Georgia Tech Materials Science and Engineering 2020 Newsletter

Graduate student Abigail Advincula in
Clough Undergraduate Commons with
the statue of Ronald L. Yancey, EE 1965,
the first African American to graduate
from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Photo credit James Ponder, Ph.D.

Fall 2020

in materials

INSIDE

MSE External Advisory Board ™ Reflections from the Chair

Spring F. Beasley, MatE Larry F. Thomson, MSE ™ Philanthropy News
‘92, MS IL ‘15, Director of '00, Director,Production ™ »
Customer Engineering, Boeing Engineering, Boeing Research ™ In Memoriam
Commercial Airplanes & Technology
™ Faculty & Staff News
Gene Berdichevsky, Co- Phil Williams, EAB Vice
founder and CEO, Sila Chair, Text ‘70, Managing ™ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council
Nanotechnologies, Inc. Principal, 3 & L Advisors
™ Honors & Awards
G. L. (Roy) Bowen, III, Emeritus Members
CEO, Georgia Association of ™ Enhanced Learning
Manufacturers Jennifer P. Bailey, CerE ’70,
M.S. CerE ‘71, BASF (Retired) ™ Alumni News
Timothy J. Bunning, Chief
Technology Officer, Air Force David Bowden, M.S. Met ’78, ™ Alumni Update
Research Laboratory Ph.D. Chem ‘82, Technical Anise Grant
Fellow, Boeing Company Xudong Wang
William Clyburn, CerE ‘89, (Retired)
President & CEO, Clyburn ™ Faculty Research
Consulting Fran Brantley, Text ‘64, Juan Pablo Correa-Baena
Vice President (Retired), J&J MURIs @ MSE
George Corbin, EAB past Industries Rosario Gerhardt
chair, Executive, Solvay Valeria Milam
Specialty Polymers Lee Bryan, Global Director Gleb Yushin
of Product Supply, TenCate
Fleurette Fitch, Chem ‘93, Geosynthetics (Retired) ™ ™COVID Consessions
CHE ‘98, Director of Corporate
Quality - Commercial Division, Gary Foote, CEO, 3DXTech, Steven McLaughlin
Shaw Industries LLC Named Provost
and Executive Vice
Bryan Haynes, Director Michael L. Fulbright, Text President for Academic
Global Enterprise, Global ‘72, President and CEO Affairs at Georgia Tech
Nonwovens Research & (Retired), JPS Industries, Inc.
Engineering, Kimberly-Clark After an extensive national
Corporation Michael Ginn, M.S. CerE ‘80, search, Steve McLaughlin,
Chairman and founder, Ginn the Dean of our top-ranking
Keith Hearon, EAB Chair, Mineral Technology Group... College of Engineering, has
MSE ‘09, Founding CEO, Innovative Earth Technology been named Provost and Executive Vice President
Poly6 Technologies for Academic Affairs at Georgia Tech. McLaughlin’s
Parmeet Grover, M.S. MetE strengths align with the Institute’s new strategic
Tami Mace, MS Poly ‘03, ’93, Ph.D. MetE ’96, Partner, themes of amplifying impact, expanding access,
Materials Scientist, Program BCG cultivating well-being, leading by example, and
Leader, Surgical R&D, EcoLab ­ connecting globally. He assumed the role October 1.
Inc. Kurt Jacobus, ME ‘93, Laurence J. Jacobs has been appointed as the
Chairman, President and interim Dean for the College of Engineering.
Devesh Mathur, Kennesaw CEO, MedShape, Inc.
Site and R&D Director,
Novelis Global Research and Sandra H. Magnus, Ph.D.
Technology Center CerE ‘96, Past President,
The American Institute of
Caitlin Meree, PFE ‘11, Ph.D. Aeronautics and Astronautics
MSE ‘15, Research Specialist,
R&D Ops Leader & Technical Jeffrey A. Martin, TE ‘82,
Supervisor, Industrial Mineral President and CEO, Yulex
Products Division, 3M Corporation

Angela Mitchell, PTCh Geoffrey P. Morris, PE,
‘04, Senior Manager - R&D, CerE ‘82, Adjunct professor,
Respiratory Technologies, University of Alabama at
Avanos Medical Birmingham School of
Dentistry
Tom Rosenmayer, Founder &
CTO, Silpara Technologies Yancy W. Riddle, M.S. MSE
’98, Ph.D. MSE ‘01, COO
Susan Sinnott, Head and Nearshore Technology
Professor, Department
of MSE, Department of Herb Upton, Mgt. ‘93,
Chemistry, the Pennsylvania Director, Specialty Products
State University Division, Shaw Industries
Group

SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH

REFLECTIONS FROM THE CHAIR

Dear Alumni, Colleagues, and Friends,

Greetings from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech!

The picture on the front cover featuring MSE graduate student Abigail Advincula staring
at the statue of Ronald L. Yancey, both with face masks, in the Clough Undergraduate
Commons, portrays the environment that we all are currently living in. The quiet space
in the Clough atrium, which is otherwise bustling with our students, is a reminder of
the challenging situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pause and consider with
Abigail - “What was it like to be the first African American to graduate from Georgia
Tech?” Recent events have made us reflect on a similar question – “What is it like to be
in someone else’s shoes?” The reflections prompted town-hall meetings and difficult conversations among
faculty, staff, and students about racial injustice that grips our society and what we do to be better.

The past six months have made us better listeners, informed us about our obligations, made us aware that
many things are often beyond our control, and that normalcy can change overnight. We must seize the
moment and be intentional with the path forward, creating opportunities to fulfill our purpose - educating
students, doing innovative research, and serving society.

The faculty, staff and students in MSE continue to do their very best, navigating through the combination of
online, hybrid, and in-person instruction, performing research in shifts to ensure 50% max capacity in the
laboratories, and maintaining a professional and business-as-usual environment while staying physically
separate. I am grateful for their resilience and response to the disruptions and challenges that came in our
path. I appreciate the hard work and ingenuity of our faculty, staff, and researchers, and am thankful to our
students for being accommodating and flexible, and following all safety protocols. As you will read in this
newsletter, our faculty and students, continue to be successful, winning two MURI and two NSF-DMREF
awards, in addition to receiving numerous accolades and recognitions. We also initiated a new graduate
certificate program in Computational Materials Science and Engineering.

