Betsy (PhD expected 2017) is from Washington State and earned a B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College.  She is working on two projects studying the role of defects in microstructure development in metal thin films. One project focuses on the role of dislocations in a unique structure found in phase-transformed tantalum thin films.  This microstructure features continuous long-range orientation gradients and discontinuous grain boundaries, which have never been observed in another polycrystalline material.  Another project focuses on the role of stacking faults in the (111)-to-(100) texture transformation observed in FCC metal films.  FCC films are widely used in industry, and texture can have a dramatic effect on material properties. 

Email: eae49@cornell.edu

Joe (PhD expected 2017) is from Clifton Park, NY and has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Binghamton University. His research is focused on the mechanical properties of calcite (CaCO₃). Single crystals of calcite grown by living organisms (i.e., biogenic calcite) have been observed to be both stronger and tougher than calcite of geologic origin, and efforts are being made to understand this strengthening in order to replicate it and/or apply it to other material systems. Joe is collaborating with researchers at Hysitron, Inc. to apply advanced nano-mechanical techniques towards measuring anisotropic and/or small single crystals, and working closely with the Estroff group here at Cornell to study crystal synthesis. In his free time, Joe enjoys ice hockey, snowboarding, and making this website.

Email: jdc357@cornell.edu

Nate (Ph.D. expected 2018) is from Fort Wayne, Indiana and has B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering from Miami University. Nate is an NSF graduate research fellow studying changes in mechanical properties in thin metal films due to phase and texture transformations. His most recent work explores the (111) to (100) anomalous grain growth in Ag films, as well as nanotwin formation in evaporated Ag and Cu films. Nate's work has applications in MEMs, the microelectronics industry, and in the areas of optical, decorative and wear resistant coatings.

Email: ngr27@cornell.edu

David (PhD expected 2019) is from Newark, Ohio and has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cedarville University. David started his PhD in with the goal of learning how to learn on the highest level, diving deeper in understanding mechanics of materials, and eventually teaching undergraduate engineering. His initial research paper at Cornell will be a comparison of two different braze alloys used to manufacture plate-fin heat exchangers. As the first project, there has been a lot of learning about the process of research, what questions to be asking, and training in how to succinctly communicate a specific point. His future research will likely be centered around mechanical properties of metallic glass. In his free time, he thoroughly enjoys most team sports, distance running, stories (both reading and watching movies), and traveling.

Email: djk293@cornell.edu

Nicole (PhD expected 2020) is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and obtained her B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from Coe College. Her research focuses on plastic deformation in glasses, particularly the family of glasses used in displays for smart devices. Plasticity in metallic glasses has become reasonably well understood in the last few decades, however plasticity in oxide glasses remains a void in our knowledge despite oxide glass’ prevalence in our lives for many millennia. Nicole’s research focuses on the atomic mechanisms of plasticity through the use of mechanical experiments like nanoindentation and high pressure compression. She hopes to contribute to the fundamental understanding of the modes of plasticity in glasses, namely shear and densification, and help unravel the mysteries surrounding the stress state of glasses under loading and the onset of cracking.

Email: ntj7@cornell.edu

Vanessa (MS expected 2017) is from Jiangxi, China and earned a B.S. in Materials Science from University of Science and Technology Beijing. She is working on a project focuing on the synthesis and the mechanical property of Na_0.7CoO₂. This ceramic material is special for its high ductility and great electrical conductivity. Her recent work is developing a novel, bottom-up nano manufacturing technique to fabricate the Na_0.7CoO₂ nano sheets. And she is also working on the characterization of the mechanical properties focusing on understanding how the nano layered structure contributes to the ductility. Her project will contribute to the understanding of this new “ductile conductive electroceramic oxides (DCEO’s)”.

Email: yz922@cornell.edu

Zach (PhD expected 2021) is from San Antonio, Texas and obtained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on experimental characterization of shear banding in silicate glasses. Shear bands are likely very important to crack propagation, indentation response, and high temperature deformation of glass. While there is reasonable understanding of shear banding in metallic glasses, the added geometric constraints on the covalent bonds of silicate glasses impede the use of metallic shear bands as an definitive analogy for silicate glass shear bands. He hopes that improving the understanding of plastic deformation mechanisms will enable the design of stronger, more durable silicate glasses.

Email: zwr6@cornell.edu