The Student Council

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

I'm a M.S. student at University of Tennessee, Knoxville working with Prof. Brett Compton on Additive Manufacturing (A.M.) of Polymers and Hybrid Materials.  I'm also a technical researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) specializing in characterization of processes and materials for A.M. components via destructive and non-destructive mechanisms.  In both of my fields I have to study materials using an array of techniques like mechanical testing, nano indentation, heat treatment, computed tomography (CT), SEM and other techniques to better understand how A.M. affects material properties.  During my bachelor's degree, I was the student chapter president for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) for my university in Puerto Rico as well as vice president for the local society known as Institute of Chemical Engineers of Puerto Rico (IIQPR in spanish).  I'm looking forward to helping bridge the gap of this society that encompasses such a large country, while assisting future researchers on finding mentorship and internship opportunities.

The University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering/ Argonne National Laboratory

I am a PhD student at The University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of molecular engineering in the laboratory for energy storage and conversion and am a visiting student at Argonne National Laboratory. My co advisors are Prof. Y. Shirley Meng and Nestor J. Zaluzec. My research interest lies at the interfaces of electrochemical devices and quantum materials where I employ electron microscopy techniques to answer the question of how the contact between layers of materials evolves under operating conditions. I was introduced to electron microscopy in my undergraduate studies at Georgia Institute of Technology and Sandia National Laboratories. Why I grew to love it, is that the technique is useful and has purposes and workflows that have been developed connecting multiple fields of science. I am looking forward to serving on this council and bringing together microscopists from different backgrounds of expertise to share ideas and become friends.

Aix-Marseille University

I recently completed my PhD at The Ohio State University in Dr. Sai Veeraraghavan’s lab, where I studied the functional effects of structural remodeling of the cardiac intercalated disc. I was introduced to microscopy while working for a small start-up, but have gained a greater appreciation for it while working with Dr. Veeraraghavan. Prior to returning to school, I worked as a clinical research coordinator in neuromuscular diseases. There I helped patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) access a novel multimillion-dollar drug treatment. I have been a member of the MSA Student Council (StC) since 2019 and have developed important leadership skills over the years as a continued member and have truly grown as a person. As Past President this year, I am so excited to continue StC’s mission to help provide my fellow microscopists in training with the same access to resources that being a part of this MSA community has afforded me.

Pennsylvania State University

I am a PhD student at Penn State in Dr. Jon-Paul Maria’s lab; my research focus is on high-entropy oxides for electronic materials applications. I first became involved with MSA StC as an undergraduate student while at the University of Tennessee, serving as Region VIII Liaison (2017-18), Secretary (2018-19; 2021-22), and  Treasurer (2019-21; 2022-23). As a researcher, I have a passion for microscopy as a field of study, but what makes MSA unique is the community of microscopists. As a member of the Student Council, it is important to me to help create opportunities for networking and growth within this community; I look forward to doing so in the next year as Treasurer.

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

I am a PhD student in the Materials Science and Engineering Department of The University of Tennessee. My research work primarily is on the study of mechanical behavior of metals. I analyzed the data from materials characterization instruments such as XRD, SEM, EBSD, neutron diffraction, and synchrotron diffraction, to probe the mechanical response of metals. I have research experience in 3d-printed Fe-based materials and most recently, high entropy alloys (HEAs). I look forward to working with MSA Student Council members as Secretary and learning through the amazing people in this group.

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

I am a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. I work in Professor K. Andre Mkhoyan's lab where we use aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy & spectroscopy to study materials for device applications. Presently, most of my work is focused on the study of the fundamental origin and engineering of unique non-conventional line defects in thin film perovskite oxides. I first became fascinated with electron microscopy in my 5th grade when I was intrigued about the smallest building block during an optical microscopy demonstration. Eventually, I joined an EM lab during my undergrad at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi. I feel microscopy offers flexibility to study a gamut of fields alongside the capability to acquire deep insights about a material. As communications chair of MSA StC not only will we try to bring together and connect this wide variety of microscopists but also show our "true" creative quirky side.