Much uncertainty still remains and continues to put an emotional burden on our people. However, I am
confident that our combined strength, that comes from working together, and staying engaged with,
looking after, and uplifting each other, will pave the path for a better tomorrow. We are moving forward
with our resolve and shared values - promoting character, courage, honesty, integrity, and excellence,
while appreciating and enriching a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, collaboration, and respect. We are
implementing strategic initiatives focused on the pillars of experiential learning, research discovery and
innovation, and an inclusive and collegial community. The Materials Innovation and Learning Laboratory,
MSE’s “make and measure” space, continues to be a central platform for these initiatives, as we look forward
to the MILL growing to a 6000 square foot student led and operated facility.

I sincerely appreciate the messages from our alumni and friends expressing their concern for our students
and asking how you can support the school and the institute. I am most grateful. I look forward to welcoming
you on campus, once we are back to normal. Please take care of yourself and everyone around you.

Go Jackets!

Naresh Thadhani, Undergraduate #4
Professor and Chair
Tel: 404.894.2651 Graduate #9
naresh.thadhani@mse.gatech.edu

MSE.GATECH.EDU 1

PHILANTHROPY NEWS

Community.group of people–Mcomormeutnhiatyn ias palacocen,nemctoiroen.than a
Though we’ve spent much of our time in the School separated
physically from its community due to COVID-19, it is apparent
to us that MSE is an extraordinary group of leaders, learners,
activists, and innovators. The personal connections and sense
of camaraderie in MSE are attributes that we see amongst the
faculty, staff, and students. These traits are also evident in the
conversations that we’ve had with our alumni and industry partners.

Human connection matters; especially in times like these. Looking back at MSE’s Fall Welcome, 2019

Recent events have highlighted and exacerbated needs within our community. In the past few months,
we’ve had tough conversations within the School, College, and Institute, which have brought to the forefront
the critical need for training and professional development relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This
dialogue has framed the way we approach opportunities to attract and retain students and faculty, to foster a
deep sense of belonging for all members of our community.

Additionally, the pandemic has caused an exponential increase in financial need among many of our
students and families. Though there’s always been great need, what we’re seeing now is unprecedented;
funding for scholarships and fellowships for students, space for community building such as the MILL, and
professional development of students, staff, and faculty, is more important now than ever.

It is our hope that you will want to become a member of our community of philanthropists. Even in these
most unusual and uncertain times, philanthropy perseveres and indeed is a brilliant reminder of the human
connection. We invite you to start a conversation. Please call or write. It is our privilege to help you discover
opportunities to be engaged in philanthropy and community here in MSE.

Lauren Kennedy Donna Peyton Sarah Flake
Director of Development Director of Corporate Development Development Assistant
lauren.kennedy@mse.gatech.edu donna.peyton@chbe.gatech.edu sarah.flake@chbe.gatech.edu
404.894.6345 404.894.0987 404.894.4881

In Memoriam

Richard "Rick" Brown passed away June 17. Brown managed the Mechanical
Properties Research Laboratory, located in the Bunger Henry building, for many
years. He was instrumental in building the facility that houses testing capabilities
with multiple load frames, including specialized high-temperature and cyclic loading
equipment. He was responsible for maintaining the equipment, helping graduate
students run their experiments, as well as training undergraduate students with the
mechanical properties lab experiments. Brown was known for his passion for training
students with perfection. MSE is grateful for the many years of Rick's service to the
School.

Justin Clark, MSE B.S. ’97, M.S. ’98, Ph.D. ‘04, died October 2 after a courageous
fight against cancer. Clark worked on his Ph.D. thesis with Joe Cochran and Tom
Sanders. Following his graduation from Georgia Tech, he accepted a position in
materials engineering at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Throughout his 15-year career, he researched and developed new materials for
vehicles, particularly metallic materials, and worked on a wide variety of projects,
including light-weighting and anti-corrosion initiatives. His peers and faculty at
Georgia Tech remember Justin as a cheerful and exceptional student, a nice and
gentle soul, a pleasure to be around, and are saddened by his untimely death.

2 SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH FALL 2020

IN MEMORIAM

In Memoriam, Gay M. Love (1929-2020),
widow of J. Erskine Love, Jr., ME 1949
(1928-1987)

Gay McLawhorn Love was a teacher, businesswoman, community leader,
and philanthropist. She grew up a farm girl, the second of four daughters,
born on the eve of the Great Depression in Winterville, NC. Gay graduated
from Duke University in 1951 and moved to Atlanta to work in sales and
merchandising for Rich’s Department Store. Soon after, she met J. Erskine
Love Jr., a young Georgia Tech graduate and aspiring entrepreneur from
Greenwood, SC. At Tech, Erskine had been a member of ANAK, the
Ramblin’ Wreck Club, and the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, earning his bachelor
of science in mechanical engineering in 1949. The couple married in 1954.
Between 1955 and 1962, five of their six children were born (number six
came along in 1971), and in 1956, with the full emotional and financial
support of his new wife, Erskine started a new business, which he called
Printpack, that printed and produced packaging for processed foods. Erskine
would later be recognized by Georgia Tech with the College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award. He
was also inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Fame, and accorded the J.M. Pettit Distinguished
Service Award. For her loyal support and service, Georgia Tech recognized Gay Love as an Honorary
Alumna.

Gay was highly engaged with her husband in developing relationships with some of Printpack’s earliest
customers, helping establish the company’s reputation as a leader in the flexible packaging industry. Tragedy
struck in 1987 when Erskine died unexpectedly from a heart attack at the age of 58. His untimely death
upended Gay’s life, “but no one was more committed to [Printpack’s] mission and confident in our success
and future as a family owned business than she was,” stated her son and Printpack Chairman and CEO,
Jimmy Love. Gay worked with her six children to continue to build Printpack and chaired the board of the
company for the next eighteen years, during which time it became an undisputed leader and one of the
largest companies in its sector of the packaging industry.

During those years, Gay also expanded her interests in the charitable world. Philanthropy was one
of her guiding principles, and she was actively involved in a wide range of community and charitable
organizations, numerous of which the Love family continue to support today through Printpack and the Gay
and Erskine Love Foundation. On National Philanthropy Day, she was recognized by the Atlanta chapter
of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as the Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year in 1994 and as
the Philanthropist of the Year in 2002, one of only a handful of people ever so honored with both awards.
Although her family assures Georgia Tech that she was a true-blue Duke alumna, Gay stood by her late
husband in philanthropy as in business, and has ensured Erskine’s continuing legacy on the Georgia Tech
campus through a number of significant gifts over the years including scholarships, faculty support in the
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and unrestricted endowment to support the George W.
Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.

