MSE Grad Studies Bridge Collapse, p.17 - Welding to Join MSE, p. 18 - Grad Serves in Congress, p.

21
Materials • Science • and • Engineering 1

Fall 2009
Watt s N e ws
T he O h i o S t a te Un ivers i t y • D epar t ment of Mater ials Science and Eng ine er ing

Contents

Chair’s Letter, p. 2
Cutting-edge research, new faculty, innovative
recruitment, and top-quality academics.

Research, p. 3
Titanium alloys, sensing toxic chemicals,
nanoflowers, micro-caterpillars.

Faculty & Staff, p. 13

Padture receives AAAS membership, Rapp
lectures in Iran, staff receive service awards.

Alumni, p. 15
Ezis & Hughes honored by College, alumna
studies bridge collapse, alumni updates.

Items of Interest, p. 18
Welding Engineering to join MSE, OSU moves
to semesters, Humpty-Dumpty MSE-style.

Student News, p. 20
Service in Honduras, awards, internships,
business plan competition winner.

mse.osu.edu
 2 The • Ohio • State • Universit y
Chair’s
Letter
Greetings and welcome to the 2009
edition of Watts News! I invite you to
peruse this year’s issue to learn about
all the activities and accomplishments
going on in Materials Science and
Engineering.
As was the case everywhere, our year
unfolded against the backdrop of a
significant economic downshift. I am
often asked how this affected MSE. Some
consequences have been prompt. The job
market for BS degree holders went from
all-time best to all-time worst in a matter
of a very few months. Opportunities for
graduate degree holders have remained
strong enough for all those seeking
positions to find them. Other impacts are
still in front of us and not well defined.
Notable in this regard is the potential
decrease in the state subsidy to the
University due to continued weakness
On the cover: in state tax revenues. How this will play
out within the University in the next two
Colorized SEM micro-
graphs of the dendritic years is not known, but MSE was fiscally
structures resulting conservative during the good times, and
from the hydrothermal
we are positioned well should cuts come
conversion of TiO2
nanostructures to our way.
BaTiO3. Image by Ben
Dinan, MSE graduate
student. The economic picture created much
uncertainty and distraction this past year,
but a number of important initiatives
were set in motion. After years of debate
and a number of false starts, the Board of
Trustees moved this past April to approve
the implementation of a semesters-based
calendar. The University will begin its
new semester format in Autumn 2012.
The faculty is well into defining new
undergraduate and graduate curricula.
On another front, after discussions that
have also unfolded over some time, the
faculties of Welding Engineering and
Materials Science and Engineering have
voted to realign into a single department.
The new department will operate under
the Materials Science and Engineering
banner and will support both MSE
and WE undergraduate and graduate
degree programs. This alignment will
immediately push our faculty size into
the mid-30s range, expand our research
base, and move our undergraduate and
graduate populations to 250 and 170
students respectively. It will also add
significant new lab and office space
on west campus. Additional details on
these major changes can be found in the
following pages.
Our faculty and student researchers have
had a focused and productive year. At the
close of 2008, we counted 104 graduate
students in the program, up from 86 in
2007 and we welcomed an incoming pool
of 25 new graduate students this fall. This
past year, faculty researchers and their
groups authored 170 publications, up
from 130 a year before. A demographic,
I am especially pleased with is our PhD
degree production; 17 in 2008, up from
6 in 2007. Our research expenditures
were down from $13.4 million in 2007
to $8.9 million in 2008. This drop was
associated with the conclusion of a
couple of large programs and the end
of significant Third Frontier research
investments from the State of Ohio. To
fill the gap, there has been a significant
influx of core program, basic science
support from federal funding agencies.
We had a very strong proposal-writing
season, and a number of new programs
have now begun, some of which are quite
substantial. The largest new-starts this
year include research in multimaterials
systems with adaptive microstructures
(Fraser, Mills, Wang, Williams, Zhao),
lightweight hydrides for hydrogen storage
(Zhao), environmentally conscious
corrosion inhibition (Frankel, Buchheit),
and ductile and fracture resistant bulk
metallic glasses (Flores, Windl).
To be sure, the changes in front of us are
exciting and challenging. I think it is fair
to say that we will have to be at our best to
manage them successfully. To learn more
about these and many other activities
going on in MSE, I invite you to browse
this issue of Watts News or visit our
website at mse.osu.edu. We are primed
for an engaging and rewarding year and
hope the same awaits you. As always, if
your travels bring you to campus, please
stop in and say hello.
Rudy Buchheit
Professor and Chair
Materials • Science • and • Engineering 3

Research
Titanium Research members who have complimentary skills and the effects of
from Drexel University, Carnegie Mellon microst r uc tur al
Titanium and Titanium alloys (hereafter University, The University of Michigan, variation on
titanium) are attractive because of and Cornell University. In case you are strength, ductility
their structural efficiency and their wondering, we have some excellent and fatigue
resistance to degradation in a wide faculty member colleagues at “Big Blue” resistance. These
range of environments. Titanium also but none of them play football. (Maybe studies combine
is expensive. Nevertheless, it has gained they should?) our expertise
wide acceptance for aircraft, aircraft in phase field
and rocket propulsion systems, and for Some specific research activities include modeling with our
chemical processing applications. the following: characterization
capability which
Computational methods for utilizes the world
representing the three dimensional class Campus
microstructure of titanium in Electron Optics
digital form are being developed. Facility (ceof.ohio-
This will enable incorporation state.edu) housed
of microstructure directly in in the basement
micromechanics models of of Fontana Labs. If
mechanical properties such as you have not seen
strength, fracture toughness, and this facility, you are Microstructures of β processed (top) and α+β
fatigue. An integral part of this invited to schedule processed (bottom) Ti-6Al-4V. (BSE images)
effort has been development a tour.
of Bayesian neural networks
figu re ma p of the alp ha phase in friction for correlating properties with Still another activity involves the use of
Inverse pole
(EPSP images)
stir processed Ti-6Al-4V. specific microstructural features. friction stir processing of cast and hot
OSU is broadly acknowledged as a world isostatically pressed Ti-6Al-4V to refine
MSE at Ohio State has by far the most leader in applying these methods to the surface microstructure, thereby
comprehensive academic titanium titanium. improving the resistance to fatigue crack
research program in the US and most initiation at lifetimes of 104 to 106 cycles
likely the free world. The major thrusts of Another project is studying the root to failure. As part of this study, detailed
our program are computational modeling cause of dwell fatigue in titanium. fractographic studies of failed specimens
of many aspects of titanium behavior, Some titanium alloys (e.g. Ti-6Al-2Sn- has shown conclusively that the facets
detailed studies of microstructure 4Zr-2Mo) exhibit a large reduction seen on fatigue fracture surfaces are
property relationships, mechanisms that in fatigue strength when the load is the result of cyclic crack progression,
govern microstructure evolution, and held at maximum value rather than not cleavage as had been reported in
mechanisms of environmental attack. continuously cycled. Our research at the literature. This result has major
The faculty members that are most OSU has been able to account for this implications for estimating the number
active in this effort include Professors effect qualitatively by coupling mechanics of load cycles after crack initiation. This
Fraser, Mills, Wang, Williams, and modeling and detailed characterization. can be critical during failure analysis of
Frankel. Professor Somnath Ghosh from In essence, room temperature creep leads titanium components.
Mechanical Engineering also is involved to internal load re-distribution which
in several of these projects. Currently, triggers early crack initiation with an Studies to understand the effects
there are active research projects on attendant reduction in fatigue life. The of microstructure on corrosion
some aspect of titanium funded by The dwell effect can lead to non-conservative susceptibility also are being conducted.
Office of Naval Research, The Air Force designs which affect product life. These studies couple our considerable
Research Laboratories, The Federal expertise in corrosion with our
Aviation Administration, The Defense The use of metastable β titanium alloys microstructural characterization
Research Project Agency and The Air is growing. For example, alloys from this capabilities.
Force Office of Scientific Research. Total class are now used in the landing gear of
external funding is ~$2M. In order to the Boeing 777 and 787. Studies at OSU Contact: Prof. James Williams, 614-292-
leverage our expertise, we have active are focused on understanding the basic 7251, williams.1726@osu.edu
ongoing collaborations with faculty mechanisms of microstructure evolution

mse.osu.edu
 4 The • Ohio • State • Universit y

Electrochemical models. An electrochemical microcell has

been used to measure the electrochemical
Microscopy: Mapping behavior of naturally occurring particles,
Electrochemical or phase-pure intermetallic compound
crystals specially synthesized for
Behavior onto electrochemical work (Figure 1). To date,
Microstructurally over 40 unique intermetallic compounds
Using scanning electron microscopy
(SEM), x-ray microchemical analysis,
and electron backscatter methods, it
is possible to image and identify the
intermetallic compound particles in
a microstructure. In Z-contrast SEM
images, the gray-scale contrast of an

