Sid Pathak, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, is the university lead in a project selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) to develop next-generation materials critical to commercializing fusion power.
“We have made significant progress in 3D printing hydrogels into porous 3D structures, which is a challenging task due to the softness of these materials. Vat photopolymerization of biocompatible hydrogel systems has proven to be an efficient strategy to achieve well-defined porous architectures,” Kirillova said.
At the end of the year, Iver Anderson will wind down a long and storied career as a senior metallurgist for Ames National Laboratory.
Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Teaching Professor David Eisenmann has several projects at the CNDE, including innovating Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to help the precision agriculture industry. He has been using GPR for over a decade, and has now turned his attention to South America, where he is helping crop producers track their planting rate using GPR.
A research team led by Qi An, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Iowa State University, has developed artificial intelligence technology that could find ways to improve researchers’ understanding of the chemical reactions involved in ammonia production and other complex chemical reactions.
“Andrea has impacted my time at ISU more than anyone else, helping me to be confident in myself and my choices. I think every student needs an Andrea in their corner to help them thrive,” said MSE graduate student Abby Stanlick.
The Sensitive Instrument Facility (SIF), a part of Ames National Laboratory, boasts two-feet thick concrete floors with built-in vibration-dampening layers, aluminum-plate lined bays, and fiberglass reinforced concrete for electro-magnetic isolation and vibration-free heating and ventilation. These features help ensure that state-of-the-art instrumentation housed in the SIF achieves the most accurate results.
“I was really struggling with what path I wanted to take. I enjoyed physics and chemistry in high school but knew I didn’t want to be a chemist or physicist,” DeMeyere said. “And then I saw materials engineering listed, which, at the time, I didn’t even know existed. After doing some research, I realized I had been interested in materials science all along.”
Kun Luo is combining his experience in materials experimentation and theoretical simulations to explain the atomic mechanisms that create special properties in high-performance materials.
“I like the fact there are a lot of different problems to solve in engineering,” Wheaton said. “There is always something to work towards, and it’s very satisfying when you find the solution. And I just really enjoy learning, and with materials engineering, it is easy to do a deep dive into a range of topics.”
The Office of Naval Research has funded a new project to conduct critical fundamental research on gradient metallic materials. The project, “Design and Manufacture of Metallic Gradient Materials,” is a three-university, five-year research partnership led by Iowa State University.
Anson Marston Distinguished Professor Duane Johnson and professor Jun Cui have been working together for years, collaborating on finding solutions for real-world problems while improving materials and research processes.
“It was nice coming from a smaller
college to a department in a larger
university that still maintains the support and communication of a smaller college.”
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering inducted two new members to the Materials Science and Engineering Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Friday, Oct. 13 – honoring both for outstanding achievement and contributions to the discipline.
“The greatest challenge was finding the balance of time between classes, research and family so that I could succeed professionally while still being a devoted father and husband. I was fortunate to find Dr. Cornelius, and he understands the challenges as a father and as an atypical student.”