Shared with the Woodruff School, the J. Erskine Love Jr. Manufacturing Building is the home of the School
of Materials Science and Engineering’s administration, as well as many of its classroom, laboratory,
and office spaces. The Love Manufacturing Building, named in recognition of the family’s exceptional
philanthropy, stands as a visible reminder of Gay and Erskine’s commitment to their community and to the
next generations of engineers and entrepreneurs. As the people whose lives and work intersect with the
philanthropic legacy of Gay and Erskine Love on an almost daily basis, the students, faculty, and staff of the
School of Materials Science and Engineering express their deepest gratitude to Gay for her dedication to
Georgia Tech all these years, to Erskine for inspiring such a tremendous legacy, and to the entire Love family
for entrusting us to remember it well.

MSE.GATECH.EDU 3

FACULTY & STAFF NEWS

Welcome new faculty and staff members

Sarah Flake Aaron Stebner Tia Williams
Development Associate Academic
Assistant for ChBE Professor in ME Program
and MSE and MSE Coordinator I

Lauren Madhavan Faculty promotions
Kennedy Swaminathan
Director of John Pippin Mark Losego,
Development, Chair in ECE & tenure and
ChBE and MSE MSE, Director promotion to
C3PS associate professor
Donna Peyton
Director of Shirl Trawick Seung Soon
Corporate MSE Financial Jang, promotion
Development, Admin III to full professor
ChBE and MSE

MSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council

The School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at Georgia Tech is one of the largest and most
diverse programs in terms of the academic backgrounds and research of our faculty and students. In
keeping with the affirmation that social diversity enhances the richness of our community, promotes
outside-the-box thinking, emboldens an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect, and
fosters meaningful collaborations, we have formed the MSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (MSE
DEI) Council. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion strengthens the culture that exists
across all levels at Georgia Tech and builds on the CoE Diversity and Inclusion Council initiated by
Dean Steven McLaughlin to bring students, faculty, and staff together in the interest of creating a
more inclusive community and providing an enriching experience for all.

The MSE DEI Council includes eight faculty and staff representatives, as well as two
undergraduate students, two graduate students, and one doctoral fellow.

The MSE Council is currently in a data-gathering stage and investigating the trends and issues
that need to be addressed. Some areas of focus include deliberate mentoring of students, advisement
of transfer students from other state institutions, recruitment, promotion, and retention of diverse
faculty, professional development and growth of staff, increasing engagement between faculty, staff,
and students and having conversations about socioeconomic barriers that many students face to help
mitigate stress and well-being of all members of our community.

4 SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH FALL 2020

HONORS & AWARDS

Faculty Meilin Liu, 2019 Electrochemical Rampi Ramprasad, Fellow,
Society Class of Highly Cited Materials Research Society
Juan Pablo Correa-Baena, Researchers
Goizueta Foundation Junior Jud Ready, elected to The
Faculty Rotating Chair Matthew McDowell, Georgia Tech Minerals, Metals & Materials
Alumni Association 40 under 40 Society (TMS) 2021-2024
Satish Kumar, Fellow, American presidential cycle
Association for the Advancement Dong Qin, Class of 1940
of Science W. Roane Beard Outstanding Gleb Yushin, Fellow, National
Teacher Award Academy of Inventors, Fellow,
Zhiqun Lin, Fellow, American Materials Research Society,
Association for the Advancement Fellow, Electrochemical Society
of Science

Students

Amalie Atassi, National Science
Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship

Sandra Strangebye, Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Stewardship Graduate Fellowship (DOE
NNSA SSGF)

Lily Turaski, TMS Foundation FMD Gilbert Jain receives Diana award, established
Chin Scholarship in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales,
for work on COVID-related mental health
Xuegiao Wang, Tau Beta Pi Award video game

Graduate Assistance in Areas of National MSE student Ananya “Jane” Jain was honored with the
Need Fellowship (GAANN) Diana award- the highest accolade a young person can
receive for international humanitarian work. Established
Shuaib Balogun Cameron Irvin in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, Jain received
Elena Ewaldz Steven Ochoa the award for developing new technologies and tackling
Juanita Hildago Roshaun Titus legislation related to the international student mental
health crisis.
Sloan Foundation Fellowship
Camilla Johnson
Stephanie Sandoval
Kerisha Williams

Xueqiao Wang receives Tau Beta Pi Award, Tech’s
highest undergrad engineering award

Materials Science and Engineering graduate Xueqiao Wang received the
2020 Davidson Family Tau Beta Pi Senior Engineering Award for
exceptional accomplishments in academics, research and community
impact.

Wang was instrumental in the development of the Materials Innovation
and Learning Laboratory (MILL) in MSE. She also worked with the
Society of Women Engineers to host visits to campus for middle school
students to introduce them to materials science and engineering and
get them excited about STEM education.

MSE.GATECH.EDU 5

ENHANCED LEARNING

Alena Alamgir

Faculty enhancing learning experience through
laboratory and communications courses

Scientists are professional writers and presenters. This is because, until we invent
telepathy, there is no direct access to our ideas: no one can see our thoughts while
they are still in our head. This means that the only way that science as a discipline
can exist at all is through the act of being communicated – the act of talking
about science actually is what (the practice of) science is. Hence, doing it well is
supremely important. On the grand scale, the advancement of science depends on
it. On a more modest scale, the livelihoods and future career paths of our students
depend on it. This is what I teach our students during the first class meeting of the
semester in the technical communication courses that are part of the MSE curriculum.

By the end of the semester, the students also come to understand that writing is not a process that is
separate from “doing science,” but rather an integral component of it. The process of writing is a process
of imposing order on our ideas, that is to say, a process of organizing our ideas so that they obey the rules
of logic and evidence. This is why often it is only once we take our ideas and arguments from our mind
and usher them into the physical world by expressing them in words on a page that we realize that what
seemed like a flawless edifice is actually a ramshackle hut about to collapse. The words on the page will
ruthlessly reveal where the arguments breakdown, and where it needs work (or, in some cases, that it is
better off discarded). The process of writing drives the process of thinking. Clear thinking emerges from
(the search for) clear writing, not the other way around, even though that is the default position that many
students espouse before they take courses with me. As one undergraduate student put it, “I didn’t know
the assignment was to write clearly, I thought we were just supposed to convey information.” Through my
courses, lectures, and the feedback on their texts and presentations that I give them (and they give to each
other), our MSE students, graduate and undergraduate, come to understand that there is no conveying of
information without clear writing and speaking, and acquire the tools and skills that enable them to put this
principle in practice.

