Materials research and engineering of electrochemical production of carbon nanotubes and CO2 sequestration

-Metallography subject matter expert for titanium and stainless steel materials-Provided leadership to materials lab in the form of creating and updating standard operating procedures-Analyzed weld penetration and geometry of titanium based materials for battery components using optical microscopy and image analysis software-Utilized Minitab to perform test method validation for internal laboratory procedures in support of external certification activities such as ISO 17025-Laboratory process development activities such as new test methods and increasing capability of lab-Performed microhardness and grain size assessment of materials, notably stainless steel-Documented all experiments using Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) such as NuGenesis Waters ELN

-Conducted hands-on research and development of aluminum alloys (compositional and heat treatment) to enhance electrochemical performance of aluminum-water batteries for naval applications-Performed battery testing with potentiostats and battery cyclers utilizing common electrochemical testing regimes (constant voltage, constant current, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy)-Conducted scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) for after-test failure analysis and quality control of aluminum anode and nickel based cathode-Established metallography lab to perform microstructural and surface analysis with optical microscopy and SEM-Investigated dependence of cell performance on anode microstructure and cathode surface characteristics -Discovered method to improve battery efficiency by 20% through microstructural means-Reviewed and approved supplier processing procedures to ensure continued/improved performance of battery (castings vs wrought aluminum, heat treatments, etc. )-Conducted statistical analysis with Matlab GUI to discover significant trends and defining next steps for R&D-Communicated results regularly of battery testing and aluminum supply issues to leadership team and other staff members through plots and charts compiled with Matlab and Microsoft Excel -Typically in the form of technical presentations-Would travel occasionally to support field tests of batteries, typically at a high pressure testing facility

-Supervised 24/7 metallurgy laboratory (4 direct reports) for aluminum analysis with optical emission spectroscopy (OES)-Managed lab to ensure 100% staffing, continuously resupplying consumables, performing calibrations and scheduling PMs to limit downtime affecting production-Utilized Microsoft Office products (Access and Excel) to issue data results to other departments and leadership team-Performed structural and chemical characterization with x-ray diffraction (XRD) and XRF of alumina in support of aluminum potline to maintain proper ratio of alumina and cryolite-Successfully implemented and calibrated new Malvern Panalytical XRF to enhance laboratory function-Developed and improved laboratory SOPs for new and existing equipment and instrumentation-Served as internal ISO 9001:2015 auditor for casting operations and issuing corrective actions to realign quality system

-Research assistant within biomaterials focused laboratory focusing on polymeric bone and neuro scaffolds-Conducted biocompatibility assay experiments of polymeric films created from a solvent casting-salt leaching technique utilizing rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with fluorescence microscopy-Milled sodium chloride to modify average pore size and performed SEM w/EDS to identify salt remains from samples of polycaprolactone films

-Established metallography laboratory to perform microstructural analysis of plain low carbon steel rebar samples-Drafted procedure and trained operators to perform metallography-Conducted process capability analysis with Minitab to lower alloying additions for cost reduction initiatives-Setup automatic rebar measuring device to increase efficiency at the finishing side of the rolling mill-Performed macroscopic etching of steel billet to investigate failures within continuous casting mold/machines

Synthesis and characterization of semiconducting, photovoltaic and ferromagnetic materials.Chemical vapor transport - semiconducting materialsPrecipitation reactions - photovoltaics and metal organic formatesPowder x-ray diffractionScanning electron microscopy