Arizona State University

I am a fourth year PhD student working with Prof. Peter A. Crozier at Arizona State University. My research interest mainly lies in monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) coupled with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and applying such technique to probe different properties (e.g., phonon) of material at high spatial resoltuion. I am also interested in doing EELS with external stimuli, e.g., gas environment and heating. I was the PMC physical science co-chair last year, and I really enjoyed organizing the event. It is my pleasure to be on the PMC team again, and I believe we will continue organizing high quality events and building a platform for the society of young microscopists to highlight their work, gain new knowledge, and communicate with each other.

University of California - Irvine

I'm a 4th year Ph.D. student in Prof. William Bowman Lab in the University of California, Irvine. I major in materials science and engineering and my research focuses on fast ionic/electronic transport of solid electrolyte/electrode in solid oxide fuel/electrolysis cells and structure characterization of grain boundaries and heterointerface with advanced analytical scanning electron microscopes (STEM). I am the Physical Sciences Co-Chair of the MSA StC and I work with our PMC team to organize and hold PMCx60 to provide a great platform for students and young scholars interested in microscopy and microanalysis to communicate, socialize, and learn from each other. I am working on offering more high-quality microcopy-related resources and activities to the coming PMCx60 in 2024.

Purdue University

I'm a second-year PhD student, and my academic journey has been quite a fascinating adventure. I initially had a keen interest in biochemistry, but I've since discovered a deep passion for Structural Biology, Computational Biology, and Biophysics at Purdue University.

My research is an exciting exploration of different structures of amyloids, which are linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. I use cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and in-situ cryogenic electron tomography (Cryo-ET) to study these structures. I'm also working on developing promising compounds to help treat these conditions. In my academic journey, I'm guided by Professor Wen Jiang in the Cryo-EM Group, where I collaborate with other curious minds. Beyond my research, I'm also involved in MSA StC, where I serve as the Co-Chair for Biological Sciences. I'm passionate about building a strong community and connecting with my fellow peers. Additionally, I'm working on enhancing the MSA StC PMCx60 event in 2024 by providing more valuable resources and enjoyable activities related to microscopy.

University of Illinois - Chicago

I am a third-year PhD student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, affiliated with the Nanoscale Physics Group led by Professor Robert Klie. My research focuses on utilizing in-situ electron microscopy in conjunction with electrochemistry to analyze the mechanisms of Mg intercalation in transition metal oxide spinels at the atomic scale. My academic journey has been dynamic, transitioning from an initial interest in biophysics to my current passion for condensed matter physics. The discovery of the immense potential of electron microscopy in this field has been pivotal, motivating me to pursue my newfound passion. I am looking forward to bringing my experiences to the MSA StC, where I will serve as the Social Chair. With the help of fellow students, I aim to make a positive impact and build meaningful connections within our community.

University of California, Berkeley

I am a 4th year PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, co-advised by Prof. Jeffrey Long in Chemistry and Prof. Andrew Minor in Materials Science & Engineering. I develop S/TEM techniques to map local structure, elemental distribution, and gas adsorption in metal–organic frameworks. My goal is to expand the toolbox we can use on these beam-sensitive materials. I am excited to continue serving on MSA StC; it's especially important to me that MSA serves as a platform for researchers from different backgrounds to meet and learn from each other.

University of Washington

I’m a 1^st year PhD MSE student at the University of Washington in Seattle working on using STEM and EELS to measure the local excitonic states in 2D heterostructures under the instruction of Juan Carlos Idrobo and Xiaodong Xu. I earned my MSE Master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2023 and my Chemistry and Bio-Resource Science & Engineering Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Washington in 2020. I’m also an awardee of the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) since 2022. I look forward to working with the members of MSA StC to build a bigger and better MSA community!