Complex Metallic found in aluminum alloys have been

Alloys
Alloying enables strengthening and
toughening of metallic materials for
all manner of structural engineering
applications. In fully processed alloys,
alloying additions are often concentrated
into discrete particles, either intentionally
by thermomechanical processing, or
unavoidably due to low solid solubility
of inherent impurity elements. The
properties of particles are different
because their composition differs
radically from the majority phase of
the alloy. In the case of electrochemical
properties, differences lead to
susceptibility to localized corrosion.
Indeed, many microstructurally
characterized.
In the newest line of work, methods
are being developed to map the
measured electrochemical properties
of intermetallic compounds onto real
or simulated alloy microstructures to
understand and predict spatial patterns
of localized corrosion in an approach
that amounts to “electrochemical
microscopy”.
intermetallic compound is often distinct
from that of the other phases present
(Figure 2). As a result, it is possible to
associate electrochemical characteristics
such as electrochemical potential, or
reaction rate with a gray scale contrast
level. Once electrochemistry has been
associated with contrast level , an image
representing the spatial variation in
electrochemical reaction rate across the
microstructure can be constructed.
The spatial variation of
electrochemical reaction rate
shown in Figure 2 is an example
of this approach. These figures
capture the polarity (anodic
or cathodic) and magnitude
of the electrochemical
reaction rate measured on the

