, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Laboratories, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, who is the principal investigator for the grant. The workshop was attended by teachers in the EQuIPD program as well as other teachers from around the state who are interested in improving their skills in teaching STEM concepts. Multiple industry partners played important roles in the sessions. Educational representatives from the companies led some of the hands-on sessions, demonstrating data collection and analysis using software available to K-12 class levels. “The Texas Instruments TI Rover activity was good. It brings a hands-on component to the
math. I can see my students using the scientific calculators that way and really enjoying it,” said Wayne Robertson, high school Algebra instructor, Pine View School in Sarasota. Carlos Fernandez, a member of the Microsoft® Modern Workplace Team for US Education, highlighted his company’s efforts, stating, “Computer science is something that rolls into all subject areas of education. We are working very closely with the Florida Department of Education, where computer science is now a major focus in the state of Florida. Teachers and students are a key priority for our company right now, and we understand the value and importance of professional development, especially around STEM; so we are very excited to be here today.” Microsoft has provided support to the EQuIPD grant to help create a collaborative online workspace for teachers and students to use through their Microsoft Teams product. Numerous successful outcomes from the EQuIPD program have already been noted and catalogued. Teachers have reported strong
FA C U LT Y
engagement with students and increased system thinking from as early as first and second grades. Dr. Ruzycki commented on this success, “The University of Florida is the premier land grant Institution in the state of Florida, and for over 150 years it has provided education to Florida students; it only makes sense for the university to be a leader in the professional development and support of K-12 teachers across the state.” The EQuIPD program is now in the second year since its inception. The program also involves 150 control teachers, who have access to information but will not receive the coaching until year three of the grant project, when the intervention teachers will then train them in a “train-the-trainer” model. It is believed that the trained teachers can then become coaches for their peers and continue the momentum of influencing STEM education with effective innovation and technology within the state of Florida. “Thank you so much for allowing me to participate in yesterday’s EQuIPD workshop. It was phenomenal,” said Katie Payne, a teacher at Keystone Heights High School in Clay County. “This was my first session, and I left feeling like a kid on Christmas Day. The engineering students [who spoke during lunch] were so impressive and the opportunities provided with this grant are so exciting.” Although Keystone Heights is not participating in the current EQuIPD program, the daylong workshop gave teachers from this high school and others in the area the opportunity to learn about new teaching models and see what can be accomplished.
Richard Hennig, Ph.D., Named UF Research Foundation Professor The University of Florida Research Foundation (UFRF) has named Alumni Professor of Materials Science & Engineering Richard Hennig, Ph.D., a UFRF Professor for 2020-2023.
Richard Hennig, Ph.D. PROFESSOR
The recognition goes to faculty who have a distinguished current record of research and a strong research agenda that is likely to lead to continuing distinction in their fields.