I teach two graduate courses, one – MSE 8200 – focuses entirely on best practices for oral presentation of

technical content; the other one – MSE 6754 – focuses primarily on developing skills necessary for effective

scientific writing, with some instruction on oral presentation skills. I also teach a technical communication

component of several of our undergraduate courses: the introductory MSE 1111 course, the two lab courses

(MSE 3021 & MSE 4022), and our crown jewel of a course, MSE 4420, Senior Design. I am also heavily

involved in helping our students put together competitive application packages for various prestigious

fellowships, including the NSF GRFP, NDSEG, the SMART fellowship, and many others. In my teaching,

I draw both on my knowledge of linguistics and on my own research and publishing career. As part of the

former, I have translated numerous shorter texts, including (from French to Czech) a book-length biography

of the writer Marcel Proust. As part of the latter, I have written and published extensively on the topic of

Vietnamese labor migration into Czechoslovakia before 1989 specifically, and on the non-capitalist forms

of globalization and labor migration more generally. My work has been recognized by two prizes, including

national Theda Skocpol Dissertation Award. Before coming to Georgia Tech, I taught at Newberry College

and Emory University, and held a postdoctoral position at St. Antony’s College at Oxford University (UK). As

MSE’s resident social scientist, I am now also actively engaged in the departments’ efforts to wrestle with

the issues of racial and gender inequalities.

alena.alamgir@mse.gatech.edu

Sponsor MSE Research Scholars Contact Donna Peyton at 404.894.0987

or Capstone Design Projects! or donna.peyton@chbe.gatech.edu

6 SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH FALL 2020

ENHANCED LEARNING

Himani Sharma

Approach to enhance student-learning through
Hybrid-Lab model

Running engineering undergraduate laboratory courses comes with its unique
set of challenges and concerns unlike in any other laboratory-based science
course. In keeping up with rapid advances in materials science and engineering,
departments are continuously updating their laboratories with the latest equipment
and instrumentation, for materials processing, characterization, and testing. The
high cost of acquiring new instruments and set-ups limit their availability to one per
hundred undergraduate students for large classes. This highly skewed ratio forms
the basis for challenges faced by instructors in imparting critical hands-on technical skills to undergraduates.
The move to remote labs during the pandemic only exaggerated the need to leverage the technological
advancement to improve the student experience in hands-on courses. Although virtual approaches are not
as comprehensive as in-person lab experience, the new challenges provide unique opportunities for lab
instructors to improvise and create a hybrid-lab model.

As a lecturer, responsible for the
two undergraduate MSE laboratory
courses, Sharma has creatively
adapted the laboratories so that
students are able to take full benefit
of all available resources. She uses
a multimodal approach to deliver
the conceptual understanding as
well as practical hands-on skills. She
believes that digital pedagogy is a
more persistent education model,
and thus actively incorporates
digital media such as YouTube or JoVE based activities in her curricula. Her multi-prong approach to engage
students remotely in the labs, leverages three key resources, as illustrated in the figure. These include: (a)
web-based open access material, (b) content-delivery platform, and (c) collaboration with industry.

Certain known approaches combine the experimental protocols with interspersed questions that explore the
reasons behind specific steps so that each student gains deeper intuition and critique-based understanding
of the process. Employing virtual digital data acquisition techniques and providing raw data for students to
analyze while supporting them with short tutorials is a way to keep students engaged. Leveraging industry -
university relationships to promote real-world application of MSE fundamentals is used to enhance student
interest. Sharma has engaged engineers from Novelis, a leading manufacturer of aluminum sheet metal
for cans and automobiles. They interact with the undergraduate students as part of their lab course and
demonstrate the practical aspects of the content learned in the lab. This is well received by the students
who feel connected to the company, and are often interested in exploring career opportunities in a similar
industry. Student feedback has shown how much they appreciate hearing directly from industry experts about
issues and strategies adopted by manufacturers. It helps them understand the significance of what they
are learning. A new series of video tutorials is currently being generated with close interaction with industry
members for use with the lab course to support MSE undergraduate education.

Himani Sharma is a lecturer in School of Materials Science & Engineering at the Georgia Institute of
Technology. Before transitioning to undergraduate teaching, she worked as a research scientist-II leading
3D-IPAC (Integrated passive and active component) program in GT-PRC. Her research focused on
developing materials for next-generation passive electronic components and substrates. She has authored
more than 65 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. She has also
co-authored one book, three book chapters, and has one pending patent.
himani.sharma@gatech.edu

MSE.GATECH.EDU 7

ALUMNI NEWS

Brumley D. NearShore Technology
Pritchett once again makes "Inc.
2019 Lecture 5000 most successful
companies in America" list
Dr. Joseph M.
DeSimone, CEO and For the second year in a row,
co-founder of Carbon, NearShore Technology has been
Inc., delivered the named to Inc. Magazine's list of the
Brumley D. Pritchett fastest-growing private companies in
Lecture on November the United States. Coming in this year at #1674, with
4, 2019. In his presentation DeSimone an impressive 245%, 3-year growth rate, NearShore
described a new technology - Digital Light placed #43 in the list of Top IT System Development
Synthesis™ (DLS),- which embodies a companies.
convergence of advances in software,
hardware, and material science to enable "It's difficult to have the kind of growth required to make
a powerful approach to polymer additive it on to the "Inc. 5000: Most Successful Companies in
manufacturing. America" list and it is an even rarer feat for a company
to make it on to the list two years in a row," said Yancy
The Brumley D. Pritchett Lecture Series W. Riddle, Chief Operating Officer and two-time
was established as a memorial to the late Georgia Tech alumnus (MS MSE '98, PhD MSE '03).
Col. Brumley D. Pritchett.