Current A/cm2
complex, high-performance alloys are different intermetallic phases
often saddled with a localized corrosion present in the alloy in dilute
vulnerability that must be managed in chloride solutions at ambient
service through coatings, inhibitors, or temperature but different
environmental controls. solution pH. When rendered in
Figure 2. Above: Z-contrast SEM image of polished
3-D, sites of cathodic reaction
section of aluminum alloy 7075 showing a dispersion
Researchers in the Fontana Corrosion of intermetallic compound particles differentiated by due to oxygen or hydrogen
Center (Prof. R.G. Buchheit and students) gray-scale contrast. Below: Electrochemical reaction reduction appear as deep
and at Monash rate mapped onto the microstructure shown in top blue wells, and sites of anodic
University in image. Blue indicates areas of net cathodic reaction, red reaction appear as bright red
indicates net anodic reaction.
Melbourne, spikes (Figure 3, top). Sites of
Australia (Dr.
N. Birbilis and
students) have
collaborated over
the past several
years to measure
the electro-
chemistry of
intermetallic
particles in
high strength
aluminum alloys
to understand
their role
in localized
corrosion and to
develop predictive Figure 3. Above: Maps showing electrochemical reaction rate on Al alloy 7075 in dilute
Figure 1. The electrochemical microcell at Ohio corrosion damage chloride solution at ambient temperature in solutions of the indicated pH. Below: SEM
State used for measuring the electrochemical images of aluminum alloy 7075 exposed to dilute chloride solution at ambient temperature
accumulation
behavior of small discrete phases in alloys. Inset: in solutions of the indicated pH.
View of probe measuring electrochemistry of a
discrete alloy phase.
Materials • Science • and • Engineering
intense cathodic activity are expected
to sustain attack leading to large pits
around intermetallic particles. Sites of
intense anodic activity are expected to be
short-lived small pits where intermetallic
particles are dissolved from the alloy
selectively.
A comparison of the reaction rate
projection from electrochemical
microscopy correlates remarkably well
with localized corrosion morphologies
developed on high-strength aluminum
alloy 7075 (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) samples that
were allowed to corrode freely during
exposure to aqueous solutions in separate
experiments (Figure 3, bottom). The
ability of the electrochemical microscopy
approach to correctly forecast localized
corrosion morphologies illustrates the
potential of the method.
Ongoing work is aimed at associating the
full current-potential electrochemical
response on a pixel-by-pixel basis to
enable exploration of the effects of
changing environmental conditions on
alloy electrochemistry and localized
corrosion damage accumulation.
Contact: Prof. R.G. Buchheit, 614-688-
3050, buchheit.8@osu.edu
New Way to Make
Sensors that Detect
Toxic Chemicals
by Pam Frost Gorder
MSE researchers have developed a new
method for making extremely pure,
very small metal-oxide nanoparticles.
They are using this simple, fast, and low-
temperature process to make materials
for gas sensors that detect toxic industrial
chemicals (TICs) and biological warfare
agents. The researchers described their
work in a recent issue of the journal
Materials Chemistry and Physics.
Patricia Morris, associate professor of
materials science and engineering at Ohio
State, leads a team of researchers who
develop solid materials that can detect
5
toxic chemicals. The challenge, she said, the researchers
is to design a material that reacts quickly have to meet
and reliably to a variety of chemicals, specific conditions
including TICs, when incorporated into of temperature
a sensor. “These are sensors that a soldier and pressure, and
could wear on the battlefield or a first leave the material
responder could wear to an accident at a in the pressure
chemical plant,” Morris said. cooker for just the
right amount of
The material under study is nickel oxide, time. They found
which has unusual electrical properties. they can make the
Other labs are studying nickel oxide for particles in as little
use in batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, as twelve hours, Elvin Beach (left) and Patricia Morris
and even coatings that change color. But but no more than (right), of the Department of Materials
Morris, along with Ohio State doctoral twenty-four hours. Science and Engineering at The Ohio
student Elvin Beach, is more interested in “Too short a time, State University, have devised a new
method of creating nickel oxide particles
how nickel oxide’s electrical conductance and the nickel oxide
for chemical sensors. Photo by Jo
changes when toxic chemicals in the doesn’t form, too McCulty, courtesy of The Ohio State
air settle on its surface. Beach applies long and it reduces University.
a thin coating of the material onto to metallic nickel,”
microelectro-mechanical systems (made Beach explained. After he removes the
in a similar fashion to computer chips), nickel oxide from the pressure cooker,
with a goal of identifying known toxic he washes it in a common solvent to
substances. free up the nanoparticles. At that point,
the material is ready to use. Most other
The design works on the same general synthesis methods require another
principle as another, more familiar sensor. additional step, a high-temperature heat
“The human nose coordinates signals treatment.
from hundreds of thousands of sensory
neurons to identify chemicals,” Beach Starting with a microsensor silicon
said. “Here, we’re using a combination chip array provided by collaborators at
of electrical responses to identify the the National Institute of Standards and
signature of a toxic chemical.” Technology (NIST), Beach adds a layer of
particles using a device called a picoliter
The key to making the sensor work drop dispenser (a picoliter is a trillionth
is how the nickel oxide particles are of a liter). He describes the dispenser
made. Beach and Morris have
devised a new synthesis method
that yields very small particles--
which provide the sensor a large
surface area with which to capture
chemical molecules from the air
--and very pure particles--which
enable the sensor to detect even
small quantities of a substance.
Each particle of nickel oxide
measures only about 50 atoms
across--that’s equivalent to five
nanometers.
Beach described the synthesis MSE researchers at The Oh
io State University have coa
method in very simple terms. these microsensor silicon ted
chip arrays, which were pro
“Basically, you mix everything by collaborators at the Nat vided
ional Institute of Standards
Technology, with tiny par and
together in a pressure vessel, pop ticles of nickel oxide. Once
developed, this technology further
it in the oven, rinse it off and it’s could lead to sensors that
detect toxic
industrial chemicals and
ready to use,” he said. Of course, biological warfare agents.
McCulty, courtesy of The Photo by Jo
Ohio State University.
for the process to go smoothly,
mse.osu.edu
6 The • Ohio • State • Universit y
as a kind of inkjet printer that places a
droplet of a liquid suspension containing
particles onto a surface--in this case, the
chips. According to Morris, this is the
first time that nickel oxide nanoparticles
have been applied in this way.
But to Beach, the most important “first”
to come out of the study is their discovery
of the reaction pathway--that is, the
various chemical steps that take place
inside the pressure cooker during the
synthesis of the material. Now that the
researchers know the reaction pathway,
they can devise ways to add chemical
dopants to the nanoparticles. Dopants
would change the function of the sensor,
for instance, to speed the response rate.
A one-gram batch of nickel oxide
nanoparticles costs about $5.00 to
make; one chip carries four nanograms
(billionths of a gram) of material, so each
sensor costs only pennies to fabricate.
Other applications could include exhaust
or pollution monitoring and air quality
monitoring.
Collaborators on the project include
Steve Semancik and Kurt Benkstein at
NIST. Study coauthors include: Krenar
Shqau, an Ohio State postdoctoral
researcher; Samantha Brown, then an
undergraduate student visitor from
Northwestern University who will join
Ohio State this fall to pursue her doctorate
in Chemistry; and Steven Rozeveld at
Dow Chemical Co., who helped Beach
produce electron microscope images of
the nanoparticles. This work is
funded by the National Science
Foundation and The Ohio State
University.
Contact: Assoc. Prof. Patricia
Morris, 614-247-8873,
morris.692@osu.edu
Scanning electron microsc
synthesized for gas sensor
Gas Sensor
Technology
using “Nano-
flowers”
Results from the Sensor
Array Technology group
led by Associate Professor
Patricia Morris, have
recently been featured
in The Ohio State
University’s Research The high surface area pro
duced by this technique is
News for methods to for gas sensor devices. advantageous
fabricate sensors that
detect hazardous gases. The goal is to (billionths of a meter) is approximately
design a material that responds quickly 50 atoms in diameter. In order to make
and accurately to a variety of chemicals the particles, precursors are placed in
at very low concentrations. Long-term a Teflon®-lined pressure vessel that is
stability is also an important property of heated in an oven. The combination of
the sensor device. These sensor devices temperature and pressure involving the
are similar to the human nose which correct precursors leads to the formation
coordinates signals from hundreds of of nanoparticles. The small particles give
thousands of sensory neurons to identify the sensor a large surface area to capture
gases. Similarly, the artificial sensor uses molecules from the air which enable the
a combination of electrical responses sensor to detect very small quantities of
from sensor arrays to identify the a substance. ano-structured materials
concentration of a specific gas. including TiO2, SnO2, NiO, and ZnO are
also synthesized for sensor devices to
The group’s efforts include synthesizing increase the surface area of the material.
metal-oxide particles in the form of SnO2 nano-structured particles,
nanoparticles, nano-structured materials, sometimes referred to as “nanoflowers”
and hollow particles for use as the sensing due to their appearance (see images).
material to increase sensor performance. The many surfaces that extend out
NiO and SnO2 nanoparticles are created from the material are advantageous for
with a particle size between five and adsorption and detection of hazardous
ten nanometers. Five nanometers gases. The material is a few microns
(millionths of a meter) in
diameter, but has nano-sized
features. These materials
have shown fast response
and recovery times (quicker
detection) compared to
other metal-oxide materials
used for sensors.
Once the metal-oxide
materials are synthesized,
the particles are suspended
in liquids designed to have
the proper viscosity and
surface tension in order
to deposit the materials
controllably on sensor
platforms. The group uses a
sophisticated inkjet printer
flowers”
ope images of SnO2 “nano-
research.
Materials • Science • and • Engineering
that dispenses picoliter drop volumes
onto very small substrates. The diameter
of the orifice for the print-head where the
particle-laden suspension passes through
is 50 microns. Therefore, the particle size
of the material (described previously) is
important during deposition in order to
not clog the print-head.
The microsensor substrate consists of
a silicon chip fitted with a platinum
heater and gold electrodes to monitor
the material’s electrical resistance. The
change in the material’s resistance
corresponds to a change in the
surrounding atmosphere. More research
is currently being performed on the
metal-oxide synthesis, deposition, and
testing of these sensor devices. This
work is funded by the National Science
Foundation and the Orton Research
Foundation.
Contact: Assoc. Prof. Patricia Morris,
614-247-8873, morris.692@osu.edu
Buffer Layer
Design For Double
Perovskites
Associate Professor Patricia Morris and
her students are presently studying thin
film growth of complex oxides. Using a
pulsed laser deposition system, a laser
beam is shot at a solid oxide target where it
ablates the surface, allowing atomic layers
of material to deposit onto a substrate.
The complex oxides of interest are
known as double perovskites because of
their unique crystal structure. Materials
in this family have interesting properties
like ferroelectricity, superconductivity,
colossal magnetoresistance, and
structure
Double perovskite crystal
half-metallicity. These properties
are very important when applied to
electronics. Until recently, however,
these characteristics were not observable
unless the materials were kept very cold.
New research is being done on materials
that display these properties at or above
room temperature conditions, which
make them far more useful for industrial
purposes.
One such oxide, Sr2FeMoO6 (SFMO), is
of interest for its magnetic properties and
possible usage in magnetic data storage.
However, because of its chemistry, film
growth of this oxide is very challenging.
In collaboration with the Center for
Emergent Materials (CEM), Dr. Morris
and her students are studying buffer layer
materials as a tool to foster the growth of
these complex compounds. Sr2GaTaO6
(SGT) is a similar double perovskite
that has similar lattice parameters, is
easier to grow, and will not interfere
magnetically with SFMO. Films of SGT
have been made and characterized
with x-ray diffraction and Rutherford
backscattering spectroscopy. Work is
also being done to design specific buffer
layers to match desired perovskites based
on the lattice size. Bulk studies have
shown that by adding different amounts
of Al to SGT, lattice parameters will
change systematically, therefore creating
a wide range of possible buffer layers.
Contact: Assoc. Prof. Patricia Morris,
614-247-8873, morris.692@osu.edu
Researchers Find
Better Way to
Manufacture Fast
Computer Chips
by Pam Frost Gorder
MSE engineers at The Ohio State
University are developing a technique
for mass producing computer chips
made from the same material found in
pencils. Experts believe that graphene-
-the sheet-like form of carbon found
in graphite pencils--holds the key to
smaller, faster electronics. It might also
deliver quantum mechanical effects that
7
could enable new kinds
of electronics.
Until now, most
researchers could only
create tiny graphene
devices one at a time,
and only on traditional
silicon oxide substrates.
They could not control
where they placed
the devices on the
substrate, and had to
connect them to other
electronics one at a
time for testing.
In a paper published
in the March 26, 2009
issue of the journal
Advanced Materials, SEM image of graphite stam
OSU Professor Nitin p (top) and
optical image of site-specific
ally stamped
Padture and his pattern of few layers graphe
ne (FLG)
colleagues describe on a silica substrate (bottom
). D. Li, W.
a technique for Windl and N.P. Padture,
The Ohio State
University
stamping many
graphene sheets onto a substrate at once,
in precise locations. “We designed the
technique to mesh with standard chip-
making practices,” said Padture, College
of Engineering Distinguished Professor
in Materials Science and Engineering.
“Graphene has huge potential; it’s been
dubbed ‘the new silicon,’” said Padture,
who is also director of Ohio State’s Center
for Emergent Materials (cem.osu.edu).
“But there hasn’t been a good process for
high-throughput manufacturing it into
chips. The industry has several decades
of chip-making technology that we can
tap into, if only we could create millions
of these graphene structures in precise
patterns on predetermined locations,
repeatedly. This result is a proof-of-
concept that we should be able to do just
that.”
Graphene is made of carbon atoms
arranged in a hexagonal pattern
resembling chicken wire. In graphite,
many flat graphene sheets are stacked
together. “Think of a stack of graphene
sheets in graphite as a deck of cards.
When you bring it contact with the
silicon oxide and pull it away, you can
‘split the deck’ near the point of contact,
leaving some layers of graphene behind.”
mse.osu.edu
8 The • Ohio • State • Universit y
Researchers have shown that a single
sheet, or even a few sheets, of graphene
can exhibit special properties. One such
property is very high mobility, in which
electrons can pass through it very quickly,
a good characteristic for fast electronics.
Another is magnetism: magnetic fields
could be used to control the spin of
graphene electrons, which would enable
spin-based electronics, also called
spintronics. Yet another characteristic is
how dramatically graphene’s properties
change when it touches other materials.
That makes it a good candidate material
for chemical sensors.
In this method, Padture and his Ohio
State colleagues carved graphite into
different shapes--a field of microscopic
pillars, for example--and then stamped
the shapes onto silicon oxide surfaces.
In this first series of experiments, they
were able to stamp high-definition
features that were ten layers thick, or
thicker. The graphite stamp can then
be used repeatedly on other locations
or substrates, potentially making this a
mass-production method.
They used three different kinds of
microscopes--a scanning electron
microscope, optical microscope, and
atomic force microscope--to measure
the heights of the features and assure
that they were placed precisely on the
substrate. They eventually hope to stamp
narrow features that are only one or two
layers thick, by stamping on materials
other than silicon oxide.
In computer simulations, they found
that each material interacts differently
with the graphene. So success might rely
on finding just the right combination of
substrate materials to coax the graphene
to break off in one or two layers. This
would also tailor the properties of the
graphene.
Padture’s co-authors on the paper include
Dongsheng Li, a postdoctoral researcher,
and Wolfgang Windl, associate professor
of materials science and engineering.
This work was partially funded by the
Center for Emergent Materials at Ohio
State, which is a Materials Research
Science and Engineering Center
(MRSEC) sponsored by the National
Science Foundation. The $17-million
center is one of only 27 MRSECs around
the country, and its main research focus is
magnetoelectronics. Partial funding was
also provided by Ohio State’s Institute
for Materials Research.
Contact: Prof. Nitin Padture, 614-247-
8114, padture.1@osu.edu
Photovoltaics
Researchers Join
Forces to Improve
Solar Cells
Ohio State engineers are taking
advantage of advancements in materials
for electronics to develop more efficient
and affordable solar technologies. Solar
cells, generally made of silicon, currently
are not efficient at harnessing solar
energy. Now, however, engineers are
investigating how indium, gallium, and
nitrogen could be used to make wide
bandgap semiconductors for solar cell
production.
“The key to success is being able to
grow the semiconductor crystals
without generating defects that drop
the solar conversion efficiency,” says
Assistant Professor Roberto Myers,
who collaborates on photovoltaic work
with Siddharth Rajan, also an assistant
professor. Both have dual appointments
in electrical and computer engineering
and in materials science and engineering,
enabling them to take advantage of
resources provided by both departments
and by the university’s Institute for
Materials Research.
“Advanced semiconductor materials are
capable of using a much higher fraction
of solar energy than silicon and are, in
fact, already being used to power space
vehicles,” Rajan says. “However, they
are more expensive than silicon and
are, therefore, not used for terrestrial
applications yet. Our work aims to come
up with new innovative ways that would
reduce the cost of these solar cells but still
ensure that they provide high efficiency.”
Myers and Rajan worked together
to procure a new molecular beam
epitaxy system, which allows them to
grow the various layers of III-Nitride
semiconductor crystal structures with
nanometer-scale control. They also
use another new tool, a metal organic
chemical vapor deposition system, to
enable epitaxial growth of semiconductors
and nanostructures based on arsenides,
phosphides, antimonides, and dilute
nitrides.
Siddharth Rajan (left)
and Roberto Myers
collaborated to procure
this new molecular
beam epitaxy system
for Ohio State’s
Semiconductor
Epitaxy and Analysis
Laboratory. The
system enables them
to grow new materials
that could be used to
create more efficient
solar cells. Photo by Jo
McCulty
Rajan brings expertise in electrical
measurement to the project, while Myers
conducts the optical measurements.
Together, the two can explore the potential
of these lesser-known materials to
determine how the materials’ properties
could be harnessed for solar energy.
 Materials • Science • and • Engineering 9