“Faculty chosen for UFRF Professorships have a proven record of research and scholarship and the potential for even more success in the future,” said David Norton, UF’s vice president for research in a statement. “UFRF Professors continue to earn significant grants; publish in the leading journals in their field; assume university leadership positions; and commercializing their discoveries.” Dr. Hennig’s research interests include computational materials science and materials informatics; ab-initio and machine-learning methods; structure prediction algorithms; two-dimensional materials; materials for energy technologies; and solid-liquid interfaces. He earned his Ph.D. in physics from Washington University in St. Louis in 2000. After working as a postdoctoral researcher and research scientist at Ohio State University, he began his teaching career at Cornell in 2006 as an Assistant Professor, where he received the Michael Tien ’72 Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Hennig joined the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Florida in 2014. Dr. Hennig is the Associate Director of the Quantum Theory Project, an organizer for the Computational Materials Chemistry Conference and was awarded the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Award in 2011. He has published more than 140 papers with over 9,000 citations and has been awarded over $15M in research funds as PI or Co-PI from the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy and National Institute of Standards and Technology while at UF. 13 13
FA C U LT Y A W A R D S
Awards & Recognition Josephine Allen - elected to the 2020 class of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows
Christopher Batich - 2020 inductee into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame
Laurie Gower - awarded the Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professorship
New Professorships • James Baciak Florida Power & Light Professor
• Kevin Jones Frederick N. Rhines Distinguished Professor
• Richard Hennig UF Research Foundation Professor
New Faculty Arrivals Ira Harkness
Ira Harkness - received the Tony and Kathy Brennan Staff Excellence Award
LECTURER
Ph.D., 2018, University of Florida Interests: Monte Carlo methods; Neutron transport; Nuclear Safeguards and Nonproliferation
Richard Hennig - received the UF Research Foundation Professorship Award
Erika Moore
Kevin Jones - received the
Ph.D., 2018, Duke University
2020 Michael Ashby Outstanding Materials Educator Award
Interests: Biomaterials; Cellmaterial Interactions; Immune Engineering; Tissue Engineering; Regenerative Medicine
Tori Miller - received the ASM
Aroba Saleem
International Bronze Medal Award for her significant contributions in the field of materials science & engineering
Erika Moore - received the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) KL2 Career Development Award
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R H I N E S R I S I N G S TA R • L A R RY H E N C H A S S I S TA N T P R O F E S S O R O F M AT E R I A L S S C I E N C E A N D ENGINEERING
LECTURER
Ph.D., 2017, McGill University Interests: Engineering Education; Material Characterization; Non-destructive Evaluation (Electromagnetic Measurements); Micromagnetics
FA C U LT Y
ASEE RECOGNIZES KEVIN JONES, PH.D., FOR HIS EDUCATIONAL IMPACT
Kevin Jones, Ph.D.
For over 30 years, Kevin Jones, Ph.D., Frederick N. Rhines Distinguished Professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE), has taught students not only how to be better engineers but also how engineering influences the world around them.
DISTINGUISHED
In 2010, he collaborated with Sophia Acord, Ph.D., associate director of the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere and other faculty members from the University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to create an introductory level, interdisciplinary course focused on both how materials have changed how we evolve as a society, as well as how society has changed how we use materials. PROFESSOR
This year he was awarded the Michael Ashby Outstanding Materials Educator Award from the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) for the landmark materials education course, The Impact of Materials on Society. The Michael Ashby Outstanding Materials Educator Award recognizes distinguished and exceptional contributions in materials science and engineering education and is intended to honor an individual with demonstrated notable leadership in the materials education area. Understanding the interaction between sociology and engineering is considered a growing need as engineers become more concerned with social challenges such as sustainability and entanglement, according to Dr. Jones.
engineer you’re not designing for yourself, you’re designing for other people,” Dr. Jones said. “With that in mind, our primary goal as we developed the class was to create something that helped them understand that engineering is inherently a social exercise.” The course is made up of weekly modules featuring social principles; different materials, such as steel or ceramics; and also includes case study presentations; lectures and activities from a variety of campus faculty to help drive home the interdisciplinary nature of engineering. For instance, one task for student groups is to create an idea for a new product but substituting the material currently used for that item with a different material – and then examining the far-reaching implications such a change could set in motion. “When we get them to start asking these types of questions, the students begin to realize how entangled they are with society. Once they recognize that, their product has a better chance of success,” said Dr. Jones. “The profound influence of this course on engineers early in their careers and on materials science education as a whole cannot be overstated,” said Michele Manuel, Ph.D., MSE department chair. “It’s increasingly a mainstay among engineering educators.” Since its launch, the course has proven so effective that it has been adopted by several U.S. universities including the University of Michigan, Boise State University and the University of Tennessee, as well as universities in Europe, Africa and South America. “Thanks to the support of the National Science Foundation, the Materials Research Society and Pamela Hupp, their Outreach Coordinator, we really couldn’t be happier with how the course has grown and matured over the years since we first introduced it in 2010,” Dr. Jones said.
