TMI Newsletter | October 2024
Featured News
The Cockrell School of Engineering and College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin are hiring four tenure-track Assistant Professors in the "AI for Materials" cluster initiative, starting Fall 2025.
Dr. Yuanyue Liu and his research group at the University of Texas at Austin have developed CP-VASP, a patch for the Vienna Ab-Initio Simulation Package (VASP) that enables Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations under constant electrode potential, significantly enhancing the simulation of electrochemical interfaces critical for energy and environmental technologies.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a groundbreaking thermal interface material combining liquid metal and aluminum nitride that significantly improves heat conduction in electronic devices, potentially reducing cooling requirements by 13% in data centers and enabling more efficient and sustainable cooling solutions for high-powered electronics.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, led by Dr. D. Emma Fan, have developed an innovative electrochemical manufacturing technology for water purification that mimics the efficient structures of nature, achieving a 100- to several-hundred-fold increase in surface area, enabling the removal of 99% of mercury from contaminated water in just 20 minutes and demonstrating scalability for diverse applications in environmental engineering and energy storage.
The American Physical Society has awarded Wennie Wang of the University of Texas at Austin the 2025 Maria Goeppert Mayer Award for her pioneering research in materials science, particularly on defective transition metal oxides and their applications in energy sustainability, recognizing her significant contributions and commitment to increasing diversity in the field.
TMI Holiday Party 2024
Fall 2024 MSE 397 Seminar Series
Dr. Guosong Hong, Stanford University
Wednesday, November 06, 2024, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Dr. Guosong Hong's research focuses on achieving optical transparency in live biological tissues using advances in nanophotonics, addressing the challenge of poor photon penetration caused by scattering and absorption in deep tissues. Traditional ex vivo tissue clearing methods often require toxic substances or invasive procedures, limiting their use in vivo. His lab has developed a reversible and repeatable technique to make biological tissues transparent in living rodents, which could facilitate deep-tissue imaging through an optically transparent biological window. Dr. Hong, an assistant professor at Stanford University, has received numerous awards for his innovative work in minimally invasive brain interfacing.
Dr. Anastassia Alexandrova, UCLA
Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
In her talk on interfacial fluxionality in electrocatalysis, Professor Anastassia Alexandrova presents a theoretical framework that combines grand canonical density functional theory (DFT) and global optimization to explore how electrocatalytic interfaces dynamically reshape under applied potential and in the presence of adsorbates. She discusses the significant fluxional behavior of size-selected supported platinum clusters during hydrogen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions, revealing that changes in voltage and reaction stages lead to shifts in active sites and breaking of scaling relations. Additionally, she demonstrates how this fluxionality can inform the design of cluster electrocatalysts and examines the dynamic restructuring of bulk interfaces, such as copper cathodes during CO2 reduction reactions. Alexandrova is a distinguished faculty member at UCLA, recognized for her contributions to theoretical physical chemistry and materials science.
4 Questions with our MS&E Graduate Students: Kristen Lason, 2nd Year PhD Student
Kristen Lason is a dedicated second-year PhD student in Dr. Manthiram's lab, where she has been pursuing her research since joining in Fall 2023. Originally from Coppell, Texas, Kristen's academic journey led her to the University of Oklahoma, where she excelled in her studies and earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. Graduating Summa Cum Laude in Spring 2022, she distinguished herself as a top student in her program, demonstrating a strong commitment to her field and a passion for innovation. Kristen’s background and achievements reflect her drive to contribute meaningfully to the world of materials science engineering and advance her research interests.
What’s something you are working on right now?
I am currently working on solid-state sodium batteries focusing on synthesizing sustainable materials that have improved electrochemical properties and real-world potential. I am also continuing to take classes related to my degree and getting trained on advanced analytical techniques available at UT.
What’s the best part of the project you’re working on now?
I am learning something new every time I set foot on campus and getting to work on materials that have the potential to improve our current energy systems which makes every day very exciting. Before starting graduate school, I had never performed research on battery materials but had always had a strong interest in the field. It is a lot of fun actually working with the materials and building batteries as well as seeing the potential your project could have on the industry.
What advice would you give to future students that could see themselves going to grad school and how to get there?
When looking for a grad school to apply to, really think about what type of program you want to be in and what type of city you want to live in as this will be your home for at least 4 years. It is also important that the program you attend has the ability to help you reach your future goals so look for one that has mentors or PIs that match your type of research style. Also work with a mentor or someone you trust, especially if they have attended grad school, to build your application so you have another set of eyes on it that will help you put your best foot forward.
What are some of your goals for your work, future, grad school, etc?
I am very interested in helping improve our current energy systems by integrating renewable energy and alternate sources into our grids. I am planning to continue working on battery systems that can be used for this exact reason while also working as either a professor at a university or in industry to help educate those who plan to also work in materials science and engineering.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Graduate School November Events
- You Belong Here Luncheon: November 04, 12 to 2 pm - FAC 2.138
- First-Gen Coffee and Community Kick Off: November 07, 9 to 11 a.m. - FAC 2.236
- New Postdoc Orientation: November 07, 9 am to 3 pm - Texas Union, Quandrangle Room
- Graduate School Fall Open House: November 12, 11:30 am to 1 pm - MAI 212
- Common Formatting Errors in Theses, Reports and Dissertations: November 19, 10 to 11 am - VIRTUAL
Fall 2024 Academic Dates
- Last day to apply for a graduate degree: November 15
- Last day for new doctoral candidates to change registration to dissertation: November 15
- Last day a doctoral candidate may hold a dissertation defense for fall 2024: November 22