Transition in MSE External MSE alumni Kolby Hanley creates
Advisory Board leadership respirator parts to address PPE
shortage
The School of Materials Science and
Engineering extends gratitude to George Recent MSE graduate Kolby Hanley, MSE '19, turned
A. Corbin, ScD, for his many years of his company’s warehouse, using all of his 3D printers,
service to the External Advisory Board. usually used in his archery business, into a rapid
A graduate of MIT and an executive with response center to create respirator parts.
Solvay Specialty Polymers, Corbin has Handley partnered with Lee Whitcher, a fellow Georgia
served as board chair for the last five Tech aerospace engineer, who spearheads the group
years. He will continue in his current AtlantaBeatsCOVID.com The consortium is comprised
term as a general member. of makers from the Atlanta community who feel they
have something to contribute to the fight against
Keith Hearon has been appointed to COVID-19.
the role of board Chair effective July 1,
2020. Keith earned his B.S. in MSE in
2009, a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering
from Texas A&M, and completed post-
doctoral work at MIT before founding
Poly6 Technologies. MSE thanks Keith
for stepping into this leadership role
and looks forward to working with him
to advance the School’s strategic plan,
mission and vision.

8 SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH

ALUMNI UPDATE

Anise Grant Xudong Wang

Anise Grant graduated with a Xudong Wang is the Grainger
Bachelor of Science in Polymer Institute for Engineering Professor
Science and Engineering from in the department of Materials
Case Western Reserve University Science and Engineering at
in 2014 and her doctorate in University of Wisconsin – Madison,
Materials Science and Engineering associate chair of Named Option
in 2019 from Georgia Tech. She Master's Program, and Energy
completed her doctoral research & Sustainability Thrust Leader at
under the advisement of Professor Vladimir the Grainger Institute for Engineering. He received
Tsukruk. Her research focused on the effect of his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 2005 working with
structure, property, and processing on silk-like Professor Zhong Lin Wang and subsequently
nanocomposites. continued to work for two and a half years as postdoc
on piezoelectric nanogenerators, for which he was
After graduation, Grant joined the Future Technical recognized with the Young Innovators Under 35
Leaders (FTL) program at Northrop Grumman Award (TR35) by MIT Technology Review.
Corporation (NGC), a program where participants
undertake three one-year rotations in various Wang joined the UW-Madison Department of
business areas and functions within the company. Materials Science and Engineering as an assistant
She joined the program to broaden and deepen her professor in 2008. His research portfolio covers
leadership acumen and knowledge of the defense the growth mechanisms and assembly techniques
industry and its product development pipeline. For of oxide nanostructures; developing advanced
her first rotation, Grant took on a blend of roles nanomaterials and nanogenerators for biomechanical
as a member of the strategy and operations team energy harvesting for biomedical applications; and
that manages most of the independent research understanding the piezotronic effect that couples
and development (IRAD) in NGC Mission Systems piezoelectric polarization and semiconductor
sector. She facilitated the investment funding, functionalities. Wang has made important advances
planning and execution processes by helping project in the growth of oxide nanomaterials in 2D nanosheet
teams competing for funding and assisted directors form, which have shown outstanding properties for
in evaluating proposed projects for the immediate applications in microelectronics, optoelectronics,
funding year and their alignment to long-term catalysis, and batteries. He has also demonstrated
technical strategic goals. In addition, Grant piloted a the far-reaching impact of his new materials,
digital platform to synergize investment management and wearable and implantable nanogenerators
throughout Mission Systems. by integrating them in designs of innovative
therapeutic devices. His other innovations include a
Grant recently transitioned to her second rotation nanogenerator-based electric bandage that facilitates
where she has a customer facing role as a cyber skin wound recovery; an implantable, nanogenerator-
software-cum-systems engineer. Her day-to-day driven vagus nerve stimulator that achieves effective
role consists of routine customer meetings on weight control; and a wearable nanogenerator
progress towards project milestones and producing stimulator that enhances hair regeneration.
requirements and configuration documentation all
within a fast-paced, agile environment. Wang has published more than 140 peer reviewed
papers and holds 18 patents on nanomaterials
Taking advantage of the FTL program to experience development and nanoscale mechanical energy
the business of technical development and expand harvesting. He is a recipient of the Presidential
her technical skillset has been an invaluable Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers
experience. Grant intends to apply the perspective (PECASE) Award, NSF CAREER Award, DARPA
gained from these experiences and her academic Young Faculty Award, and Ross Coffin Purdy Award
training in her third rotation as a survivability from the American Ceramic Society. In 2019, he
engineer. Outside of her day-to-day business life, was elected as a Fellow of the American Institute
she is actively involved in NGC’s African American for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), for
Task Group and K-12 outreach as a speaker and his “outstanding contribution to the development of
mentor. implantable nanogenerators that enable self-powered
and self-activated biomedical devices.”

MSE.GATECH.EDU 9

FACULTY RESEARCH

Juan Pablo Correa-Baena

Low cost and high performance semiconductors

Halide perovskites (HPs) are a class of semiconductors that have attracted
considerable attention. Their various material properties (optoelectronic,
light-emission, ionic) make them suitable for a broad range of optoelectronic
applications, including for use as the active layer in thin film devices, such as
thinfilm transistors or light-emitting devices (LEDs). The materials are also low-cost
and easy to fabricate. Most recently, scientists, including Juan-Pablo’s lab, have
been looking at the ways in which perovskite solar cells (PSCs) may revolutionize
the field of photovoltaics.

Dimensionality is the ability of a material to take on a structure that is
interconnected by chemical bonding. Dimensionality plays a very important role
in the properties exhibited by materials. In order to design materials that can be used in different electronic
applications, we need to tune how mobile charge carriers are in semiconductors. The semiconductor’s
ability to have more or less mobile charge carriers are responsible for generating electrical currents in a
solar cell. Looking at the atomic or nanoscale, low dimensional structures (0-, 1-, 2-dimensional, 0D, 1D,
2D, respectively) tend to have less mobile charge carriers, which makes them ideal for light-emitting diodes
(LEDs). 3-dimensional (3D) structures have more mobile carriers, enabling the carriers to be transported
across long distances, crucial in solar cell applications. Low dimensional materials also improve the
performance of solar cells because they can be used as interfacial layers to help reduce charge carrier
losses that lead to lower performance. But these materials have to be ultra-thin (less than a nanometer
thick) so that charge carriers can hop over the energetic barrier of these low dimensional materials and be
extracted out of the device as electrical current. Therefore, to engineer more efficient electronic devices,
we need to manipulate dimensionality in thin films at the atomic- or nano-scales. Halide perovskites thin
films are versatile materials that can form in any dimensionality, but so far have been processed only from
solution. Preparing ultra-thin films from solution is difficult because the methods used cannot control film
formation at the atomic or nanoscale. Instead, solution-based approaches are very good at processing
continuous films with more than 20 nanometers in thickness.