“I try to constantly remind my students that as an 15 15
RESEARCH
Hartig Leads UF Team in Multidisciplinary Research Alliance Kyle Hartig, Ph.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Kyle Hartig, Ph.D., an assistant professor of nuclear engineering in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE), will lead a research team as part of the newly formed Interaction of Ionizing Radiation with Matter - University Research Alliance (IIRM-URA). The alliance is funded by a $51.5 million Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) award. With a diverse coalition of 12 nationally recognized universities and 10 industry affiliates and national labs, the alliance will focus on identifying, understanding and exploiting the fundamental physics of interactions of ionizing radiation with matter. Penn State, the University of Florida, the University of Michigan and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are the partnership’s four permanent members. The multidisciplinary, collaborative project will consist of three main research areas: Materials - Understanding materialradiation interaction Devices - Developing advances in devices and device integration Survival - Enhancing nuclear survivability and response 16
The UF team will oversee the Survival research area and will focus on the development of advanced electronics and radiological detection systems capable of surviving a nuclear detonation. The funding will enable Dr. Hartig and co-investigators Steve Pearton, Ph.D., Michael Tonks, Ph.D., Juan Nino, Ph.D., and Nancy Ruzycki, Ph.D., to carry out the transformative research and technology development required to help combat the radiological threats associated with weapons of mass destruction. “We, at the University of Florida, have historically and consistently been a leader for the Department of Defense in understanding radiation interaction with matter and survivability of electronics and materials following a nuclear detonation,” Dr. Hartig said. “With preeminent research facilities and capabilities, we’re uniquely capable of addressing the challenge of materials survivability following a nuclear detonation due to our expertise in experimental and theoretical radiation interaction with matter.” Andreas Enqvist, Ph.D., nuclear engineering program director, recognizes the significance of the award and what it means for the department. “Dr. Hartig’s leadership and inclusion in it is a great achievement and an extraordinary milestone for our NE program,” remarked Dr. Enqvist. “We’re honored to play such a prominent
role in the future of this field of research.” In addition to advancing today’s research, the alliance is also looking to the future of ionizing radiation study with the establishment of a Young Investigator Award, a SEED Program and student pipeline programs. All three initiatives are aimed at developing a conduit of future researchers, engineers, scientists and industry professionals to ensure continued advancements in the fields of nuclear detection, survival, response, modeling and simulation. As part of the program, an outreach initiative will connect high school students with realworld scientists and engineers for mentoring opportunities. IIRM Alliance members will aim to spark student interest through a handson approach to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and contribute to the growth of the next-generation STEM workforce. In the agency’s announcement of the award, U.S. Air Force Colonel Benjamin Ward, chief of DTRA’s Enabling Capabilities Research Division, stressed the importance of connecting with younger students. “Building up the nation’s capabilities in the area of scientific research and education has never been more important,” Ward said. “I, for one, believe that it is crucial to our national security that we reach out to students as early as possible during their scientific studies.”