“We need people with skill sets in

processing, materials growth, optics, and
New Cluster Tool for support local, national, and international
collaborations including the Center
electronics, and to integrate those skill Combined Diamond for Emergent Materials (CEM, an
sets to solve this problem,” says Steven and Nitride Crystal NSF funded MRSEC at OSU), the
Ringel, professor and Neal A. Smith RD42 collaboration (located at CERN
Endowed Chair in Electrical Engineering Growth in Geneva, Switzerland), the Wright
and director of the Institute for Materials Center for Photovoltaic Innovation and
Research, adding that Rajan and Myers, A team of OSU researchers has won a Commercialization (PVIC, a state of Ohio
who joined Ohio State in autumn 2008, National Science Foundation award for funded research center at OSU) and the
have extensive experience in collaborative the acquisition of a hybrid crystal growth Center for Affordable Nanoengineering
efforts. Ultimately, the two will tool for synthesis of both electrical quality of Polymeric Biomedical Devices
collaborate with Ringel, a world leader in diamond and III-Nitride semiconductors. (CMPND, an NSF funded NSEC at
high performance photovoltaic materials, The team of researchers spans two OSU). Critical assistance in preparing the
to integrate extremely thin films of these colleges and three departments including proposal was provided by the Institute
promising ultra-efficient materials to a Physics (Prof. Johnston-Halperin, CME, for Materials Research at OSU.
variety of alternative substrates through principal investigator on the proposal;
which ultra low-cost and highly efficient Prof. Fengyuan Yang, CME; Prof. Harris Contact: Asst. Prof. Roberto Myers,
solar energy conversion can be achieved Kagan, HEPX), Electrical and Computer 614-292-8439, myers.1079@osu.edu and
at high production rates. Engineering (Prof. Siddharth Rajan; Prof. Asst. Prof. Siddharth Rajan, 614-292-
Stephen Ringel) and Materials Science and 7596, rajan.21@osu.edu
Myers and Rajan also are among faculty Engineering (Prof. Roberto Myers). This
members whose work is central to the $48 cluster tool will allow for in situ sample
million state-, industry- and cost share- transfer of substrates between diamond
funded Wright Center for Photovoltaics and nitride growth chambers, giving Ferrous
Innovation and Commercialization, it the unique capability to grow high
which enables collaboration with the quality wide-bandgap semiconducting
Induction
solar industry at large-scale and start-up heterostructures. Diamond exhibits Furnace
levels. world record hardness and thermal Advances
conductivity and its large band gap
“Solar energy by photovoltaics,” Myers makes it favorable for certain electronic Foundry
says, “is one of the strongest technologies applications. Recent developments in Studies
for renewable energy. Since photovoltaics synthesis of diamond by microwave
contain no moving parts, have low plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) A 150 lb capacity ferrous
maintenance costs, and are based on have resulted in artificial diamond with induction furnace
solid-state materials, they can last engineered electronic properties useful (Inductotherm 3000Hz
indefinitely.” for a wide range of applications. Unlike 75kW) was installed
diamonds found in nature, grown at in the OSU Casting
Contact: Asst. Prof. Roberto Myers, high temperature and pressure over Laboratory. This is Installed and working wel
l in the Casting
an exciting addition Lab , an Inductotherm 3000H
614-292-8439, myers.1079@osu.edu and eons, plasma CVD grown diamonds are z 75kW
furnace.
Asst. Prof. Siddharth Rajan, 614-292- produced using a mixture of methane to the facilities. The
7596, rajan.21@osu.edu and hydrogen plasma incident on a furnace allows students to melt steel
heated substrate. If a diamond substrate and cast iron by reaching temperatures
is used, a single crystal as high as 1600ºC, a capability that has
diamond film is possible. been unavailable in the Lab. Steel and
In addition to diamond cast iron account for more than 80%
synthesis, the tool contains of all metals that are cast; casting such
a separate growth chamber metals provides our students invaluable
for growth of wide band experience and expands the research
gap GaN using a molecular capabilities of the MSE department.
beam of Ga atoms reacting Such a furnace is a basic component of a
with ammonia (NH3) on well-rounded casting laboratory.
a heated substrate. These
systems will be used to The funds were provided by private
explore heterostructures entities including the Central Ohio
Photon counting device in Roberto Myers’ Optical
combining diamond and American Foundry Society (AFS)
Characterization Lab which is used to measure the lifetime
of optically excited electrons and holes, a key parameter in nitride nanostructures. Chapter, the Southwestern Ohio AFS
photovoltaic materials. This research activity will Chapter, the Wisconsin AFS Chapter,

mse.osu.edu
10
the Central Illinois AFS Chapter,
Cummins, and the Foundry Educational
Foundation. The melting furnace was
installed through the admirable efforts
of two of the department technicians,
Ken Kushner and Ross Baldwin, which
saved the MSE department a significant
amount of money. The time donation
by Michael Nutts (Inductotherm) is also
gratefully acknowledged. The equipment
will be used for teaching and research.
Modeling
Microstructure
Evolution
During Phase
Transformation and
Deformation
Phase transformation and deformation
in structural materials involve coupled
mechano-chemical processes, which
impose a difficult challenge to existing
simulation methods. At the Center for
Accelerated Maturation of Materials
(CAMM) new modeling techniques
and capabilities have been developed
to address these issues.[1] For the
first time, modelers are able to 1)
utilize directly ab initio calculations
in modeling dislocation transmission
across heterophase-interfaces; 2) capture
atomistic processes at diffusional time
time scales.
tic processes at diffusional
Fig. A: Modeling of atomis
The • Ohio • State • Universit y
Current research sponsored by AFS,
Ashland, Caterpillar, Cummins, Rio
Tinto and Tupi (Brazil) addresses the
problem of casting skin formation,
effects, and prevention in compacted
graphite iron castings. This material has
found increased usage in the automotive
industry, as it is the only alloy that satisfies
the increased pressure and temperature
requirements of the motor blocks for the
new high mileage diesel engines.
scales[2] (Fig. A); 3) find critical nucleus
in solid-sate transformations and
deformation processes[3]; and 4) simulate
highly anisotropic  microstructures
with strong spatial variation and
correlation (e.g., variant selection and
micro-texturing as shown in Fig. B), with
full incorporation of crystallography and
interfacial dislocation structures.
Advanced materials for structural
applications are known to exhibit
pronounced anisotropic properties
due to the presence of various
microstructural heterogeneities and
the inherent anisotropy of deformation
mechanisms. Current modeling
approaches utilize highly simplistic
descriptors of the microstructure that are
empirically correlated to the properties.
Such an approach is utterly inadequate
for addressing design needs. The new
modeling capabilities being developed
Fig. B: Simulation of highly
The members of the MSE AFS Student
Chapter are very excited about the
availability of this new equipment and
they have already planned a number
of projects that will put the induction
furnace to good use.
Contact: Prof. Doru Stefanescu, 614-
292-5629, stefanescu.1@osu.edu
at CAMM will allow for building a
quantitative understanding of the
microstructure-property relationships.
Robust constitutive laws are likewise
being developed that capture the
effects of heterogeneous distribution of
various microtructural features on the
macroscopic behavior while minimizing
much of the effort that is currently
required for applying an existing alloy for
new applications as well as for developing
new alloy systems.
Contact: Prof. Yunzhi Wang, 614-292-
0682, wang.363@osu.edu
[1]
Y. Wang and J. Li, “Acta Materialia
Overview: Phase Field Modeling of Defects and
Deformation,” Acta Mater. (2009-in press); [2]
W. Cox, S. Sarkar, T. Lenosky, E. Bitzek, J. Li
and Y. Wang, “Diffusive Molecular Dynamics”
(to be published); [3] C. Shen, J. Li and Y. Wang,
“Finding Critical Nucleus in Solid State Phase
Transformations,” Met. Mat. Trans. 39A (2008)
976-983 (Editor’s choice, available on-line).
anisotropic  microstruc
tures.
Materials • Science • and • Engineering
oxidized surface of Ti filin
TiO2 nanohairs form on the
A Micro-sized
Caterpillar with
Nano-sized Hairs
Titanium alloy debris, prepared by
mechanical filing, were oxidized to
produce TiO2 nanohairs on the surface
of the filing. The size of the debris
was approximately 100 µm having a
wavy surface that mimics the shape of
a caterpillar without any hairs. TiO2
nanohairs were grown on the surface
of the alloy debris by heat treating at
700°C under a limited supply of oxygen
(flowing Ar with 500 ppm of oxygen).
The length of the oxide nanohairs is in
the range of 1 and 2 µm and the diameter
ranges from 30 to 70 nm (see inset in
image above). With these nanohairs, the
debris resembles the shape of a caterpillar
with hairs. The oxide nanohairs were
identified as the TiO2 rutile phase by
electron microscopy. These nanohairs
have potential applications in sensors,
electronics and optoelectronics,
photocatalysis, and biomedical devices.
This work was conducted by graduate
student Benjamin Dinan and Huyong
Lee.
Contact: Prof. Sheikh Akbar, 614-
292-6725, akbar.1@osu.edu and Assoc.
Prof. Suliman Dregia, 614-292-1081,
dregia.1@osu.edu
gs.
Advancing Hydrogen
Storage Technology
Ji-Cheng (J.-C.) Zhao, associate professor
of materials science and engineering,
received two U.S. Department of Energy
grants for the development of suitable
hydrogen storage systems and materials
for vehicles. Zhao, a Fellow of ASM
International, received
$1.1 million for “Aluminoborane
Compounds for On-Board Vehicular
Hydrogen Storage” and $1.2 million
for “Lightweight Intermetallics for
Hydrogen Storage.”
“A grand challenge to the implementation
of hydrogen-powered vehicles is the
development of suitable on-board
hydrogen storage systems and materials
that can satisfy the performance targets
proposed by the U.S. Department of
Energy,” Zhao says. “That is the reason
that a substantial effort of my research
is devoted to tackle this challenge.” Zhao
has seven students and post-doctoral
researchers working on hydrogen storage
research with funding from the National
Institute of Standards and Technology as
well as the energy department.
His research focus is on metal hydrides,
a solid storage option that has the
11
advantage of high volumetric density.
The key is to develop reversible and high
gravimetric density metal hydrides that
will meet the Department of Energy
FreedomCAR 2010 hydrogen storage
targets. Substantial progress has been
made in synthesis, characterization, and
mechanistic understanding of complex
metal hydrides, especially high-capacity
borohydrides. His team, in collaboration
with Sheldon Shore, professor of
chemistry, has already synthesized four
new compounds and is testing their
properties to explore their suitability for
hydrogen storage.
Zhao is a representative U.S. expert
serving on the International Energy
Agency Hydrogen Implementation
Agreement Task 22 on hydrogen storage.
He has six U.S. patents and 13 patent
applications on hydrogen and energy
storage materials and systems.
“The Ohio State hydrogen storage team,
with Prof. Shore’s boron chemistry
excellence, is really unique in the world in
our synthesis capability.” Zhao says. “We
hope to discover new hydrides to advance
the hydrogen storage technology.”
Contact: Assoc. Prof. J.-C. Zhao, 614-
292-9462, zhao.199@osu.edu
This image illustrates the
crystal structure
of a new compound, Mg(CH
OH)6B12
H12(CH3OH) , synthesized 3
6 by the Ohio
State hydrogen storage rese
arch team led
by professors J.-C. Zhao and
Sheldon
Shore. The team is synthes
izing similar
compounds for hydrogen
storage for
on-board fuel cell powered
vehicular
applications.
mse.osu.edu
 12 The • Ohio • State • Universit y