Correa-Baena’s group is using atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) to develop a novel approach
to growing atomic-scale metal halide perovskites with different dimensionalities. Crucial to this effort is the
group’s work to design new chemical reactions and processes that allow for the formation of hybrid organic/
inorganic materials, for better control of the materials’ dimensionality because organic cations dictate the
level of dimensionality. In his research, Correa-Baena is developing methods for continuous coatings,

crucial for high
performance
devices, of
organic and
inorganic materials
with atomic
and molecular
precision, that will
make it possible
to fabricate halide
perovskites with
any dimensionality.
The figure below
shows the atomic
and molecular
layer deposition
used to deposit
monolayers of
halide perovskites

10 SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH FALL 2020

FACULTY RESEARCH

with different dimensionalities for different electronic applications. As shown the figure, in step 1 of the
deposition the lead precursor is introduced to the chamber, followed by an iodine precursor (step 2) and an
organic or inorganic cation (step 3). Each cycle equals a monolayer.

Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena is an assistant professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at
the Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds the Goizueta Foundation Junior Faculty Rotating Chair and is
dedicated to increasing Hispanic representation at Georgia Tech. In 2017, he was awarded the Department
of Energy EERE fellowship to conduct his postdoctoral work at MIT. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed
papers in various solar cell fields, including perovskite solar cell research. His work has been cited over
17,000 times (h-index of 47), making him, in 2019, a top cited researcher as recognized by the Web of
Science Group, Highly Cited Researchers-cross-field, and Nature Index, Leading early career researcher
in materials science. His research group uses nanoscale resolution, synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence
mapping and complementary measurements to study how the distribution of multidimensional perovskites
affects their optoelectronic properties and local performance. The group members create spatial maps of
structural changes in the nanoscale to gain a more complete understanding of why solar cell lose efficiency.

jpcorrea@gatech.edu

Multidisciplinary university research initiatives @ MSE 11

MSE at Georgia Tech is home to two concurrent ONR-sponsored Multidisciplinary University Research
Initiatives (MURIs), both led by Prof. Rampi Ramprasad and each constituting a $7.5 million effort
(http://muri.mse.gatech.edu/). Both MURIs aim to use approaches based on informatics and artificial
intelligence—integrated with synthesis, processing, testing and computations—to design polymers
that meet important technological and societal application needs. A state-of-the-art scalable polymer
informatics platform, portrayed in the figure below, is being developed for instantaneous prediction of
various properties.

The first of these
MURIs seeks to
reveal chemical and
physical features that
can lead to polymers
withstanding
extremes of electric
field and temperature.
Several advanced
previously unknown
polymers have
been designed and
validated within this
(and a predecessor
MURI program).
This MURI, which
commenced in Fall
2017, has participants from the University of Connecticut, Purdue University, University of Southern
California, and Stanford University. The second MURI, an entirely Georgia Tech initiative, commenced
this Fall to create polymers that are mechanically resilient but recyclable (i.e., depolymerizable) on
demand. Led by MSE, it has participants from Chemistry, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science & Engineering.

Both MURIs are expected to result in a powerful polymer informatics ecosystem at Georgia Tech,
including autonomous computational, synthesis, processing & testing infrastructure, and digital tools,
for the agile design, development and discovery of next-generation polymers capable of functioning
under extreme conditions and meeting critical technological and societal needs.

MSE.GATECH.EDU

FACULTY RESEARCH

Rosario Gerhardt

Structure-processing-property relationships in
ceramic and polymer matrix composites

Professor Gerhardt and her group have worked with ceramic and polymer
matrix composites for more than twenty years and has more recently focused
on conducting ceramic oxides and ferrimagnetic compositions. One of the main
hallmarks of their research is that they utilize extensive analysis of the ac properties
of the materials they fabricate (e.g., electrical conductivity, dielectric properties,
percolation threshold, effect of size, shape and distribution of the secondary
phase, etc.). This analysis is then used to predict structure-processing-property
relationships in a quantitative way. In addition to electrical phenomena, they also
focus on microstructural characterization of their materials using optical microscopy,
SEM, TEM, and AFM, combined with numerical simulations and x-ray and neutron
scattering experiments.

Polymer matrix dielectric nanocomposites for flexible energy storage

The development of high energy density capacitive energy storage is necessary due to increasing power
needs for mobile electronics and military applications. Electrostatic capacitors are the only type of energy
storage device which can deliver an ultrahigh power density (on the order of MW) with the lowest loss
(<0.02%), and at the highest operating voltages. However, the best commercially available electrostatic
capacitors only deliver a low energy density of ≈2 J cm−3 due to their generally low breakdown strength.
Our results from experiments and simulations performed on a high energy density polymer matrix hybrid
composite that features ferroelectric barium titanate nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes
(MWCNT) embedded in poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) provide important findings. The addition of the
conductive MWCNT increased the charge storage ability of the matrix polymer by serving as a polarized
charge transport phase for the ferroelectric nanoparticles. The development of conductive networks in
the polymer matrix was prevented by establishing a uniform dispersion of the ferroelectric fillers that was
achieved by a simple processing method [Y. Jin, N. Xia, R.A. Gerhardt, Nanoenergy (2016)]. The dielectric
properties of the polymer matrix nanocomposites with hybrid fillers were optimized by taking advantage of
synergistic effects between the charge storage effects of the ferroelectric phase and the charge transport
effects of the conductive phase. The maximum energy density obtained, based on measured real permittivity
and breakdown strength, was 19.82 J cm−3 while maintaining a low dielectric loss at 1 kHz. The reliable
dielectric properties and flexibility make this hybrid composite potentially useful for flexible electronic devices
and in electrostatic energy storage. To help improve the predictability of the dielectric properties of polymer
composites for energy storage, numerical simulations were conducted. The interaction between the fillers
was investigated and the simulation results were found to be consistent with the experimental results [Y. Jin,
R.A. Gerhardt, 2016 COMSOL Boston Conference Proceedings].