RESEARCH
Discovering a Potential Path to Bone Growth Josephine Allen, Ph.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Bryan James PH.D. CANDIDATE
The discovery came while evaluating a synthetic polymer substrate as a potential cell-growth platform. The cells were performing modestly on the new surface, but to get them to both attach to the synthetic material and actually thrive they typically need at least one of a special set of proteins to also be present, namely fibronectin, laminin or collagen. Building upon some of their earlier work, Allen Research Group leader, Josephine Allen, Ph.D., associate professor and Genzyme Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and NIH Predoctoral Fellow Bryan James, a Ph.D. candidate, thought to combine DNA aptamers with collagen. Aptamers are strands of DNA or RNA that recognize and bind to specific targets, similar to how a key fits a lock. They can bind to proteins, live cells or even other molecules. Most notably, these little strands of DNA can also activate cells and promote cellular responses. It turned out that when the DNA aptamer and collagen were mixed together at specific ratios, nanofibers formed between them nearly instantaneously and, more notably, all on their own. Plus, the cells seemed to like the nanofibers, as well. “We saw the cells preferentially
U F M S E R E S E A R C H E R S H AV E D E V E L O P E D A N I N J E C TA B L E C O M P O S I T E T H AT S P O N TA N E O U S LY F O R M S I N T O N A N O F I B E R S R E S E M B L I N G T H E M I C R O S C O P I C S T R U C T U R E O F T H E H U M A N B O DY A N D C O U L D U LT I M AT E LY B E C U S T O M D E S I G N E D F O R A N I N F I N I T E N U M B E R O F B I O M E D I C A L A P P L I C AT I O N S I N C L U D I N G C O N N E C T I V E -T I S S U E R E P A I R , D R U G D E L I V E R Y, W O U N D H E A L I N G O R S K I N C A R E
interact with the fibers in a manner similar to how they behave in the body,” Dr. Allen said. James said, “Initially, we weren’t sure what the fibers were, and thought it might be sample contamination. But after replicating the experiment several times we found that these fibers always formed at a distinct ratio of 25% collagen : 75% aptamer. We felt we were definitely onto something.”
Fluorescence microscopy image of immobilized DNA-collagen fibers
With this new insight, the team, led by Dr. Allen and composed of James, junior Biomedical Engineering (BME) major Sophia Saenz, sophomore BME major Paxton Guerin and Cypress Bay High School (Weston, Florida) senior Anastacia van Gent began investigating the phenomena as a possible avenue for engineering bone tissue. Could these nanofibers be mineralized and support bone cell growth? Are they also capable of promoting angiogenesis (blood
vessel formation)? The findings so far suggest both theories to be true, and each study is currently being assessed for publication in two biomaterials journals. Their initial findings have already been published in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. Dr. Allen and James are particularly excited about the simplicity and rapidity for synthesizing these materials. “The synthesis conditions are simple and with a synthesis time of literally seconds to minutes, it opens the possibility of generating a lot of useful data in a short period of time, which ultimately advances the future utility of this technology,” Dr. Allen said. In addition to the condensed timeline for synthesis, there are also a number of other advantages associated with this breakthrough. Its customization potential for different applications lies in the ability to modify the aptamer design and/or the type of collagen utilized. It also remains stable over long periods of time in wet or dry conditions, and because it’s a composite of natural biomolecules (DNA and collagen), it reduces potential toxicity for both cosmetic and biomedical applications. 17 17
FA C U LT Y A W A R D S
Allen Elected to AIMBE College of Fellows Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows.
Josephine Allen, Ph.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Josephine Allen, Ph.D., associate professor and Genzyme Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, was elected to The American Institute for Medical and Biological
Dr. Allen was recognized for her outstanding contributions in advancing knowledge of adult stem cells for vascular tissue engineering and in cardiovascular disease. Dr. Allen’s research group was the first to report the effect of altered gravity on vascular stem cell processes including differentiation and became the first to send a combination of vascular cells to the international space station. Election to the AIMBE College
of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top 2% of medical and biological engineers. AIMBE is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., representing the most accomplished individuals in the fields of medical and biological engineering. AIMBE represents academic institutions, private industry, and professional engineering societies.
Batich Inducted Into Florida Inventors Hall of Fame and bacterial barrier in burn units and nursing homes throughout the United States. He also holds 55 U.S. patents.
