2017 PARADIM REU INTERNS

Mr. Daniel Bouman
Intern Major & College: Chemistry, CSU Fullerton
PI: Darrell Schlom
REU Project Title: Design and Manipulation of Ferroelectric Domains in BaTiO₃ Thin-Films
[FINAL REPORT] [PRESENTATION]

Daniel Bouman has lived in Southern California his entire life and is the youngest of four. He is a first generation college student studying chemistry and minoring in physics at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). While attending CSUF, Daniel remains busy by participating in research and working with the chemistry stockroom team. His research with Dr. A. Fry-Petit has drawn his attention to inelastic neutron scattering as a method for understanding solid-state phonon dynamics. While remaining enthusiastic about school and his academic career Daniel likes to spend his free time camping, hiking, and exploring the California outdoors.

Currently:

Working for Elements Material Technology

Ms. Kaynan (Kay) Goldberg
Intern Major & College: Materials Science & Engineering, North Carolina State University
PI: Darrell Schlom
REU Project Title: Compositional Analysis of Off-Stoichiometric Multiferroic LuMnO₃ and Electrode Nanopatterning of (SrTiO₃)n (BaTiO₃)1 SrO Thin Films
[FINAL REPORT] [PRESENTATION]

Kay was born in Atlanta, GA, and has been living in Raleigh, NC for approximately the last ten years. She is a junior in Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University, where she is also pursuing a minor in economics. Kay is concentrating on nanomaterials, gradually narrowing her focus to electrochemistry and clean energy. She works in Dr. Veronica Augustyn’s lab in the MSE department at NC State, where she primarily researches fuel cell catalysts. She also works as a chemistry tutor on and off campus, and is a member of the Honors Village at NC State. During her free time, Kay enjoys jogging the trails around her campus, slowly teaching herself the guitar and ukulele, and seeing local bands’ shows.

Currently:

University of Texas at Austin - Doctor of Law

Ms. Morgan Grandon
Intern Major & College: Chemistry, Truman State University
PI: Darrell Schlom
REU Project Title: Electrical and Structural Characterization of Superconducting Ruthenate Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) Thin Films
[FINAL REPORT] [PRESENTATION] *PUBLISHED

Morgan Grandon hails from Troy, MO, where she remained passionately curious about science and mathematics despite living in an area where these subjects were not emphasized. She is a proud first generation student and McNair scholar. Currently, Morgan is a senior chemistry major at Truman State University, a small liberal arts college in northeast Missouri. Last summer, she conducted research at Texas A&M University and was introduced to nanochemistry and materials science through her work in the lab of Dr. James Batteas. After graduation in December, Morgan plans to attend graduate school to pursue a degree in materials science, primarily focusing on energy research. In her spare time, Morgan enjoys reading science fiction, kayaking, and celebrating all things chemistry by her involvement in Truman’s student chapter of the American Chemical Society and Alpha Chi Sigma, the professional chemistry fraternity. She is also a professional Netflix binge watcher and a proud cat mom of one.

Currently:

Charlotte's Web - Company

Mr. Jacob Waelder
Intern Major & College: Physics, University of Washington
PI: Lena Kourkoutis
REU Project Title: Tracking Atoms in Two-Dimensional Materials Using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
[FINAL REPORT] [PRESENTATION] *PUBLISHED

Jacob was born in Hannibal, Missouri but has lived in Seattle, Washington since age 6. He did not start attending college at the usual age, but rather worked as an electrician. Though he was always enthusiastic about science, this job gave him a larger interest in the details of how electronics function, and more generally, how the world works on a very small scale. Eventually he worked his way through a local community college and transferred to the University of Washington. Jacob is now a senior majoring in physics. He has taken a strong interest in condensed matter physics and has been participating in research with 2D materials and their applications to nanophotonics with Professor Arka Majumdar. He is passionate about science and is interested in anything that will benefit climate or energy research. He plans on attending graduate school for physics or materials science to conduct research in 2D materials. Outside of school he likes to binge watch TV shows and bike around the city with his wife.

Currently:   University of Michigan for my Master's degree, and landed a job as an engineer at Intel, all working with electron microscopes 

2017 PARADIM REU INTERNS

Ms. Heather Calcaterra
Intern Major & College: Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan
PI: Tyrel McQueen
JHU REU Project Title: Probing Single Crystal Growth Experimentally and through Computational Simulations
[FINAL REPORT]

Heather is a rising senior in Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. She is utilizing COMSOL Multiphysics, a finite element differential equation solver, to investigate the impact of a supercritical fluid on the stability of a molten zone and decide what parameters might be ideal for crystal growth. She is investigating the effects of pressure, temperature gradient, and other materials-specific properties on the surrounding fluid environment in accordance with the Navier-Stokes Equations. Based on her positive research experience, she plans to apply to graduate school in chemistry and/or chemical engineering next year to pursue a Ph.D.

Currently:

Northwestern graduate student with Mirkin Research Group, CBE   

Awards:

NSF GRFP award

2017 PARADIM REU INTERNS

Ms. Maggie Anderson
Intern Major & College: The California Institute of Technology
PI: Darrell Schlom
REU Project Title: Characterization of Multiferroic Thin Films Generated with Molecular Beam Epitaxy
[FINAL REPORT] [PRESENTATION]

Margaret Anderson hails from Edwardsville, IL just outside of St. Louis. This coming year she will be a sophomore at the California Institute of Technology pursuing a double major in physics and medieval history. Last year, Maggie competed in the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium with her previous research in Nanosphere Photolithography from the Thermal Radiation Lab at Missouri S&T. She is excited to be researching and characterizing Multiferroic Materials in the Schlom Lab this summer. Outside of science, Maggie enjoys netflix, crafting, archery, and teaching herself random skills.

Currently:

Harvard graduate school in Condensed Matter Physics

Ms. Vibha Vijayakumar
Intern Major & College: The California Institute of Technology
PI: Darrell Schlom
Project Title: Investigation of Ferroelectric Properties of Oxide Superlattices at Low Temperatures: How do Strain, Dimensionality, and Polarization Compete in the Low-Dimensional Structure, (SrTiO₃)_n(BaTiO₃)_mSrO?
[FINAL REPORT] [PRESENTATION]

Vibha Vijayakumar is from San Marcos, California and is a rising sophomore at Caltech. She has been interested in STEM from a young age and while in high school, she sought ways to explore interdisciplinary sciences and better understand her broad scientific interests, such as the Oncofertility Science Academy summer program at UCSD, where she explored cancer biology, reproductive physiology, IVF, and bioethics. She also spent a summer in Professor Sailor’s chemistry lab at UCSD, where she learned about the chemical properties and applications of porous silicon based nanomaterials and was part of a project researching the use of porous silicon nanoparticles in dopamine detection. While she intended to major in chemistry or chemical engineering when she entered Caltech, Vibha recently switched to majoring in electrical engineering. She isn’t sure what she wants to do in the future, but she is hoping that researching at Professor Schlom’s lab will give her a better idea. In her free time, Vibha likes to read, hike, play flute, and watch comedy.

Currently:

Software Development Engineer at AWS Marketplace