In support of the projects underway at the Hybrid & Multi-Phase Materials Laboratory I assist Joe Severino in the manufacture and testing of composite materials and their integration into product use. The project I am primarily focused on incorporates new nano-materials into current multi-phase composite constructions used in bullet-proof armor applications. Using my past experience with glass fiber and carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite I was able to assist in the processing of samples,… Show more In support of the projects underway at the Hybrid & Multi-Phase Materials Laboratory I assist Joe Severino in the manufacture and testing of composite materials and their integration into product use. The project I am primarily focused on incorporates new nano-materials into current multi-phase composite constructions used in bullet-proof armor applications. Using my past experience with glass fiber and carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite I was able to assist in the processing of samples, eventually able to construct the samples on my own. I designed and performed preliminary tests on armor plate samples, mimicking actual use in a personal armor device by roughly replicating the energy transfer from projectile to soft tissue through an improvised ballistic testing material. I am also tasked to help design and machine components for a variety of custom-made components using a range of machine equipment, including lathes and mills. These components are used in the fabrication of composite samples or for tests that require fixtures that do not exist, or would take time and money to acquire from an outside source. Show less