Christopher Batich, Ph.D. PROFESSOR
Christopher Batich, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Florida, is among the newest inductees into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. Batich was selected for creating a groundbreaking anti-bacterial surface treatment material, commercialized as Bioguard. The material is now being used as an advanced wound dressing 18
“Dr. Batich’s contributions to science and commercialized technology has seen worldwide integration into hospitals and care units,” said Michele Manuel, Ph.D., department chair. “This award truly recognizes the importance of his years of research and its significant impact on society. Dr. Batich, as an active creator of inventions, represents and embodies all of the wonderful attributes of this award. We couldn’t be more delighted of his most-deserving induction into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame.” The awardees, who must have at least one U.S. patent and a connection to Florida, were nominated through an
open nomination process and elected by a selection committee composed of distinguished leaders in research and innovation throughout Florida. “I felt honored to receive this recognition, especially given all the new technology being created in Florida each year,” Dr. Batich said. “I also felt great appreciation for the many others who helped move this along. It was a clear reminder to me of how effective a broad-based group can be in taking a suggestion and bringing it all the way to commercialization.” The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame was recognized by the Florida Senate in 2014 for its commitment to honoring inventors and celebrating innovation, discovery, and excellence.
ALUM N I SP OTLIGHT
MSE: MORE THAT JUST MATERIALS Q&A WITH MSE ALUM T YLER LENZI, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF YIELD A N A LY S I S A N D D ATA S C I E N C E AT M I C R O N T E C H N O L O G Y Tell us about the path you took to get where you are today. I first arrived as an undergrad at Washington State University determined to be a computer engineer, but after three programming Tyler Lenzi classes, I realized it wasn’t for M.S. ‘97 me. I was then leaning toward mechanical engineering, and one of the required classes was introduction to materials science. One of my friends got a B-minus in the class and told me I would never be able to beat that grade – the class was just too tough. I remember taking that as a personal challenge and ended up liking both the class and the world of materials science. I chose Florida for graduate school specifically because it had one of the strongest materials science programs in the country. I was also considering Embry Riddle, since I was interested in aerospace materials. But once I saw the UF campus and its MSE resources, I decided to go there. At Micron, I worked in manufacturing for almost three years, then moved to research & development (R&D) and became a lead engineer in 2000, then a manager in 2004. Over the years, I had more teams added to my organization. I became a director in 2013 and a senior director in 2017. What was a major turning point in your career? Making the transition from manufacturing to R&D in 2000, and then being tasked with training my whole team from the ground up. I had three years of failure analysis experience, and at the time, my team of seven employees had less experience than that combined. It was definitely a “learn as you go and face the challenges as they come” situation, and one without a steady skill climb for the new team members. What it taught me was the importance of a good onboarding process for new engineers. If it’s structured with a steady glidepath of increasing rigor, it pays dividends in the long run.
Who were your mentors/influences while at UF? My strongest mentor was the post-doc in my department, David Allen. He taught me how to handle a NASA project (USMP-4 work) and leverage attention to detail to well-planned project management. When I first started at Micron and was looking for advice, I turned to some guys I did my undergrad with who, fortunately for me, had already been working there for a couple of years. They were my mentors for the first two or three years. Since then I’ve been mentoring people myself in some capacity for the last two decades. More recently, I’ve been focusing on management training or the transition from technical to management for my emerging leaders. What is your favorite part of your job at this point in your career? I love engaging with universities and students to find the next generation of talent for Micron. I also enjoy coordinating cohorts that allow multiple interns from different departments to work on a single project. Micron has a strong relationship with UF’s materials science and engineering and electrical engineering departments. We’re also branching out to other departments including chemistry and chemical engineering. What advice would you give to a first year UF engineering student? Get involved in data science using engineering data and work on projects with other disciplines to better prepare you for the workforce. Problems aren’t solved by a single person anymore. More often than not, they require collaboration across multiple disciplines, which is a valuable skill to have coming out of college. It’s now the fourth generation of the Industrial Revolution and data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence are here to stay. Companies will always want to run as lean as possible with people who can do more and know more. What is something most people don’t know about you? I still have the 1965 Mustang that I drove at Florida. I’ve been getting it restored over the last two years. This story has been edited for space. For the full interview, please visit mse.ufl.edu/alumni-spotlight-tyler-lenzi/ 19 19
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