Research on Materials Aspects of Sliding a) b)

Friction and Wear
It is now well known that materials in sliding contact exhibit dramatic changes in
structure and chemical composition adjacent to the sliding interface. These changes
influence the evolution of both friction and wear as sliding proceeds. Sliding tests,
combined with an array of complementary characterization techniques (XRD, OM,
SEM, EDS, AES, FIB, TEM, Microhardness, Kelvin probe, etc.), have demonstrated
the involvement of severe plastic deformation and mechanical mixing leading to the
formation of nanocrystalline or amorphous tribomaterial. The results depend on the
materials, the environment, sliding velocity, temperature, and other sliding conditions.
Typical sliding wear debris particles have the same structure and composition as the
tribomaterial.

In recent years, Prof. Rigney’s research group has combined experimental work with
2-D and 3-D molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. An example, from the work of
S. Karthikeyan, is shown in Figure 1. MD simulations help to explain effects of relative
hardness, crystal orientation and defect content. They also suggest that the interacting
materials flow like a fluid, complete with development of vorticity associated with
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The presence of vorticity accounts for mechanical
mixing, composition profiles and the disappearance of markers near the interface.
Vorticity also contributes to amorphization and the formation of nanocrystals.
This work has revealed much about the dynamic processes contributing to sliding
behavior. Development of a predictive model for sliding wear remains elusive. It will
undoubtedly require incorporation of the fracture characteristics of the tribomaterial
produced by sliding.
Fig. 1: (a.) Initial configuration for an MD simulation of a
bicrystal of Cu sliding against an Fe crystal of orientation x, y, z:
[100]Fe[010]Fe[001]Fe. This uses a right-hand coordinate system with
x to the right and y pointing toward the top of this page. The presence of
the grain boundary in the Cu crystal strongly influences the development
of deformation and structure during sliding. (b.) Nanocrystalline
structure produced by sliding for the initial configuration shown in (a.).
All of the following are involved: propagation of shear bands, formation
of epitaxial Cu on Fe and dynamic recrystallization. Ref.: Karthikeyan
et al., Wear 267(2009)1166.
Contact: Prof. Emeritus David Rigney, 614-292-1775,
rigney.1@osu.edu

Below: Finite element analysis results from LS-DYNA on Right: A nickel-based

electromagnetic actuator and expanded AA 6061 tube. superalloy developed for the
demanding environments
Image by Yuan Zhang, PhD student in Prof. Glenn of turbine jet engines. This
Daehn’s research group. polycrystalline material
gets the majority of its
strength at elevated
temperatures from the
gamma prime precipitate
phase and grain
boundary morphology.
This material has been
heat-treated to produce
serrated high angle
grain boundaries (blue),
special twin boundaries
(green) and gamma
prime precipitates (red).

Image by Jennifer
Walley, PhD student
in Prof. Michael Mills’
research group.
Materials • Science • and • Engineering 13

Faculty Padture Receives AAAS

Fellowship

& Staff Professor Nitin Padture has been

elected Fellow of the American
Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS). Nitin’s Fellowship
Mobley Receives has been awarded to recognize
outstanding contributions to the
ASM Distinguished Prof. Prabhat Gupta receives
the field of advanced ceramics and
Life Member Award 2009 George W. Morey Aw
from Mark Davis, Chair
ard nanomaterials, particularly for
of the understanding of processing and
Glass and Optical Divisio
Professor Emeritus Carroll E. n of mechanical behavior of ceramic
ACerS.
Mobley received the Alpha Sigma Mu composites and coatings. Nitin was
Distinguished Life Member award. gave the plenary lecture. The award was presented for Fellowship at the AAAS Forum in Chicago in
This award is granted to “an individual made with the following notation: February 2009.
who has served
the materials “During a remarkably productive career
community
and/or Alpha
spanning over four decades, Dr. Gupta
has published an impressive list of
Padture Named College
Sigma Mu over thought provoking and frequently cited Distinguished Professor
a long career articles in several areas of glass science
and shall have and technology. Specifically, the Morey Professor Nitin Padture was named College of Engineering
established an Awards Committee selected Dr. Gupta Distinguished Professor in January 2009. This is in
international for his outstanding contributions in the recognition of his research excellence and impact, and his
recognition areas of glass structure, glass transition, leadership in the field of advanced materials at Ohio State
for his/her phase separation, and the strength of glass and beyond. Associated with this honor are discretionary
service.” The fibers....In addition to his fundamental funds to support Prof. Padture’s research.
award is contributions in glass science, Dr. Gupta,
ASM’s highest honor and is conferred during his eight years at Owens Corning’s
upon those select few whose technical Science and Technology center, made
attainment and contributions to significant contributions in many areas
society through leadership in the field of glass technology.”
of materials science and engineering
have resulted in significant benefits to
mankind.
Rapp Lectures in Iran,
May 2009
Gupta Receives
ACerS Morey Award Professor Emeritus Bob Rapp received
an invitation to visit Iran from Prof.
Congratulations to Professor Prabhat Ahmad Saatchi, who is a National
Gupta, the 2009 George W. Morey Award Distinguished Professor and Chairman of A few of the students and faculty who attended one of Prof.
winner. The George W. Morey Award MSE at Isfahan University of Technology Rapp’s lectures at the Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan,
is presented by the Glass and Optical in Isfahan, (or Esfahan) Iran. Ahmad had Iran. Prof. (and alumni) Ahmad Saatchi is second from the left
in the first row with other Isfahan faculty.
Materials Division of The American been a PhD student in the Metallurgical
Ceramic Society and sponsored by Engineering Department in the 1980’s,
PPG Industries. The award recognizes during the Iranian revolution. Following two million. (The April 2009 issue of the Smithsonian magazine
achievements in the field of glass some trouble to get a visa, Bob flew to presented an article about Isfahan.) During his five-day stay in
science and technology. Unofficially, it Iran on May 12, about three weeks prior Isfahan, Dr. Rapp presented three lectures, “Hot Corrosion,”
is the most prestigious honor given to a to Iran’s infamous election and the “Complex Fused Salts,” and “Interfacial Phenomena in Scaling
glass scientist by the Glass and Optical ensuing demonstrations. Isfahan is the Reactions.”
Materials Division of the American former seat of the government, home of
Ceramic Society. This year’s award was early emperors, site of the famous 400- Following visits and discussions with students in Isfahan,
presented June 1, 2009 at the Vancouver year old Iman plaza, and an extremely Prof. Rapp flew for one day to Shiraz, the site of the famous
PACRIM8 meeting where Prof. Gupta interesting and important city of about Persepolis, where he again presented a lecture.

