BU Materials Science and Engineering

BU MSE is excited to announce the orientation schedule for Friday, August 30! Please note the updated locations. We’re looking forward to meeting you!

BU MSE is excited to announce the orientation schedule for this Friday, August 30!

Professor Thomas Bifano receives BU’s Innovator of the Year Award! The Photonics Center Director has developed MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) deformable mirror devices that can adjust their surface rapidly to correct atmospheric distortions in telescopic images, improving clarity.

🎓👏 Congratulations, Boston University Materials Science and Engineering graduates! 🎉 Wishing you all the best as you embark on this exciting new chapter. Also a big congratulations to Jillian Rix-Mulligan on receiving the 2024 Division of Materials Science & Engineering Dissertation Award for their dissertation, “Relating Microstructure and Performance of Solid Oxide Cells for Improving Performance and Mitigating Degradation.”Well done, Jillian! 🌟

Her goal is to focus on renewable energy technologies for a cleaner environment.

Emily Ghosh is focused on progressing her PhD thesis, which involves solid oxide electrolysis cells, or SOECs. She works with MSE Associate Division Head Soumendra Basu, Professor Uday Pal and Professor Srikanth Gopalan.

Read more about her research via the link in our bio.

In the next session of the MSE Talks, we are going to host Lincoln Miara from Electrode Development, Pure Lithium!

Come and join us on November 11th, 3pm at EMB105!

In the next session of the MSE Talks, we are going to host Prof. Rebecca Taylor from Carnegie Mellon University!

Come and join us today (10/21) at EMB105 (15 St. Mary's St.)!

Don't forget this terrific benefit for currently enrolled MSE students!

It's your last chance to register and attend BU Materials Day 2022! It's tomorrow, 10/14!

In the next session of the MSE Talks, we are going to host Prof. Tracy Cui from University of Pittsburgh!

Come and join us this Friday (9/30) at EMB105 (15 St. Mary's St.)!

In the next session of the MSE Talks, we are going to host Asst. Prof. Sijia S. D**g from Northeastern University!

Come and join us tomorrow (9/23) at EMB105 (15 St. Mary's St.)!

Virtual Materials Day 2022 features an international speaker line-up, a multi-institutional ePoster session and networking opportunities.
💥Register Now! https://www.bu.edu/eng/departments/mse/news/materials-day/120390-2/ 💥

Come to this Friday’s (9/16) MSE Talk at 3pm in EMB 105!
Brown University’s Professor Nitin Padture will give a talk on halide perovskite solar voltaics.
See the MSE Event Calendar for more info, link in comments.

MSE graduate student Hector Grande tells his first-generation stories on BU Today. After graduation, he will work at Draper, a nonprofit engineering innovation company in Cambridge. Even though he longs to get his Ph.D., he decides to work to be financially supportive of his family. "I feel bad about the past. But I'm looking forward to the future, where now I"ll be able to help contribute financially to whatever we need to get done at home."

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2022/first-generation-student-hector-grande/?utm_campaign=bu_today&utm_source=email_20220519&utm_medium=intrograph&utm_content=student

This week’s student feature is with Lu Ping ( [‘24 PhD]).

When asked about her previous educational experience she said, “I grew up and studied in Beijing, China. I am a ‘traveling’ scholar who completed my master's at the University of Manchester (UK) before I committed myself into a PhD program.”

Ping then went on to explain why she chose the program at BU, stating, “The BU MSE program caught my interest due to the interdisciplinary freedom that allows me to better explore and develop my research interests. I have been working on 2D materials synthesis in terms of transition metal hydroxide and metal organic frameworks, and am developing electrochromic devices targeting smart glasses and e-ink industries.”

When it comes to using her degree in the future, she explained, that her “future ambitions are to work in commercialization and industrialization of my research and others. In the best scenario, I want to be an entrepreneur in multiple fields.”

For hobbies, she said, “outside of my studies I enjoy hiking, traveling and photography both near and far. I aspire to promote my photography skills and develop my portfolio of travels in the near future.”

A fun fact about Ping is that she is a Ravenclaw!

Thank you for interviewing with us Lu Ping‼️

Today we are featuring Gavin Rosen () (MS ‘22)

Rosen loves winter sports like skiing (as shown his photo) as well as hockey. Another winter sport he enjoys is hockey, so he likes to go out to Bruins and BU Hockey games to cheer and support our teams. During the Summer you can find Rosen out near the Charles esplanade on his runs taking in the city views.

2. Why did you choose to study MSE at BU?

“I was working in finance for a few years after college, but started losing interest in my work and began looking for other options. After reading about some really cool advances in biotechnology, specifically in biomaterials and nanotechnology, I decided to go back to school and study materials science so I could switch careers. I chose BU because of the LEAP program, and the huge focus on biotech at BU and in Boston definitely helped my decision!”