12 SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH FALL 2020

FACULTY RESEARCH

Percolation phenomena in conductor filled glass ceramic composites at low volume fractions

Most of the emphasis for ceramic and polymer composites has been focused on their mechanical properties.
However, electrical conductivity is an excellent method for determining how the addition of reinforcing fillers
such as carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes or other conducting materials affects their electrical properties.
Insulating materials such as ceramic glasses tend to have extremely high resistivities (>>1012ohm-cm). For
most insulating polymers this value is even higher. Therefore, addition of conducting additives can decrease
the resistivity by many orders of magnitude once a percolating network has been formed. In the Gerhardt
group, we have conducted extensive studies of a large number of insulator-conductor composites made by a
variety of methods and our results have shown that not only does the size and shape of the conducting filler
affect the response, but also how they are distributed in 3D space [M.R. Watt and R.A. Gerhardt, Materials
Research Express (2020)]. The details of the conducting network that forms determines their electrical
behavior and by extension their mechanical behavior. In one of our most recent publications [T.J. Rudzik
and R.A. Gerhardt, Advanced Engineering Materials (2020)], where the only variable was the content of the
conducting filler, we established the types of responses that can be observed in the vicinity of this important
transition. Earlier work [T.L. Pruyn and R.A. Gerhardt, Journal of the American Ceramic Society (2015)]
was instrumental in setting us on the right path to match the response to the network being probed. We
are currently conducting high resolution TEM analysis of several of these types of samples with the Center
for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) at Sandia National Laboratories. We also have ongoing activities
with Argonne National Labs and Oak Ridge National Labs to quantify the average size and distribution with
x-ray and neutron scattering experiments. All of these results have tremendous potential to help materials
scientists interested in controlling the properties of multiphase materials for any given application, whether
electronic, structural, chemical or otherwise.

Rosario Gerhardt is a professor and Senior Goizueta Faculty Chair in the School of Materials Science
and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is also the director of the Electrical Testing
of Materials and Devices (ETMD) Center which conducts detailed experiments on all classes of materials
as a function of frequency, temperature, voltage and atmosphere. Her group has done work for Arnold
Technologies, NanoResearch, Sandia National Laboratories and many research groups at Georgia
Tech (Kumar, Shofner, Kalaitzidou, and others). In addition to the composite materials described above,
her group also conducts research on the fabrication and characterization of thin films such as ITO and
carbon nanotube thin films and relates their nanostructure to the obtained electrical and optical properties.
Electrical characterization can sometimes be challenging due to the presence of Schottky barriers or
surface phenomena which can dominate the measurements and not be representative of the material being
evaluated.

rosario.gerhardt@mse.gatech.edu

MSE.GATECH.EDU 13

FACULTY RESEARCH

Valeria Milam

Using oligonucleotides as materials-enabling tools

In biological systems DNA serves as the cellular vault of genetic information.
In healthy cells this information is securely accessed, for example, to decode
segments of genetic DNA for protein production. To serve its important role as a
genetic code, DNA relies on a simple four-letter alphabet in which Watson-Crick
base-pairs form between A and T and between C and G. These base-pairings
occur between two matching DNA sequences to consistently form a helical
structure called a duplex. The Milam lab is interested in taking advantage of the
chemical simplicity of DNA sequences to expand on DNA functionality beyond
genetic coding within cells. The overall goal is to enable the performance of
materials in biological applications (e.g. biosensors, therapeutics) as well as
nonbiological applications (e.g. separations, colloidal synthesis) using recognition
capabilities of DNA as one of the material components.

Aside from relying on the four-letter alphabet as the building blocks for

their non-genomic sequences, the processing approach undertaken

by the Milam group has key departures from that of natural DNA in

cells. While natural DNA is correctly presumed to be a helical duplex

structure comprised of two complementary sequences bonded

together via Watson-Crick base-pair matching rules, the Milam group

works with individual DNA strands in their materials systems. Watson-

Crick base-pair matching still occurs within portions of the individual

DNA strand, but now a richer variety of structures beyond blunt-ended,

helical duplexes can occur including hairpins, loops, and bulges.

With this rich variety of structures available, especially among a large

heterogeneous DNA sequence population, one can now explore the

possibility of additional unnatural functionalities that may ensue. The

Milam group is interested in exploiting these potential capabilities of

DNA by screening through large libraries of heterogeneous sequences

to find ones that can bind to a non-nucleotide target such as a small

molecule (e.g. water contaminates such as pesticides, antibiotics,

etc.), a therapeutic protein, or even a specific facet of a crystal. The

Schematic illustrating the screening screening approach developed in the Milam group and reported in
ACS Combinatorial Science (2018) relies on promoting fierce
a ppro ach called CompELS competition between many (at least 109) candidate sequences to find
( Comp etitio n-Enhanced Ligand
gtrSel iaigcracroahcgruenhevpedtaw .ns trToiiintfehhogitderyu)ean “oenw ifmsqtiicifnunpyaneglnooelesdylrite-s igrdc”duoarceynbttsemuuytcarsetellheersgpeqoeluataMidesfnreinaolacrmmesa, strong binders or ligands for a given target. Once “winners” and
i ndividu al stra nds. “losers” are identified, the sequences go through extensive structural
analysis to find any structural patterns such as the prominence of
specific hairpins among the winners. With these structural patterns,
we can then begin to uncover potential structure-function relationships
as reported in Molecules (2019) that can, for example, help inform and
any adaptation of the CompELS screening approach towards other
targets. Currently, the Milam group is adapting their high throughput

screening platform to find robust, even “recyclable” ligands that can be cued to bind and then

programmatically release therapeutic protein targets.