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

I'm a second-year Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, working with Prof. Andre Mkhoyan on atomic-scale material properties using S/TEM techniques. My focus is on in-situ experiments with thin film perovskite oxides. Prior to coming to the US, I earned my undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from BITS Pilani and completed an MS in research at IIT Madras in India. My research experience spans various materials, including atomic precise clusters, 2D materials, quantum dots, and materials for water purification. I'm passionate about discovering new things and believe that microscopists play a crucial role in material discovery. In my previous academic institutions, I held roles as both the secretary and a performer in the music clubs. As a Regional Liaison on the student council, I’m eager to contribute more to MSA while connecting with fellow researchers and exploring our shared capabilities.

Northwestern University & Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago, IL

I am a third-year Ph.D. student at Northwestern University, advised by Amanda Petford-Long from Argonne National Laboratory. Here, I work with Charudatta Phatak’s Functional Nanoscale Heterostructures group in the Materials Science Division. Our group explores the behavior of nanoscale magnetic heterostructures in 2D and 3D, novel materials for microelectronics, neuromorphic computing, and energy storage materials. My research, thus far, has focused on exploring a new technique, namely electron ptychography, to quantitatively solve for the magnetic phase of the material using Lorentz-STEM. Additionally, I will be exploring the interfacial phenomena that arises from coupling van der Waals heterostructures to facilitate spin orbit coupling. To explore the dynamics of these materials, we utilize in-situ cryo-Lorentz TEM and ultrafast TEM. This will be my first year serving as a regional liaison with MSA for Region II and I am certainly excited to explore our reach as passionate microscopists and future leaders.

Ohio State University

I am a second-year Biophysics Ph.D. student at The Ohio State University, working in Dr. Sai Veeraraghavan’s lab. Our lab focuses on understanding the structural components of the cardiac intercalated discs (ID). My research focuses on studying the Beta Subunits of sodium channels within the ID, and their role in conduction within healthy and diseased states. To answer these questions, our lab uses various light and electron microscopy techniques as well as super-resolution methods, such as STORM (Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy). This is my first year on student council, and I am excited to serve as a regional liaison, and to get more involved in MSA!

Stony Brook University/ Brookhaven National laboratory, NY

I'm currently a 4th-year physics Ph.D. student at Stony Brook University, advised by Dr. Yimei Zhu at Brookhaven National Lab. My research primarily centers on utilizing ultrafast electron microscopy to examine magnetic properties and ultrafast magnetic dynamics. Additionally, I am involved in in-situ microwave (RF) excitation using S/TEM, micromagnetic simulations, and the development of UEM data analysis codes. As a Region Liaison for MSA StC, I'm looking forward to connecting with more people and exploring our collective potential.

Columbia University, NY

I am a 5^th year materials science and engineering PhD student working with Professor Katayun Barmak in the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics at Columbia University. Before coming to New York, I obtained a Bachelor’s of Materials Science and Engineering from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities. Today, my thesis work focuses on grain growth in nanocrystalline metallic thin films via a combination of ex situ annealing and in situ heating experiments in the transmission electron microscope (TEM). Primarily, I use TEM imaging and precession enhanced electron diffraction (PED) based crystal orientation mapping to understand the microstructural evolution of my films. We apply modern machine learning approaches and conventional data analysis techniques to understand the large datasets needed to study the complex process of grain growth. Outside of the lab, I love cities and their transportation systems, cinema, and languages. In my role as regional liaison, I hope to expand the MSA Student Council’s impact in the society and the microscopy community, while making connections with others working in microscopy in the Northeast and around the country.

Arizona State University

I am an undergraduate student at Arizona State University, currently in my final year of pursuing a degree in Materials Science and Engineering. Advised by Peter A. Crozier, my research focuses on characterizing doping profiles in photocatalytic nanoparticles used in hydrogen production applications. My work involves materials synthesis, basic characterization, and water-splitting performance measurements. This year, I have gained experience in using STEM EDS for elemental mapping of heterogeneous dopant distributions within individual nanoparticles. As a first-time member of the MSA student council, I hope to introduce new students to our community and further motivate their contributions to the field microscopy.

