- Managed team of 9 materials scientists and characterization specialists, with the team role of evaluating and developing next-generation chemistries for future products.- Developed strategy, designed cells and engaged cell vendors for next generation cell chemistries including solid-state batteries and sodium ion chemistries.- Collaborated with American product vendors to develop and scale manufacturing and methodologies, ultimately earning $700k in DOE subcontracts.- Planned and coordinated state-of-the-art dry room facility for R&D materials research including data infrastructure and laboratory integrated management system, and devised a low-cost strategy to maintain a comprehensive characterization laboratory.

- Led solid-state anode development program, exploring lithium and silicon supply chains, evaluated methods of lithium foil production, established incoming quality checks, provided vendors with specifications, and supplied vendors iterative feedback through physical, chemical, and electrochemical evaluations.- Worked cross-functionally with materials owners to produce a scalable, electrochemically-active all-solid-state battery pouch cells.- Designed space- and cost-efficient pressure cells for live monitoring of pressure evolution as a function of state of charge, including digital data pipeline for data correlation.- Wrote and maintained python code for analysis of spectroscopic and electrochemical data.- Developed process methodologies toward manufacturability of solid-state batteries, resulting in 5 provisional patents and 1 US patent.

High-throughput methods for thermoelectric discovery- Combined experiment, atomic-scale simulations, and machine learning for high-throughput discovery of Heusler alloys for low-cost, environmentally-friendly thermoelectric materials.- Explored the role of disorder and defects on the stability of metastable Heusler alloys - Designed laboratory for high throughput synthesis of Heusler and similar alloys including combinatorial sputtering and bulk synthesis methods.

Thesis: Advanced characterization and modeling of electrodes and interfaces in next generation lithium ion battery materialsPI: Y. Shirley Meng, Laboratory for Energy Storage and ConversionLithium-rich cathodes (density functional theory)- Performed density functional theory evaluation of dopants for stabilizing oxygen redox-active cathodes; predicted molybdenum as dopant for improved cycling, verified by experiment.- Explored impact of defects on performance degradation; correlated dislocation and stacking fault formation with voltage decay.- Calculated energy landscape and dynamics of oxygen and transition metal migration.Solid-state batteries (experimental)- Combined NMR/DFT study to resolve structure of amorphous LiPON solid electrolyte. - Li/LiPON interface evaluation via combined cryogenic FIB/TEM approach.- Developed fabrication capabilities for all-solid-state thin film batteries via pulsed laser deposition, radio frequency sputtering, and thermal evaporation.Technique development (experimental)- Reproducibly fabricate electrochemically active solid-state thin film nanobatteries via focused ion beam for in situ solid-solid interface analysis; published video protocol. - Cryogenic focused ion beam for reduced material sensitivity and structural preservation; performed three-dimensional analysis of plated Li-metal and polymer composites.Facility installation and laboratory management- Served as lab manager, acting as safety point of contact for large group (>40 researchers).- Coordinated installation of new user facility; managed budget; coordinated safety, renovations, training plans; commissioned, repaired $5m equipment including XRD, XPS, SEM, UV-Vis, PLD, and ALD.

Masters student in the Takamura Research Laboratory for Thin Film Growth and Characterization- Developed method of extracting magnetic parameters from photoemission electron microscopy data (PEEM) using micromagnetic simulations.- Synthesized complex oxide thin films via pulsed laser deposition.- Thin film characterization by x-ray diffraction, x-ray magnetic circular and linear dichroism, PEEM, electrical conductivity, and SQUID magnetic measurements.

- Investigated the effects of length scale on nanomechanical behavior, specifically nanocomposites, nuclear fuels, and nuclear fuel cladding materials.- Performed novel nanomechanical testing of nuclear fuel interfaces and nanocomposites.- Developed and augmented three-dimensional reconstruction capabilities using focused ion beam serial sectioning and x-ray tomography methods.- Supported the Electron Microscopy Laboratory by training users in instrument operation and maintaining equipment.

- Prepared and characterized titanium and nickel-based alloys.- Developed undergraduate laboratory experiment, introducing students to synthesis and characterization of ceramics and high-Tc superconductors.

- Improved test method for analyzing color of roof shingle granules.- Determined implications of integrating an alternative lower-cost algae-resistant granule to range of existing color palates.