IMS

Vanderbilt scholar Peter T. Cummings, the John R. Hall Professor of Chemical Engineering, emeritus, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. In an announcement released February 7, 2023, the Academy cited Cummings for his “simulation-based solutions to chemical engineering problems, and for innovations and leadership in modeling and… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Guanyu Lu, Mechanical Engineering *under the direction of Dr. Josh Caldwell “Phonon Polaritons for Engineering Thermal Emission and Heat Transfer” 03.01.23  |  1:00pm  |  Buttrick Hall 101 The field of nanophotonics is based on the confinement of electromagnetic energy to length scales an order of magnitude shorter… Read More

Sajal Islam has been appointed to the Graduate Student Council (GSC) to represent Interdisciplinary Materials Science. The GSC exists to enhance the overall educational experience at Vanderbilt University by promoting the general welfare and concerns of the Graduate School student body. This is achieved through the creation of… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Madeleine Fort, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Dr. Janet Macdonald “Improving Charge Separation and Transfer in Semiconducting Nanocrystalline Materials” 12.07.22 | 11:30am CST | 5502 Stevenson Center This thesis examines charge transfer from semiconductor nanocrystals. A discussion of charge transfer mechanisms and their importance to… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Joseph Matson, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Dr. Josh Caldwell “Gaining Nanophotonic Control through Crystalline Anisotropy” 12.05.22 | 3:00pm CST | 048 Engineering Science Building  |  Zoom Infrared (IR) optics form the basis for many important applications, including chemical spectroscopy for pharmaceuticals, medical testing, environmental… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Nathan Spear, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Dr. Janet Macdonald & Dr. Richard Haglund “Enhanced Plasmonic Upconversion in Coupled Metal-Semiconductor Nanoparticle Films” 12.06.22 | 11:00am CST | 132 Olin Hall A large class of nonlinear materials show enhanced harmonic generation by exciting the localized surface plasmonic… Read More

About the author: Ryan Kowalski is a fourth-year graduate student pursuing a PhD in Interdisciplinary Materials Science under the direction Dr. Josh Caldwell. Using infrared spectroscopy, the Caldwell group investigates the optical properties of semiconductor materials for optoelectronic devices. Ryan’s recent publication in Advanced Optical Materials characterizes the… Read More

Jun Li earned his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University in 2016 under the supervision of Professor Charles Manning. Read More

Dr. Alice Leach Data Engineer, Whatnot Inc. “Transitioning to a career in data and analytics” 09.21.22  | 4pm  |  134 Featheringill Hall Abstract. Over the last 10 years, the data industry has exploded in size and a further 31% increase in the number of jobs is projected by… Read More

Ryan Kowalski, a 4th year graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Materials Science program, was awarded a fellowship by the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity (NSTGRO) in June 2022. Ryan, a member of the Caldwell Lab, received the award for his work on identifying the origins of single-photon emitting… Read More