Arizona State University

I’m a second year PhD Student at Arizona State University being co-advised by Dr Sefaattin Tongay and Dr Sandhya Susarla. My research focus is on engineering the electrical and magnetic properties of two-dimensional materials though in-situ substitutional doping using metal cations. Beyond synthesis and basic characterization using scanning probe microscopy and high-resolution STEM, I focus on understanding local phononic and excitonic properties of these materials using monochromated STEM EELS. As a member of the MSA StC, I hope to help the community grow and assist younger members in their professional growth.

University of California, Berkeley

I’m a third year PhD student at University of California, Berkeley working on analyzing ionic conductivity and transport mechanisms in solid-state batteries. I work with Dr. Mary Scott at the National Center of Electron Microscopy (NCEM) as part of the Molecular Foundry in the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL). My work involves material characterization of novel solid-state electrolytes via FIB/SEM, cryo techniques, HRTEM, STEM EELS and 4DSTEM. I am eager to connect with other professionals in the microscopy community and work together for research advancement as an MSA StC regional liaison.

Arizona State University

I am a third-year Ph.D. student in the Material Science and Engineering program at Arizona State University, advised by Prof. David J. Smith. I work as a part of team ULTRA, a collaboration between various universities to study different ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) materials for high-power applications. I use multiple TEM/STEM techniques to characterize heterostructures, defects in the layers, and interface chemistry of UWBG-based devices. I am excited about my first-time role as a Regional Liaison. I look forward to leading and collaborating in organizing regional events and encouraging more people to join the MSA StC.

University of Arkansas - Little Rock

I’m a seventh year PhD candidate at University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I work with Dr. Qingfang He on cyanobacteria, like Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. My dissertation work involves a lot of bio-TEM to visualize the internal ultrastructure of the cyanobacterial cells. Currently, I do traditional EM sample preparation, but I would like to branch out into Cryo-EM. I also work with our EIT department in developing machine learning algorithms for processing and analyzing EM image data. I’ve worked with my university’s Graduate Student Association for most of the years I have been here, and really enjoy bringing communities of students together to improve our skills and networks. In MSA StC, I would like to engage Arkansas’s microscopy community and build a more accessible network of microscopy resources for students in the state and nearby communities. I would also love to involve more UALR and UAMS students in the MSA StC so that we can continue to work together towards these goals.

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

I'm a second year M.S. student at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville working on additive manufacturing processes with Dr. Chad Duty. Since 2019, I've been working at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, supporting a R&D team in processing high temperature metals via AM processes (powder bed fusion and direct energy deposition). As part of the MDF team my role focuses on characterization and analysis of materials via microscopy techniques (SEM, EBSD, EDS), correlating the microscopy data with the materials mechanical behavior. As a member of the MSA StC I would like to bring enthusiastic ideas to engage with other students and professionals in the field, allowing them and us to grow in our professional careers.

NC State

I’m a first year M.S.E. student at North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Raleigh North Carolina currently researching additively manufactured metals. I work as a graduate research assistant at the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL) and while growing my expertise in E-Beam Powder Bed Fusion. During the summer of 2023 I completed an internship at Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) in the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF), and continues as a Research Associate. While at ORNL I trained on various types of microscopy including SEM, EBSD, BSE, EDS, and CT scanning. I hope to continue learning various imaging techniques and strengthen the bond between NCSU and ORNL through being an active member of MSA StC.

Georgia Institue of Technology

I am a second year Materials Science and Engineering PhD student at Georgia Institute of Technology. My current research focuses on additively manufactured aluminum metal matrix composites and utilizing EBSD, DIC, EDS, and TEM along with in situ techniques to understand their mechanical behavior and microstructural characteristics. As a member of the student council, I hope to network with other researchers, inspire younger scientists, and learn new techniques as I progress through my thesis work.