Undergraduate Research Program

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering has a proud history of sponsoring Undergraduate Students, doing independent and directed research. Such research is conducted under the aegis of REU grants, Research Grants in our research groups, Westinghouse Science competition, etc.... Two of our research groups are NSF MRSECs (CTSR and Garcia), with the explicit mission of encouraging undergraduate activity within their research. We also heavily educate, indoctrinate, and encourage students with our research-grade classes (such as ESM339, ESM350, ESM450), our senior design projects, and our activities with the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Project. Below are some "examples" of the type of activities we encourage.
Functionally Gradient Materials	Ion Beam Enhanced Deposition	Magnetic Thin Films
Quantum Lines	Polymer Interfaces	Westinghouse Contest
	11th Grade/Eureka WISE

I am Jonathan, an ES (Engineering Science) major, doing research in the Thermal Spray Lab(TSL). Most of my work is directed toward Functionally Gradient Materials (FGM's).

I'm Marvin, in the ES major, with a specialization in EOM (Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Applications ) My research involves the design and implementation of a SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy) system for the study of thermally sprayed interfaces. This work is part of a collaboration between the ESCA group and the TSL, which work together in a NSF sponsored Materials Science Research Center.

I work with Professor Richard Gambino, in his Magneto-Optical Materials Lab. We are developing thin-films of MO material, which can be used for the storage of digital data.

Hi, I'm Diedre, an Engineering Science Major. My area of specialization is Physical Metallurgy. The Engineering Science Program offers a broad background which includes Mechanical Engineering, Electrical, and Materials. This program also offers hands-on experience in laboratory research. We are preparing "stepped" surfaces of MgO(001), inclined at two degrees. When sub-monolayer amounts of metal are deposited on this surface, the atoms should migrate to the "step-edges" and form quantum wires. Dr. Jona has been finacially supporting me with funding for an individual NSF/REU grant and from a campus NSF/RAIRE fellowship.

Research in the Polymer Group is all about making new and better polymeric materials, by studying/understanding their interfacial structure. The NSF has just given us a special grant (MRSEC), which is a great accomplishment. Also, I get to work with the Atomic Force Microscope, a real oppurtunity to use top-level research equipment.

We have runs several WISE programs over that past years for both the 11th grade students and the college students. For the first group, the students work on Microstructural Properties, Crystal Properties, and Mechanical Properties, and Novel Properties of materials. This program even has it's own web pages. The college (EUREKA) program has/will do work with xstal structures and electron-microscopy.

April 99
Erin Elizabeth Casey won Gelinas Junior High School's first "Tom Lattimer Award in Recognition for Excellence in Science Investigation" for her research project sponsored by the Center for Thermal Spray Research. Erin, a seventh grader at Gelinas, pursued her project, "Testing Materials for Hardness", under the guidance of Dr. Jim Quinn, Director of Laboratories for the Materials Science and Engineering department. "This project was quite an undertaking for a twelve year-old in seventh grade," Dr. Quinn noted. "Erin utilized testing processes that normally aren't taught until the junior year in college." Ms. Casey received her award on March 19th during a special ceremony celebrating Science Awareness Day at Gelinas Junior High.

Summer 98
Rakesh Mangat does research in Dr. King's group, along with several other high-school students working in our department. Raki's is concerned that theory suggests that there is a relationship between the mean grain diameter and film thickness in metallic thin films after annealing. This is tested by growing gold films of varying thickness, and measuring their grain size using transmission electron microscopy. Significant deviations from the theory are identified.

January 98
Tom Peterson from the Polymer Center is a FINALIST in the Westinghouse Competition. Tom is one of 40 students in the nation to get this far. Amazingly, Long Islanders are 11 of the finalists, and Ward Melville High School (local nearby to Stony Brook) has FOUR finalists. This is becoming a trend within our department and the community, as in the past several years we have hosted several entrants, semifinalists, and finalists.

May 1996
Carl Peterson was selected for the ALL-USA Academic Third Team, as highlighted in USA-Today. Carl did research with Prof. Franco Jona, and was a Westinghouse Semi-Finalist.

Westinghouse 1996
Michelle Anne Schaffer wins a Westinghouse for research conducted with the Polymer Group.

Michelle Anne Schaffer, 17, of 19 Maridon Lane, Commack, selected an engineering project for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. She tackled a subject that had previously stumped industry scientists--the problems involved with paint adhesion to polycarbonate surfaces. Michelle familiarized herself with previous research, repeated earlier experiments, and then developed a crucial extra step that enabled independent control of surface adhesion properties by creating blends of interface-active components. To complete her work, she independently learned the relevant chemical purification processes, thermal molding, computer programming, secondary ion mass spectroscopy of polymers and the calculus needed for data analysis.

Jan. 15, 1996
Two high-school students, doing research in our deparment, become Westinghouse Semi-finalists.

Schaffer, Michelle Anne (17)
Enhancement of Interfacial Adhesion via Surface Segregation in Polycarbonate/Poly (styrene-co- acrylonitrile)

Peterson, Carl Richard (17)
Growth of Ultrathin Body-Centered Cubic Cobalt Films on Atomically Clean Iron {001} Crystal Substrate. This work was conducted within the Surface Structure Group.

05/05/2005 JQ