3. Can you talk about your interests in the Materials field and what you want to do in the future with this degree?

“After graduating I hope to work in R&D at a biotech start-up, specifically developing novel biomaterials for injury repair or nanoparticles for drug delivery. The nanoparticle industry is especially exciting right now after proving successful in delivering mRNA for the covid vaccines, and also shows huge promise for cancer and immunotherapies. And a really cool tissue engineering technology in the early stages of research is bioprinting - 3D printing fully functional human organs for transplant - which I would love to be a part of in the long-term.”

4. What kind of research or work are you currently doing?

“I am doing research under Chen Yang for my masters thesis, titled Axon Guidance by Targeted Photoacoustic Stimulation. Axon guidance is studied to help with nervous system repair, and my method uses a photoacoustic device that was previously invented in Dr. Yang’s lab. The device consists of an optical fiber with a special material coating at the tip that transduces pulsed laser energy into high-precision ultrasound waves, which I am using to target a structure called the growth cone that guides neuronal axons in development.”

Thank you for interviewing with us and stay safe on the slopes!

Congratulations to Professor Grinstaff for becoming a William Fairlfield Warren Distinguished Professor. This honor is the highest recognition that BU can give to a faculty member!

Professor Grinstaff’s research focuses on “macromolecules and biomaterials, self-assembly chemistry, imaging contrast agents, drug delivery, and wound repair”. He works with 5 different departments at BU including MSE of course!

Congratulations again to Professor Grinstaff. We are lucky to have such an accomplished and well-loved professor at our university🎉

✨Happy Grad & Professional Student Appreciation Week✨

To learn more about the events scheduled, click this link: https://www.bu.edu/grad/gpaw-2022/ There you will also find the zoom links for the webinars mentioned!

Have a great week Terriers‼️

Our Student Feature this week is with Anton Resing () PhD ‘25. Here is an excerpt from Resing on his time before coming to BU, what he is currently working on, and his hobbies outside of school work.

“I grew up in Seattle and went to the University of Washington for my undergrad where I researched polymer based solar cells. After graduating I spent extended time in Africa, Asia and Europe before returning to the United States to attend graduate school at Boston University. At Boston University I am working on the edge of applied and fundamental science to drive novel advances in energy storage. One of my current projects is developing a 3D solid state battery to enable ultrafast performance capabilities.

Outside of my time in the lab I enjoy exploring the small towns and ski areas around the northeast, playing soccer for a local men's club team and cheering against any and all Boston sports teams.

After I graduate I want to work for a small or midsize company focused on commercializing new energy storage technology or in the best case scenario start my own company spun off from my research.”

Thank you for interviewing with us. We hope during your time in Boston we can convince you to stop rooting against Title Town!

If you would like to add Resing to your linkedin network, follow this link:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anton-resing-962918173/

Student Features are back! This week we interviewed Anthony Manni (.manni) about his experience in the MSE master’s program. (MS ‘22)

Q&A:

Why did you choose to study MSE and why did you choose BU’s program?

“I chose the MSE program at BU for my master’s because the Photonic Materials curriculum lined up exactly with the skill set I wanted to learn and apply in my current job as a scientist at TelAztec in Burlington, MA. Specifically, Nano-structure Optics with Dr. Dal Negro and Quantum Optics with Dr. Sergienko stood out to me the most — and now those classes have changed my life! The ability to gain hands-on experience at the Photonics center was also very attractive, and it’s a dream come true to conduct research there now.”

What kind of research are you doing through the program?

“Two summers ago I joined Dr. Sergienko’s research group with the goal of miniaturizing a quantum optical device called an unbiased 4-port, nicknamed the Grover coin for its utility in a quantum computing algorithm called Grover’s search. Since then, I've developed numerical models for designing Grover coins in the form of waveguide components for use in photonic integrated circuits. I'm currently establishing the fabrication process at the Optoelectronics Processing Facility. Hopefully they work as designed so I can do some quantum optics on a chip!”

Any fun facts?

“Yes! I’ve been DJing for about 18 years (I’m 30 this year 😵). I used to play at nightclubs like the Grand and Shrine Foxwoods but have put that on hold to focus on school.”

If you want to follow Manni on tiktok, feel free to here:

Thank you Anthony for taking the time to share your thoughts on the MS program for MSE!

Welcome back Terriers‼️

We are two weeks into Spring Semester, and are excited to have you back with us.

Remember to check our website, emails, and social media accounts to stay up to date on division events and opportunities!

We hope you all have an amazing break full of rest & relaxation❄️

-The MSE Office

Interview with Haodong Lin (MS ‘22)

Haodong has been learning Materials Science for a couple of years now. His undergraduate major at Jilin University in China was also Materials Science, and he decided to continue in this direction at BU. Lin’s interest in the industry involves learning about solid-state batteries. He has continued discovering his love of batteries through research in Professor Uday Pal’s lab. His interest in solid-state batteries has pushed him to want to pursue a PhD degree in the future.