mse.osu.edu
 14
Faculty
& Staff
con’t
MSE Faculty Receive
College Awards
The College of Engineering held its
Annual Engineering Awards Dinner at
the Blackwell Hotel, where the following
MSE faculty were recognized:
Lumley Research Awards
Mike Mills
Doru Stefanescu
Rudy Buchheit
Innovators Award
Glenn Daehn was recognized
for development of high velocity
and impulse metal forming and
its application to a variety of
manufacturing and materials
characterization problems
including forming, joining, welding,
springback control, embossing, and
strength and ductility testing.
Additional Awards
Gerald Frankel visiting Professor at the
University of Paris.
Gerald Frankel T.P. Hoar Award from
the UK Institute of Corrosion, 2008.
Prabhat Gupta Fellow of the Society of
Glass Technology, UK, 2008.
Winston Ho Inaugural Innovators
Award, College of Engineering,
2008. Recognizes Prof. Ho for major
membrane technologies for high purity
hydrogen production for fuel cells and
energy applications, and for low-cost,
high efficiency water purification.
John Morral was named an NSF
DMR American Competitiveness and
The • Ohio • State • Universit y
Innovation Fellow “for transformative
and pioneering experimental and
theoretical approaches to alloys by
design, and for exceptional contributions
to disseminating knowledge to students
and the community.”
Heather Powell – Oak Ridge Associated
Universities, Powe Junior Faculty
Award supporting “Collagen Scaffolds
Engineered with Graded Pore Structure
for Islet Transplantation”.
Doru Stefanescu delivered four lectures
on solidification science at the University
of Jönköping in Sweden.
James Williams Robert Mehl/Institute
of Metals Lecture from TMS.
Cameron Lindsey
and Megan Daniels
Nominated for Above
& Beyond Award
The MSE department was pleased to
nominate both Cameron Lindsey,
Assistant to the MSE Chair, and Megan
Daniels, Undergraduate Academic
Advisor, for the 2009 College of
Engineering Above and Beyond Awards.
Cameron’s nomination letter praises her
dedication, creativity, enthusiasm, and
ability to adapt to the ever-changing
environment in the Chair’s office. Megan,
too, provides tremendous support for
the mission of the department through
innovative outreach and application of
technological resources. But it is, perhaps,
in her role as self-described “momma
bear” that she is most appreciated by our
students as she watches over them as they
advance through the Bachelor’s degree.
Cameron Lindsey Megan Daniels
25 Years of Service
In September, Geoff Hulse and David
Jones were recognized by the College
of Engineering for twenty-five years of
service to The Ohio State University. Both
Geoff and Dave joined the University
in 1984, with Dave hired as part of a
VAX System Support Group and Geoff
hired to oversee the VAX support staff
housed in Chemical Engineering. They
maintained a large VAX 11/780 “mini”
computer which was the size of two home
refrigerators and was many times slower
than present-day desktops. Geoff and
Dave have overseen a great deal of change
since those days and, along with Mike
Davis (who began working for them as
a student employee), have developed the
computing infrastructure that supports
the research and academic efforts of both
the MSE and Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering departments.
Dave, following an interest in
programming, switched from Physics to
Computer Science as his college major.
In the early 1990’s, he was part of a
networking group at the university that
developed the directory system used by
OSU’s central e-mail system. Helping
the university improve the quality of its
data during this period was an important
accomplishment for the group and has
been of great benefit in the subsequent
years.
Geoff was instrumental in bringing
together the (then) three departments—
Ceramic, Metallurgical, and Chemical
Engineering—to purchase computing
resources for the departments’ academic
and research pursuits. Beyond his
computing expertise, Geoff ’s talents
as both a photographer and graphic
designer have likewise been a tremendous
asset to the departments. One impressive
example of his work was the multimedia
presentation he developed for the
Chemical Engineering department’s
Centennial Celebration.
Both departments wish to thank Geoff
and Dave for their many years of
service to the university!
Materials • Science • and • Engineering
Alumni
1970’s
Edward Dalder (PhD ‘73) is Vice
President of Dalder Materials Consulting,
Inc. in Alameda, CA.
Michael Javaras (BS ‘77) is the Director
of Operations at Meyer Products
in Cleveland, OH and currently
manufactures snow and ice removal
equipment.
1980’s
Michael Budinski (MS ‘86) is Chief of
the Materials Labor Division with the
National Transportation Safety Board in
Washington, D.C. He recently published
a book titled Engineering Materials:
Properties and Selection.
Valerie (Balint) Harris (BS ‘80) resides
in England and recently completed
her MSc in Water and Environmental
Engineering. She is working to bring
safe, adequate water supplies to the
economically disenfranchised in third
world countries.
Seth Silverman (MS ‘81) joined Hess
Corporation in September 2008 as a
Senior Engineering Advisor-Materials.
He lives in Houston, TX with his wife
and daughter, Hayley, who was adopted
as an infant from China in 1996.
1990’s
Seth Donnelly (BS ‘99) works as a
Proposal Engineer at ABB Inc. in
Wickliffe, OH.
Craig Dusek (BS ‘99) is a Manufacturing/
Process Engineer at American Trim, LLC
in Lima, OH. Craig and wife Rebecca
married in May of 2004 and they now
have two sons, Samuel and Joseph, born
in October 2006 and October 2008.
Matthew Magee (BS ‘93) is a partner at
Adage Capital in Boston, MA serving as
a Portfolio Manager.
15
Sree Mouli Majji (MS ‘99) is the Senior
Consultant with Teradata, Inc.
Taking MSE into Biomedical
Engineering
Justin Koepsel (BS ‘06) is pursuing a
2000’s doctoral degree in the Department of
Biomedical Engineering, University
Santi Chrisanti (PhD ‘08) is a Principal
of Wisconsin, Madison. His current
Process Engineer at Formfactor, Inc. in
research focuses on controlling
Livermore, CA.
protein-surface and cell-surface
interactions in a very defined manner
Andrew Geiger (BS‘05)
to explicitly explore how certain
works as a Technical
factors influence the behavior of
Sales Representative
different stem cell types.
for Anton Paar GmbH
in Ashland, VA.
“The knowledge I acquired as an
undergraduate in Materials Science and Engineering at OSU
Brian Guhde (MS ‘09) is working as
a Technology Development Manager
has provided me a solid basis for identifying and solving
materials related problems in my graduate research,” says Justin.
at Americhem in Cuyahoga Falls, OH.
“More specifically, my background in materials science often
He and his wife are looking forward to
provides a unique perspective to the widespread knowledge
the arrival of their first child, a son, in
base of the biomedical engineering community that allows us
November.
to more efficiently solve problems and advance technology as
an interdisciplinary team.”
Edward Herderick (PhD ‘09) serves as
a Congressional Fellow representing the
Materials Societies (MRS, TMS, ACerS).
Ed and his wife Michelle moved to ASM Awards Howe Medal
Washington, D.C. in September where
The Howe Medal, oldest of ASM awards, recognizes the authors
Ed will begin his one year fellowship.
whose paper has been selected as the best published in a volume
Congressional Fellows act as a special
of Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. The award for 2008
legislative assistant to a member of
was granted to the paper titled “Measuring Stress Distibutions
Congress (see article in the “Student
in Ti-6Al-4V Using Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction” (M&MT,
News” section).
vol 39A, Dec. 2008, p 3120-3133). Adam Pilchak (PhD ‘09)
took part in this research directed by Dr. Matthew P. Miller of
Dave Norfleet (PhD ‘07) works as a Staff
Cornell University while Prof. Miller was on sabbatical at Ohio
Consultant for Engineering Systems Inc.
State.
in Aurora, IL.
O-H-I-O! Xi-Yong
Donovan Richie (MS ‘08) is an Fu (PhD ‘01) with
engineer with Kiefner & Associates in daughter Allison, son
Worthington, OH. Brandon, and wife
Hanyan show their
Buckeye spirit while
Jessica (Licardi) Subit (BS ‘03, MS ‘06)
on a cruise in the
works with GE Aviation in Cincinnati, South Caribbean.
OH as a Materials Development Engineer
and as CMC Development Engineer &
Technician Team Leader.
Danelle Violet (BS ‘07) is currently
working in the Advanced Development
Program at Schneider Electric in
Nashville, TN.
Hong Jin Kim (PhD ‘07) and
Sehoon Yoo (PhD ‘05) works as a Senior Ms Jungsuk Song were married
November 29, 2008 at the AT
Researcher at the Korea Institute of
Center in Seoul, South Korea. The
Industrial Technology in Incheon, South couple honeymooned in Guam.
Korea.
mse.osu.edu
 16 The • Ohio • State • Universit y
Alumni services a worldwide customer base.
Industries using their diverse fused-
quartz products include: semiconductor,
con’t
solar, metal processing, electronics and
aerospace companies.
Ezis’ career experience also includes
serving as vice president of R&D
Ezis and Hughes for Ceradyne Inc. focused on the
Receive College development and manufacture of
Distinguished Alumni structural ceramics for semiconductor
processing equipment. He was also co-
Awards founder and vice president of Cercom
and assisted in the preparation and
The Annual College of Engineering marketing of a business plan to raise
Awards Luncheon was hosted on the required capital/investment for the
September 11 in the Blackwell Hotel formation of Cercom Inc.
Ballroom. Present at the luncheon were
many past college awardees as well as this Recognitions include the Henry
year’s honorees and family members. A Marion Howe Medal, NASA Certificate
barbeque was hosted on the Knowlton of achievement and the Henry Ford
Patio with Brutus and the OSU Technological Award. Ezis was born in
Cheerleaders later in the evening as part Riga, Latvia. He immigrated to Germany
of the 12th Annual Buckeye Reunion and then later to the United States in
Under the Stars. Two alums from the 1950. He and his wife, Kira, have five
Ceramic Engineering and Metallurgical children and reside in Vista, CA.
Engineering programs were honored
for their achievements, Andre Ezis and Ronald Hughes, a generous friend of
Ronald Hughes. the MSE department and 1970 Ohio
State BS/MS graduate in metallurgical
Andre Ezis engineering, is manager for advanced
graduated from engineering at Severstal International
Ohio State with in Dearborn, MI, responsible for steel
a B.S. in ceramic product application in automotive and
engineering in non-automotive designs using advanced
1966. Upon CAE simulation tools.
graduation,
he worked at Prior to joining Severstal, Hughes worked
Owens Corning in hot-dip metallic coatings research at
Fiberglas in Armco Steel in Middletown, OH. He
Newark, OH as joined Ford Motor Company in vehicle
a production materials development and planning to
engineer. He promote and to analyze applications of
later returned high strength and coated steels to meet
to Ohio State CAFE standards and improve vehicle
College of Engineering Inte rim Dea n and received corrosion protection.
Gregory Wa shin gton wit h And
on.
re Ezis during
his M.S. in
the Alumni Awards Lunche 1969 in nuclear Active in the American Iron and Steel
engineering. Institute, he served as chairman for
the ground-breaking task force that
Ezis is currently CEO of Pyromatics united and leveraged the resources of
Corp. in Willoughby, OH. Pyromatics ten competitive steel companies for
is a technology company, focused on large-scale advanced automotive design
the development and manufacture of projects with Porsche Engineering,
high-purity, fused-quartz materials showcasing the capabilities of steel.
and products. Headquartered in the This North American AISI success was
Cleveland area since 1975, the company critical to, and a template for, launching
College of Engineering Inte
rim Dean
Gregory Washington with
Ronald Hughes
during the Alumni Award
s Luncheon.
the UltraLight Steel AutoBody family of
international consortia of over 30 steel
companies to demonstrate the design
and manufacturing capabilities of AHSS
to produce safe, affordable, fuel-efficient
and environmentally responsible vehicles.
Additionally, Hughes served as chair of
the operating executive committee of
Auto/Steel Partnership and continues
working with the group restructuring
A/SP to reflect the new realities for all
vehicle companies.
Industrial honors include the Leadership
Excellence Award from AISI; Auto/Steel
Partnership Instrumental Change Award;
and AISI Institute Finalist Medal for
co-authoring a paper on the kinetics of
aluminum-silicon-iron coating reaction/
diffusion during the hot-stamping of
boron steels based on Severstal contract
research at OSU.
2008 MSE
Distinguished Alumni
Award Recipient:
D. Scott MacKenzie
On November 21, 2008, the MSE
department was pleased to award
alumnus D. Scott MacKenzie the
MSE Distinguished Alumni Award for
2008. Scott received his BS degree in
Metallurgical Engineering from The Ohio
State University in 1981. Later he received
MS and PhD degrees from the University
of Missouri, Rolla. He is currently a
Materials • Science • and • Engineering 17

