Research Interest:

Structure/property relationships of metals, alloys, intermetallics, and advanced ceramics; transmission electron microscopy (TEM); application of TEM and crystallography to crystal structure analysis and phase transformations; deformation behavior of alloys and intermetallics, development of high temperature structural materials, and mechanical alloying processing.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, December 1996.
• Dissertation - "Phase Transformations in the Central Portion of the Nb-Ti-Al Ternary System."
• M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, December 1991.
• Thesis - "The Effect of Copper and Nickel on the Neutron Irradiation Damage in Iron Alloys."
• B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, August 1985.
• Senior Research - Investigated the ductile crack initiation process for an A-543 pressure vessel steel by correlating the stretch zone width with the crack tip opening displacement of the crack.

Employment History:

• Research Staff Member — Metals & Ceramics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. May 2000 to present. Current research projects:
  • Principle investigator of LDRD project investigating a new phenomena involving the formation of stable oxygen-rich nanoclusters in a ferritic alloy that was mechanically alloyed with yttria resulting in a dramatic improvement in high temperature strength over existing iron-based alloys.
  • Co-principle investigator on I-NERI project collaborating with scientists from CEA-Saclay in France investigating the deformation and fracture behavior of advanced nano-composited steels for high temperature structural applications in nuclear energy reactors.
  • Investigating solute interactions between Ti and interstitial O, C, and N impurities by studying the dynamic strain aging deformation behavior of V-4Cr-4Ti and vanadium.
  • Investigating the precipitation behavior and developing a process for redistributing interstitial O, C, and N solutes by controlled precipitation to improve properties of V-4Cr-4Ti, such as the low temperature fracture toughness and radiation hardening and the high temperature creep strength.
• Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship — Metals & Ceramics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. September 1998 to May 2000.
• Conducted research on various projects based on structure/property/processing relationships relevant to the Fusion Energy Program.
• TEM Technical Specialist and Adjunct Instructor - New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University (NYSCC), Alfred, NY. August 1992 to August 1998.
  • Instructor of graduate level TEM course which included lecture and laboratory sessions covering microscope components and operation, electron diffraction, amplitude and phase contrast image formation, image/diffraction interpretation, and specimen preparation for materials science applications.
  • Worked with faculty, students, and industrial clients in the area of analytical TEM characterization. Responsible for generating and interpreting data from imaging, diffraction, and x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) techniques appropriate to the needs of specific projects. Also, instructed and performed suitable specimen preparation methodologies.
  • Manager of the TEM facility: JEOL 2000FX Analytical/Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope, PGT XEDS analyzer, Gatan DuoMill Ion-Mill, Edwards carbon evaporator, other specimen preparation equipment, and photographic darkroom facilities.
• Graduate Research Assistant - Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. September 1985 to August 1987 and May 1988 to December 1991.
• TEM Microscopist (part-time) - Major Analytical Instrumentation Center (MAIC), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. August 1987 and May 1988.

Membership In Professional Associations:

• Materials Research Society (MRS)
• Microscopy Society of America (MSA)
• ASM International
  • Executive Committee Member; Oak Ridge Chapter, 1999 to present.
  • Executive Committee Member; S.W. New York Chapter, 1996-1998.
• Sigma Xi
• Air Force Association (AFA).

Research Publications: