TMI Newsletter | March 2024
Featured News
Professor Deji Akinwande was awarded by FCT for a joint proposal submitted in 2022, doubling his funding through the UT | Portugal Program. The grant supports research on 2D photonic memresistive devices for neuromorphic applications, in collaboration with Dr. Catarina Dias from the University of Porto.
Researchers from the Warner and Guihua Yu lab at the University of Texas at Austin introduced a novel cryo-EM workflow enabling detailed characterization of battery materials, shedding light on sodium metal battery degradation. Published in Advanced Materials, the method employs cryo-FIB to mill through battery samples, providing unprecedented cross-sectional views of the cells.
Texas Engineering faculty members Nanshu Lu and Donglei "Emma" Fan were inducted into AIMBE's College of Fellows, joining 161 colleagues from engineering and medicine in the 2024 class. Fan has focused on robotic materials for biomedicine and addressing drinking water accessibility, while Lu's recent innovations include stress-monitoring devices and a virtual reality headset for tracking brain activity.
Dr. Yuanyue Liu of the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering was selected as one of 17 recipients of the ACS Materials Au: 2023 Rising Star in Materials Science award from over 300 nominations. The team has made their electron-defect interaction calculation code publicly accessible to aid researchers exploring defect scattering.
Dr. Alexander Demkov from the Department of Physics recently secured a $1.3M contract from the Office of Naval Research and was recognized for his company's innovative contributions to photonics in Semiconductor Review's top innovators of 2024. La Luce Cristallina, cofounded by Dr. Demkov, is advancing integrated silicon photonics, crucial for global communication via fiber optic networks.
Dr. Michael Rose's groundbreaking research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, delves into the interaction of silicon materials with surface molecules, crucial for solar energy applications. This sole-authored contribution promises to reshape interdisciplinary materials science research, offering new avenues for innovation.
The Mitlin lab achieved a breakthrough with their anode-free all-solid-state battery (AF-ASSB) using a sulfide-based solid-electrolyte, demonstrating significant efficiency gains by optimizing lithium metal deposition on a specially treated copper current-collector. Additionally, Dr. David Mitlin was featured as a presenter at the 41st Annual IBS seminar & Exhibit , showcasing their achievements. Congratulations to Dr. Mitlin and his team!
Congratulations to MS&E's 2024 University Continuing Graduate Fellows!
Jieming (Jimmy) Yan joined the Mangolini lab in Spring 2020 and Chuxin Lei joined the Guihua Yu lab in Fall 2021. Both MS&E students were selected as this year's University Continuing Graduate Fellows. Please join us in congratulating them!
Meet our MS&E Students
Nirmalay Barua is a 3rd year Ph.D. student from Bangladesh studying gas sensing devices in the Materials Science and Engineering program. One of her current projects involves designing a smart mask for monitoring respiratory parameters in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a leading cause of death globally.
Nirmalay’s proposed solution to managing COPD is BreathIQ, an AI-driven device providing remote access to pulmonary rehabilitation. It allows COPD patients to perform exercises with interactive instructions and receive feedback wherever they are. UT has been integral to nurturing and advancing Nirmalay’s research interests by providing excellent facilities and a collaborative atmosphere for doing innovative work.
Weixin Guan has always been interested in sustainability. As a chemical engineering major during his undergraduate years, he discovered the critical role materials innovation plays in pushing engineering practice to the next level. Now, as a 2nd year Ph.D. student studying Materials Science and Engineering at the Texas Materials Institute at UT, he’s doing just that.
His current research is focused on solving the world’s growing water shortage problem. Two-thirds of the world’s population face some level of water scarcity, which has become especially critical in arid and inland areas. To address this, Weixin’s work is focused on atmospheric water harvesting - finding ways to extract and regenerate atmospheric water (also known as moisture) from the air we breathe.
SEM YEAR MSE 397 Seminar Series
Dr. Wei Gao, California Institute of Technology
Wednesday, April 3, 2024, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Wei Gao, Assistant Professor of Medical Engineering and Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar at the California Institute of Technology, will present efforts in developing wearable biosensors for non-invasive molecular analysis. These technologies have the potential to unlock various applications, from personalized monitoring and diagnostics to innovative therapeutic solutions.
Dr. Roman Caudillo, JUMP 2.0 Director, Intel Assignee, Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC)
Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
As Director at Intel Labs and Intel Assignee to the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), overseeing the Joint University Microelectronics Program (JUMP 2.0) and $330M of investments, Caudillo invites you to explore his journey from UT Austin to leading industry-wide research efforts. From researching at UT Austin to directing microelectronics programs, he shares insights on tackling pressing technological challenges.
Dr. Yongjie Hu, University of California-L.A.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CDT
Yongie Hu, a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UCLA, will discuss his group's exploration of thermal materials' exceptional properties and performance under extreme conditions. Their findings promise advancements in power electronics, energy sustainability, and quantum information.
Dr. Nina Balke, North Carolina State University
Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Nina Bake earned her Ph.D. in Materials Sciences from the Technical University of Darmstadt in 2006, and later became a research staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In her talk, she'll discuss force-based AFM for insights into local electrochemical processes at nanometer and molecular scales.
2024 MS&E Alumni Reunion
Discover your TMI Faculty: Q&A with Dr. Qian Yin
Dr. Qian Yin, from Biomedical Engineering, recently joined the Materials Science & Engineering Graduate Studies Committee this month and is eager to start working with MS&E students.
Research in the Yin lab focuses on employing a biomaterials-centric approach to elucidate the key mechanism for potentiating or diversifying the immune responses, and in parallel, to precisely modulate the immune system and create new immunotherapies against cancer and infectious diseases. The Yin lab leverages cutting-edge technologies in synthetic chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology, systems immunology, and organoid models to advance developments in cancer immunotherapy and anti-viral vaccines. "Our ultimate goal is to translate these new technologies and therapies for clinical applications."
What did you do before your current position?
Before coming to UT, I was an Instructor in the Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection at Stanford University. I also did my postdoc training there, working with Prof. Mark Davis.
What motivated you to become involved in Materials Science Engineering?
I studied polymer chemistry during my undergraduate studies, and then I was really fascinated by applying polymer chemistry to synthesize functional biomaterials for different applications. So I ended up joining the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UIUC for my graduate studies and delve deeper into the Materials Science and Engineering field.
Describe the most memorable event or experience you’ve encountered in your career?
One successful experiment during the COVID-19 pandemic is the most memorable event recently happening in my career. During the pandemic, we work very hard trying to find a solution for effective vaccines. As a materials scientist, I want to apply materials principles to develop an adjuvant that helps our body develop a broad antibody response against ever-mutating viruses. In fact, I achieve that. I still remember how satisfied I was when I saw mice immunized with my developed vaccine, only one single viral strain from 2019 can elicit potent cross-reactive antibodies against different variants of concern including Delta and Omicron. At that moment, it really makes me feel I am using my expertise to help people and contribute to a better world.
What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
I like cooking with new recipes, decorating the house in a different way, and traveling to different countries.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Graduate School April Events
- Graduate Student Appreciation Week: April 1-5
- Profesional Headshots: April 3
- Total Eclipse of the Horns: April 8
Fall 2025 Academic Dates
- Last day to apply for graduation/ last day to change registration/Last day to hold a dissertation defense: Friday, April 12
- Summer/Fall 2024 Registration OPENS: April 8-19
- Last day to change courses to dissertation (email Kat): April 12