Technical Specialist at
Houghton International MSE Grad Studies Minneapolis Bridge
in Valley Forge, PA, where Collapse
he directs laboratory
investigations on new The eight-lane I-35W highway bridge in Minneapolis, MN collapsed at about 6:05
products and solutions PM CDT on August 1, 2007. NTSB investigators identified the U10W truss node was
to customer problems. a likely failure initiation site for the collapse[1, 2]. A finite element modeling group team
Scott is an active was formed from persons
member of technical in NTSB, FHWA, SUNY,
societies and in 2008 and SIMULIA Central to
2008 MSE Distinguished
was named a fellow of study in detail the stress and
Alumni Award recipient
ASM International. He D. Scott MacKenzie strain in the gusset plates of
was cited by ASM for the U10W joints. Min Li at
his seminal R&D work on the heat treatment of SIMULIA Central was a key
nonferrous alloys. member of the modeling
group team. Working with
Scott presented a talk to the faculty and students the team, Min created
entitled, “Application of CFD and FEA to Predicting the detailed U10W local
Distortion in Heat Treated Gears”. The MSE finite element model using
department was pleased to host Scott and his wife many nonlinear modeling View of node U10W looking north, indicating lateral shift
Pat during their stay, including dinner and an OSU- capabilities in Abaqus/ west of upper end of L9/U10W diagonal member at point
of instability. (For purpose of illustration, the amount of
Michigan game. Standard, embedded the
lateral displacement, including bowing of gusset plates, is
local model into the FHWA exaggerated by a multiple of 5.)
structural bridge model,
performed most of the detailed finite element analyses, and wrote much of the report[2].
George J. Theus Presents The figure above is one example of the analysis results[1]. Based on the results from
the Abaqus model and other investigations, one of the conclusions from NTSB was:
Keynote at 2009 MS&T “gusset plates at the U10 nodes, where the collapse initiated, had inadequate capacity
Conference for the expected loads on the structure, even in the original as-designed condition.”[1]

Metallurgical Engineering alum
George J. Theus (PhD ‘72) will
present the 2009 Alpha Sigma Mu
Keynote presentation at this year’s
Materials Science & Technology
Conference and Exhibition (MS&T
’09), held October 25-29 at the
David L. Lawrence Convention
Center in Pittsburgh, PA. George is president of
Metallurgical Engineering Ltd. in Aurora, IL. His
keynote lecture will be “The Current Status of Nuclear
Power Generation.”
Alumni, Maybe You Can
Help?
Looking to fill job openings? The Department would be happy to help you connect with potential employees. If
we may be of assistance, please contact Mr. Mark Cooper at (614)-292-7280 or by e-mail at “mse@osu.edu”.
Min graduated in 2006 with a Ph.D. degree in Materials
Science and Engineering. During her study at the Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, she took courses such
as Finite Element Method, Plasticity, Mechanical Behavior of
Materials, and Fracture Mechanics. She modeled the constitutive
behavior of magnesium AZ31B sheet with strong basal texture
and implemented the model into Abaqus/Standard using
UMAT routine. These courses and research work prepared Min
to conduct the stress analysis for the bridge collapse.
References:
1. “Collapse of I-35W Highway Bridge Minneapolis, Minnesota August
1, 2007,” Highway Accident Report NTSB/HAR-08/03 PB2008-916203,
Min Li (PhD ‘00) was par
National Transportation Safety Board, Washingon, D.C., November 14, t
of a team of researchers
2008. See http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2008/HAR0803.pdf
studying the Minneapolis
2. “Structural and Local Failure Study of Gusset Plate in Minneapolis
bridge collapse in 2007.
Bridge Collapse,” Modeling Group Contractor Final Report, National
Transportation Safety Board, Washington, D.C., November 12, 2008.

Help with travel costs to TMS. February’s annual TMS Meeting will be held in Seattle, WA. The conference is
a great opportunity for students to learn more about materials and to network with peers and professionals in
the field. Planning for the annual meeting has started for the undergraduate MSE Club. The Club would greatly
appreciate contributions toward student travel costs. A shape memory alloy Script Ohio will be sent as a thank Nitinol Script Ohio by the
MSE Club.
you for your support. Contact: Jonathan Pham, President of MSE Club (pham.98@osu.edu, 937-554-4592) Thank you for helping our
students!