Some research that Lin has been involved with at BU includes solid electrolytes. He was able to use “electrochemical v***r deposition to deposit the lithium-ion conduct thin-film Li7La3Zr4O12(LLZO) on a porous substrate Yttria-stabilized Zirconia(YSZ),”. Lin has been a part of this research since his third semester at BU.

A fun fact about Lin is that he loves Lobster Day at BU🦞

picture:
-Lin hanging with some alpacas
-Lin playing paintball

Thank you Haodong Lin for taking time to interview with us. We can’t wait to see where you go with solid-state battery research!

Come to this Friday’s (11/12) MSE Talk at 3pm over Zoom!

CU Boulder’s Professor Stephanie Bryant will give a talk on different composites in the musculoskeletal tissue area of study and their interaction with stem cell differentiation. Professor Bryant will also be explaining how these composite designs help regenerate tissue.

Click on the link in your email (titled MSE Talks with Stephanie Bryant) to learn more about this talk and sign up for the Zoom!

Come to the MSE Talk tomorrow with Paul Gasper over at 15 St. Mary’s St! The talk will be held in room 105. There will be refreshments starting at 2:45pm, and then the conversation will begin at 3pm. Paul Gasper will be speaking about lithium-ion batteries, their lifetimes, and how they should be best optimized.

We hope to see you at the talk!

Stop by the CISE office today from 11:30am-1:30pm for food and a chance to win some prizes.

To register for this event, click the link found in our bio. We hope to see you there!

(photo courtesy of Griffin Wooldridge on Unsplash)

Student Feature: Tianlun (Allan) Huang (PhD ‘22)

Q&A:

Why did you choose to study Materials Science & Engineering, and why did you choose the MSE program at BU?

“I have always been curious about how everything works in nature, and that motivated me to want to study physics and some chemistry. Materials science is a good combination of both subjects. The motivation became stronger after I finished my master’s degree conducting research with density functional theory. To deepen my understanding, I chose to study the materials properties with higher level theory such as many-body perturbation theory. Since my advisor at BU happens to be an expert in this domain, it became a natural decision for me to make when applying to the MSE program at BU.”

How has your MSE degree helped you advance your career goals?

“The MSE PhD program has trained me with a scientific rigor to investigate complex problems. My interests in this field mainly concern studying the effects of imperfections including phonons and defects in the materials properties modeling. This degree has prepared me for the mindset of a scientist and helps me think of complex problems critically and how to systematically investigate problems that I might face in the future.”

What kind of research or work are you doing/ have you done through the program?

“I am working on a collaborative project that studies the defective lithium surface aided by machine learning. My past experiences include studying exciton-phonon interactions in monolayer germanium selenide and predicting the optical properties of an unsynthesized nanowire with intermolecular interactions.”

What are some of your favorite things about Boston?

“I love the fall foliage in Boston and enjoy the cleanness of the streets and the breeze on the Charles river esplanade. I love the convenience of the city and that it’s close to all kinds of outdoor activities. BU is in the center of Boston so it includes all of the advantages Boston can provide. I also like that BU supports interdisciplinary collaborations so that scientists from different backgrounds can collectively work on cutting edge research.”

Thank you for interviewing with us!🐾

‼️Happy Materials Day‼️
We are happy to have our community of MSE Terriers along with all of the help from staff and educators to guide us along the way🐾

If you haven’t already, please check out the link in our bio to learn about the Casimir Webinar being held today. You’ll have the chance to listen to a variety of speakers on the topic of quantum fluctuations and boundaries.

Have a great weekend Terriers!

(photo background courtesy of Adrien Converse on Unsplash)

Materials Day is Friday (Oct. 15) and we’re sponsoring a webinar on the Casimir Effect. If you would like to learn more or register for the event, please click the link in our bio!

Pictured is the schedule of events that will take place on Friday.

STUDENT FEATURE: Yuwei Huang (PhD ‘24)

Q&A:

What school did you attend for your undergraduate degree❓

“I went to Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China for both my undergraduate degree and master’s in Electrical Engineering.”

Why did you choose the MSE program at BU❓

“I was doing research on dielectric ceramic materials such as high permittivity perovskite CaCu3Ti4O12 and ZnO ceramics since I was an undergraduate. I found it fascinating to understand the macro properties of materials through micro and nano scale methods and further modulate them to achieve high performance for different applications. I found the research areas in MSE in BU very multidisciplinary and that is exactly what I expected for my PhD goal.”

How has MSE helped you advance your career❓

“My current research areas are MEMS and photonics, which are also correlated with electronic engineering (EE) and mechanical engineering (ME). I haven't quite decided my career goal yet, but my current research focus would potentially provide great opportunities in both industry and academia.”

What are some of your favorite things about BU❓

“I think BU provides lots of opportunities to help students not only enrich their social lives but also lead them to find what they want to do in the future.”

What are some of your hobbies❓

“I love hanging out with friends and I love music-related stuff like singing, dancing, playing the violin and playing the drums.”

Thank you Yuwei for interviewing with us!