Phase 1 of the postdoc lasted from June 2021 to December 2022. The work undertaken in this phase was an extension of my dissertation work. In a real cable, crosslinked polyethylene will be in contact with a semiconductive polymer layer, and we study this experimentally through the use of thin films sandwiched together and electrically tested as one unit. Additionally, other characterization techniques were introduced, such as optical microscopy. My role was to conduct electrical characterization studies, primarily based on the techniques of polarization, current-voltage measurement, and dielectric spectroscopy. Based on the work done over the course of this study, one first author paper is being developed.Phase 2 of the postdoc lasted from January 2023 to June 2023. The work undertaken in this phase was aimed at taking the techniques developed during my dissertation work and in Phase 1 and applying them to other materials. In particular, Kapton and polyetherimide (PEI) were examined due to their widespread use as commodity capacitive polymer dielectrics. The main electrical characterization techniques of interest were polarization, dielectric spectroscopy, and thermally-stimulated depolarization current. A graduate student is currently being trained to conduct this work after my departure.

For my dissertation, I studied the dielectric and electrical properties of low-density and cross-linked polyethylene, with regard to how the morphology and peroxide byproduct concentrations control the resulting properties.The following first-author papers were published as a result of this work:"Explanation of the compensation law and the isokinetic point in the electrical conduction of crosslinked polyethylene" in February 2022“Impacts of crosslinking and degassing on the conductivity, dielectric loss, and morphology of low-density polyethylene” in February 2021“Thermally stimulated depolarization current spectra of crosslinked polyethylene and the influence of crosslinking byproducts” in October 2020For my Master's thesis, I studied the impact of ionizing radiation (i.e. protons and X-rays) on the surface chemistry of the layered semiconductor tungsten diselenide.The following first-author papers were published as a result of this work:“Stability of the tungsten diselenide and silicon carbide heterostructure against high energy proton exposure” in October 2017“Effects of energetic ion irradiation on WSe2/SiC heterostructures” in June 2017“Stability of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides irradiated by soft X-rays and low energy electrons” in April 2017“Radiation effects on two-dimensional materials” in September 2016

I worked as a tutor for the Swanson School of Engineering's PECAP program.

I graded Homework for ENGR0022: Structure and Properties of Materials, the introductory materials science class for Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Science and Materials Science undergraduates.

I did research under Dr. Mark Kimber of the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science department, with one of his graduate students. As part of this, I looked at aspects of data center design and energy use.

I worked with Dr. Katsuyo Thornton and Hui-Chia Yu on a project to improve the computer modeling of Lithium-ion batteries by using the smooth boundary method, which uses the Allen-Cahn equation to remove noise-like features. This method was used to model well-connected cathode structures. The work I completed over these two months has been further developed since my departure

Over the course of ten weeks, I developed and processed ceramic scintillators from yttrium and lutetium precursors with the intention of linking the processing path to their end properties.