People

Tevis Jacobs
Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2013
Benedum Hall
Room 538-E
3700 O’Hara St.
412-624-9736
Pitt Engineering Profile
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Soodabeh Azadehranjbar, Ph.D.
PhD: University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Materials Engineering
My research focuses on understanding and optimizing the performance of technologically relevant nanomaterials. I am performing the first-ever compression testing on metal nanoparticles in the critical size range of their most common usage: single-digit-nanometer diameters using in situ electron microscopy. The goal is to identify the effect of surface energy on mechanical properties of materials at very small size scales. The findings of this work is critical in determining the mechanical stability of super small metal nanoparticles that affects their performance.

Nathaniel C. Miller, Ph.D.
PhD: University of Pittsburgh in Physical and Material Chemistry
My current work entails the implementation of advanced microscopy techniques to aid in the creation of cutting-edge statistical models of cross-scale surface topography of industrially relevant materials. This work moves toward linking cross-scale surface features with the resulting friction and adhesion properties of industrial relevant coating materials. The insights gained from this work will aid in the development of new predictive models for resulting material properties based on inherent material surface properties.

Andrew Baker
My research focuses on the nanoscale aspects of contact. My primary project is investigating metal nanoparticle adhesion to oxide substrates via in situ Transmission Electron Microscope testing. I also support projects that investigate nanoparticle deformation, stress-driven adhesion of nanocontacts, and nanoscale topography of DLC coatings.

Ruikang Ding
I am working on mechanical properties of super small metal nanoparticles as well as nanoparticle shape characterization. We use in-situ TEM nano-indenter combined with AFM probe to compress nanoparticles and extract stress strain curves to get the mechanical strength of nanoparticles. Meanwhile, morphology of nanoparticles in TEM images is analyzed.
Alquist, Jonathon Paul
Luke Thimons
Abhijeet Gujrati
Sai Bharadwaj Vishnubhotla
Subarna Khanal (currently at Intel)
Surya "Sunny" Neelapu
Sean T. Hart
Tom Werkmeister
Mona Ramadan (currently at Komatsu Mining Corp.)