Valeria Tohver Milam is an associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the
Georgia Institute of Technology. Her expertise lies in natural and modified oligonucleotides in isothermal
colloidal assembly/disassembly schemes and as ligands for various nonnucleotide targets. She is the
recipient of Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar Award, CETL/BP Teaching Award, AFRL
Summer Faculty Fellowship, NSF CAREER, and 3M Nontenured Faculty Award.

valeria.milam@mse.gatech.edu

14 SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH FALL 2020

FACULTY RESEARCH

Gleb Yushin

Nanostructured materials for energy storage
and lightweight composites for multifunctional
applications

Next generation materials for cheaper & lighter batteries

Electric vehicles (EVs) need powerful, light, and affordable batteries. Commercial
Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are the best bet, as they are relatively compact and stable.
But in their current form, they are still too bulky and expensive for widespread
use. The performance of such batteries has improved steadily for two decades,
but the pace of new developments is now slowing as conventional so-called
“intercalation” material technology approaches its fundamental limits. The amount
of charge that can be stored within the intercalation electrode materials’ crystalline structure is nearing the
maximum predicted by theory. And the raw materials used in the intercalation cathodes are scarce, toxic,
and expensive. An alternative class of materials that may be used in LIBs is so-called conversion-type
materials, which store Li ions by bonding chemically with them. In theory, such materials may allow two
to three times more energy to be stored per LIB volume and weight. Furthermore, they can be produced
from cheap, broadly available, and non-toxic sources (sand and rust in the form of iron ore), allowing to
both improve the performance and reduce the cost of LIBs. Unfortunately, such materials suffer from rapid
degradation, low charging speed, and manufacturing challenges when used in LIBs. Yushin’s lab develops
low-cost scalable synthesis, innovative architectures, and a range of novel electrolytes (liquid electrolytes
with enhanced stability, solid polymer electrolytes with enhanced conductivity, solid ceramic electrolytes
and polymer-ceramic composite electrolytes with improved manufacturability) that overcome the limitations
of conversion electrodes to enable drastic improvements in LIB energy storage for environmentally friendly
transportation (electric vehicles, electric and hybrid electric planes and ships) [K. Turcheniuk, D. Bondarev,
G. Amatucci, G. Yushin, Battery
Materials for Low-Cost Electric
Transportation, Materials Today,
2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
mattod.2020.09.027, Q.
Huang, K. Turcheniuk, X. Ren,
A. Magasinski, A.-Y. Song,
Y. Xiao, D. Kim, G. Yushin,
Cycle Stability of Conversion-
Type Iron Fluoride Lithium
Battery Cathode at Elevated
Temperatures in Polymer
Electrolyte Composites, Nature
Materials, 2019, 18(12),
p. 1343-1349; F. Wu and G.
Yushin, Conversion Cathodes
for Rechargeable Lithium and
Lithium-Ion Batteries, Energy &
Environmental Science, 2017,
10 (2), 435-459].

Synthesis of Nanowires and Membranes for Safer and Faster Charging Batteries & Supercapacitors,
Air Purification, Personal Protection, and Lightweight Structural Composites

Yushin’s laboratory has invented a new revolutionary method for low-cost synthesis of metalorganic and
ceramic nanowires and nanofibers. These materials are impossible to produce at low cost and on a large
industrial scale using the known synthesis routes. Yushin’s group discovered a fundamentally new synthesis
mechanism based on the strain energy minimization at the boundary of the chemical transformation reaction

MSE.GATECH.EDU 15

FACULTY RESEARCH

front, which allows a direct transformation of low-cost bulk metal powders into nanowires (nanofibers) at
room temperature and ambient pressure [D. Lei et al. Transformation of Bulk Alloys to Oxide Nanowires,
Science, 2017, 355 (6322), p. 267-271; S. Luo et al. Conversion of Mg-Li Bimetallic Alloys to Magnesium
Alkoxide and Magnesium Oxide Ceramic Nanowires, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2020, 59
(1), p. 403-408]. The synthesis process is fairly simple. First, suitable very low-cost environmentally-friendly
organic solvents are poured into a container that is filled with micron-scale alloy powder and, after a few
hours, nanowires of controllable dimensions can be collected. These nanowires could be further chemically
modified without changes in their shape or dimensions. These efforts open new avenues for a broad range
of applications important to society, many of which were not previously explored due to the prohibitively
high cost of commercially available nanowires. These applications include: reinforced fibers with enhanced
strength and thermal stability, lower-cost replacement of carbon fiber composites for energy-efficient aerial
and ground vehicles, metal matrix composites for lightweight engines and structural components of aerial
vehicles and spacecraft, stronger and more energy-efficient concretes that offer dramatically reduced CO2
emission, more efficient HEPA air purification systems, more efficient N95 masks and flexible thermally
stable separator membranes for safer and faster charging LIBs.

Gleb Yushin is a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute
of Technology. He is also Editor-in-Chief for Materials Today and Co-Founder of Sila Nanotechnologies,
Inc. The research in his lab focuses on nanostructured materials for next generation of higher-energy,
fast-charging batteries and supercapacitors, multifunctional energy storage and lightweight structural
nanocomposites for electric vehicles, drones, and electric planes.

gleb.yushin@mse.gatech.edu

Connect with MSE Mary Lynn Realff
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Programs
Alyssa Barnes 404.894.2496
Communication Officer marylynn.realff@mse.gatech.edu
404.385.1650 Preet Singh
alyssa.barnes@mse.gatech .edu Associate Chair for Graduate Studies
404.894.6641
Meilin Liu preet.singh@mse.gatech.edu
Associate Chair for Academics and Research
404.894.6114
meilin.liu@mse.gatech.edu

16 SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH FALL 2020

COVID CONSESSIONS

As students, faculty and staff
were sent home in March to
shelter at home, with a later
staged ramp-up, all had to
adapt to the new environment
and discover how to work and
learn in different ways.

A group of MSE students hang out in one of the social distancing
tents set up by Georgia Tech. Left to right, 4th year Ph.D. student
Shawn Gregory, 5th year Ph.D. student Yi Li, 2nd year Ph.D. student
Shuaib Balogun, and 1st year Ph.D. student Li Zhang

Ph.D. student Matt West
spent some time woodworking
during the quarantine.
Proceeds from his endeavor
went to the non-profit Atlanta
Beats COVID

Faculty support coordinator Associate Professor Mark Losego conducts fabric
Eve Irving gets a snuggle experiments with his family
from her daughter while
working from home

Professors John Reynolds and Shannon Yee spend Academic Program Coordinator Teresa
an afternoon having an outdoor research planning talk Nelson works from home with Carlie
separated by 6 feet
MSE.GATECH.EDU
17

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Fall 2020

Georgia Institute of Technology
School of Materials Science and Engineering
771 Ferst Drive • Atlanta, GA 30332-0245
mse.gatech.edu

Architecture of the Georgia Tech Reusable Form-fitting Fabric Mask showing the principle components of the fabric mask and
their roles in providing effective and comfortable protection against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. 

Reference: Sungmee Park & Sundaresan Jayaraman (2020): From containment to harm reduction from SARS-CoV-2: a fabric
mask for enhanced effectiveness, comfort, and compliance, The Journal of The Textile Institute, published 12 Aug 2020
(https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2020.1805971).

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