Mentor: Dr. Jacob L. Jones
College of Engienering
"The Scholars program gave me freedom to work with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and my local research team on a major material science project. My goals for this year is to be selected for the prestigious national Goldwater Scholarship and to making major progress on my research project that will hopefully be published in a peer-reviewed journal."
Major
Materials Science & Engineering, Physics, Math
Minor
Electrical Engineering
Research Interests
- Renewable Energy & Sustainable Materials
Academic Awards
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President's Honor Roll (Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012)
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Dean's List (Spring 2011)
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4th Place at University of Florida’s 1st Mathematics Integration Bee (April, 2012)
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Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship/UF candidate (2013)
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UF Wentworth Travel Scholarship (2012)
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New England Federal Credit Union’s STEM Scholarship (2012)
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W. W. Massey, Sr. Presidential Scholarship, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (2012)
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John W. & Mittie Collins Scholarship, College of Engineering (2012)
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University Scholars Program (2012)
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Robert David Adamson Scholarship for Material Science (2011)
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Robert A. Bryan Scholarship, College of Engineering (2011)
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F.N. Rhines and W.R. Tarr Scholarship, Material Science (2010)
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IBM Thomas J. Watson Scholarship (4 years)
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Bright Futures – Florida Academic Scholars Award (4 years)
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University of Florida Honors Program
Organizations
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IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Tutor
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MRS (Materials Research Society)
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University of Florida SPS (Society of Physics Students)
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UMS (University Math Society)
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Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
Volunteer
Hobbies and Interests
Stroboscopic & Step Electric-Field Measurements of NBT-BT Piezoelectric Ceramics
A piezoelectric material is one that can convert applied mechanical energy into electrical energy, and vice versa. Such applications range from touch-screen devices to sensors in sonar, and from actuators to energy harvesting. Many of these applications are based on the ability of a piezoelectric material to respond to stroboscopic (very fast time resolution) waves of electric fields or mechanical loads. This research project will study the piezoelectric ceramic sodium-bismuth-titanate (NBT) with some barium-titanate (BT), which is a potential replacement for currently toxic lead-based ceramics. The compositional range chosen for BT is in the area of the morphotropic phase boundary of this material, a compositional boundary between NBT and BT. The crystal structure here is still unknown; however, the best piezoelectric properties are measured at these concentrations, being approximately 3 times better than other compositions. Preliminary samples have been synthesized, and future modifications to the process are planned. For these measurements, samples are taken to the Spallation Neutron Source at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, using the Nanoscale Ordered MAterials Diffractometer instrument. For the experiment, electric field wires are attached using Ag paste and dried. Then, samples are placed in a Kapton (neutron transparent polymer) tube which is filled with fluorinert (an electrically insulating liquid). Then, we attach the wires to a power source and electrically pulse the sample. Meanwhile, bursts of neutrons will hit our sample, and we collect the data and analyze the results of the neutron diffraction under a various electric fields. The primary focuses of data for my project are neutron diffraction intensity measurements and pair distribution functions (PDF). Plots from neutron diffraction data will provide insight to the structural changes of NBT-BT samples in both stroboscopic electric fields, and step-increases in electric field intensity. Data from PDF also possesses information regarding the structure.