mse.osu.edu
 18
Items of
interest...
Welding Engineering-
MSE Realignment
The MSE and Welding Engineering
faculties have voted unanimously to bring
the Welding faculty, staff, students, and
programs to MSE. As of the beginning of
Autumn Quarter, the realignment action
has been endorsed by the Interim Dean
of Engineering, Dr. Gregory Washington,
and by a vote of the College Faculty. We
await votes by the University Senate and
the Board of Trustees and approval by
the Office of Academic Affairs, all of
which may occur by the end of the 2009
calendar year.
The realignment will bring five regular
faculty, three staff, 95 undergraduates, 50
graduate students, associated degree and
research programs, and many dedicated
Welding Engineering alumni from
around the world to MSE. Resources to
hire three new faculty are also associated
with the realignment. The department
will still be known as Materials Science
and Engineering but will house both
the Welding Engineering and Materials
Science and Engineering degree
programs. The realigned department will
include the MSE office and lab space in
the Watts-MacQuigg-Fontana complex
and the Welding Engineering space at
the Edison Joining Technology Center
on West Campus. This is a very exciting
opportunity for both programs and we
look forward to welcoming the Welding
Engineers to MSE through the course of
the upcoming year.
Semesters
Mark your calendars! August 22nd, 2012,
will be the first day of class at Ohio State
under its new semester-based calendar.
The Board of Trustees approved a
proposal to move the University to a
semester calendar this past April. The
The • Ohio • State • Universit y
move marks the end of years of discussion
and aborted attempts to implement
semesters. The move was finally made
at the urging of the Governor Strickland
and Chancellor Fingerhut, who seek to
align academic calendars at institutions
across the Ohio University System. While
the implementation date may seem far
off, the MSE faculty is well along in its
efforts to revise the MSE graduate and
undergraduate curricula. Draft curricula
will be posted on the MSE website later
this fall with a request for comment
from our students, alums, and external
advisory committee.
Andy Bruening Joins
MSE as an Instructor
The MSE faculty welcomed Dr. Andy
Bruening as an Instructor this fall. Andy
is the Lead Science Teacher at the Metro
Early College High School. The Metro
School (themetroschool.com) is a science,
technology,engineering,and mathematics
(STEM) focused, intellectually vibrant
learning community open to students
in Franklin County. Metro Early
College High School is designed to serve
students who want a personalized and
extraordinary learning experience that
prepares them for a connected world
where math, science, and technology are
vitally important.
In his role as Instructor with MSE, Andy
will be working collaboratively with
faculty in MSE, our MRSEC Center for
Emergent Materials outreach activity,
Battelle, and the ASM Foundation
to develop approaches that promote
continuity and depth in STEM education
at the college-high school interface for
students in Ohio and beyond.
Andy brings considerable skill and
experience to this important activity.
He has an extensive background in the
sciences with a Bachelor’s degree in
Marine Geology from Eckerd College and
a Ph.D. in Geology from the University
of South Carolina (USC). Over the
past 10 years, he has taught extensively
both at the high school and collegiate
level. He taught high school Physics
and Earth Science classes from 1998 to
2001 before returning to school for his
Ph.D. in 2001. As a graduate student at
USC, he taught laboratory courses and
several undergraduate courses. At Metro,
Andy currently teaches Principles of
Engineering, Introduction to Engineering
Design, and Environmental Science. As
faculty advisor to the STEM Club, he has
mentored several teams to the National
Society of Black Engineers Regional and
National Lego Robotics Championships.
Andy’s innovative experiential techniques
demonstrate his enjoyment of teaching
and have provided his students with
mastery level concepts and ideas. We are
thrilled to have Andy on board and look
forward to developing novel approaches
for promoting STEM education by
redefining how recruiting and train-
ing happen
at this im-
portant
junc ture
in a
student’s
career.
Dr. Andy Bruening
Helping Teachers
Grow Talent in
Materials Science and
Technology
The Ohio Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math Learning
Network (OSLN), in conjunction with
Columbus-based Battelle and The Ohio
State University are working with the
ASM Materials Education Foundation
through a unique teacher capacity
building grant of $150,000.
This grant will enable ASM to continue
its partnership with Ohio State by
offering workshops for Ohio teachers and
Materials • Science • and • Engineering 19

expand the materials science curriculum

tools suitable for high schools. The grant
Humpty Dumpty, MSE-style
will enable the development of a new
How do you protect a raw egg from a six story drop without
pilot program which provides materials
slowing it down? Students in Assoc. Prof. Kathy Flores’ “MSE 361:
science “starter kits” of lab equipment
Introduction to the Mechanical Behavior of Materials” were assigned
and curricular tools to Ohio high school
this task as their final project in Spring ‘09. The project requires
teachers who have been trained by ASM
that the students consider how material deformation can dissipate
through its Materials Camp program.
the energy of an impact, similar to a bicycle helmet or armor
This pilot program will allow ASM to
plate. Parachutes, wings, or other means of intentionally slowing
prepare and launch a stand-alone high
the descent of the egg are not allowed. To further discourage
school-level materials course. The grant
unintentional “floaters”, the eggs also need to hit a specified target
includes OSLN designation of ASM as a
area.
“preferred provider” of materials science
professional development training for
A team-building exercise--as
teachers and schools offering courses. Ewww... Jackie Ohmura
well as a creative application
checks the results of her
of classroom concepts--the
The Department of Materials Science team’s drop.
course fielded eight groups
and Engineering at Ohio State will play a
of five students. Each group worked to design, construct,
key leadership role in forming a network
test, and analyze the performance of their protective
of high school teachers and schools in
egg-carrying devices. In order to prove that they had
Central Ohio focused on offering high
optimized their designs, the teams each constructed
quality materials courses. Prof. Glenn
and demonstrated two protective devices: one designed
Daehn, the Mars G. Fontana Professor
to protect the egg, and one with just enough protective
of Metallurgical Engineering at OSU will Keith Johnson and Holly
n material removed to allow the egg to break. A portion of
help launch the network. Oliver used Jello to cushio
the six-stor y fall . the group’s grade depended on minimizing the weight
difference between the “pass” and “fail” designs. Most
“We are thrilled to be recognized by
groups took a highly empirical approach to their designs, developing and testing several
OSLN and Battelle, who are the leaders
prototypes with drops from varying levels of the Arps parking garage.
in Ohio STEM education innovations,
working with a consortium of
The official “Drop Day” was June 4, 2009, when the students demonstrated their devices
government, education, and industry
with drops from the 6th floor of MacQuigg Labs onto the patio below. Members of the wider
leaders,” said ASM Foundation Board
MSE community, including several graduate students and faculty members, gathered in the
Chair, Dr. Raymond Decker. “Our
patio to hear students describe their designs and to cheer on the demonstrations. This year’s
partnership with Ohio State materials
solutions ranged from encasing the egg in bread slices in a peanut butter jar, to suspending
science and engineering faculty has
the egg in a flour-and-water mixture in an aluminum can placed in a coffee can filled with
proven very productive.”
water with a brick on the bottom. The MSE 361 Egg Drop 2009 highlights can be found on
the Department’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/osumaterials.
“For organizations such as Battelle,
the importance of investing in the
education of tomorrow’s scientists can
not be overestimated,” said Richard
Rosen, Battelle’s corporate vice president
for education and philanthropy
partnerships.

The ASM Materials Education

Foundation is located in Geauga County,
Ohio, and is the charitable educational
outreach arm of ASM International,
a non-profit, individual membership
organization representing 35,000 global
Assoc. Prof. Kathy Flores explains the rules of the MSE 361 Egg Drop. The contest always draws a big crowd!
members who are scientists, engineers,
and technical experts working in
industry, government research labs and
education in the high-tech arena of Grad School? Save the date!
materials science information.
The MSE department will host its annual Graduate Program Open House
January 29 & 30, 2010. For details, visit mse.osu.edu/goh.

mse.osu.edu
20 The • Ohio • State • Universit y

Student Congratulations 2009 Senior Class!

News
Front row, l-r: Jacob Portier, Amanda Lorenz, Olivia Rumpke, Brian Peterson
Second row: Dan Owsley, Kazuhiro Chisaka, Saurabh Sedha, Evan Standish, Meredith Herzog, Berk Gencer
Third row: Diandra Rollins, Caitlin Toohey, Mike Shnider, John Sosa, Angel Carrasquillo
Fourth Row: Tom Wynn, Steven Woodward, Greg Ebersole, Brad Meibers, Craig Vanderbilt, Jon Scholl

Senior Picture

Photo by Geoff Hulse

Summer Internship energy management and other energy- Accomplishments

Provides Experience related services. Its seven electric utility
operating companies comprise the
for the Coming nation’s fifth largest investor-owned
School Year electric system, based on serving 4.5
million customers within a 36,100-
Keith Johnson, a third-year MSE major, square-mile (93,000 km2) area of Ohio,
spent his summer as a lab technician Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; and its
at FirstEnergy Beta Labs located in generation subsidiaries control more
Mayfield, OH. than 14,000 megawatts of capacity. In
2007, FirstEnergy ranked 212 on the
FirstEnergy is “a diversified energy Fortune 500 list of the largest public
company headquartered in Akron, OH. corporations in America.” (source
Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved wikipedia.com)
in the generation, transmission, and
distribution of electricity, as well as Beta Labs is a lab set up in support for
FirstEnergy’s energy production plants
and outside companies in the energy,
chemical, refining, and automotive
industries. It contains water, oil, and
coal testing facilities, along with a fire
extinguisher lab, metrology lab, and
metallurgical lab.
Said Keith, “The metallurgical lab
always had work and from my short
stay there I felt like I gained a great look
ut into corrosion and high temperature
tEnergy quizzes Keith abo
Jeff Blough (right) of Firs e in a reh eate r metallurgical damage modes. All this,
on Fat igu
Internal Diameter Corrosi Me tall urgical just in time for third year course work!”
m of the OS U
tube. Jeff is an alu
S ‘72).
Engineering program (M
Greg Ebersole earned Honorable
Mention in the 2009 NSF Graduate
Research Fellowship Program. This is
a highly selective program and Greg’s
honor is rare and distinctive.
Lin Li received a $5,000 international
travel scholarship from the International
Center for Materials Research at
Santa Barbara. This will allow Lin to
pursue a collaboration with Helena
Van Swygenhoven at the Paul Scherrer
Institute in Switzerland.
Lauren Neufarth, Junior
in MSE from Liberty
Township, OH, received
the TMS Light Metals
Division Scholarship. Said
Lauren, “This generous
award greatly helped me
financially, but more so it helped me feel
reassured in myself and in my abilities
to continue to pursue and reach my
education and career goals. I am very
grateful for the confidence TMS has
shown to have in me, and this honor has
encouraged me to continue to work hard
Materials • Science • and • Engineering 21

and challenge myself. Thank you very

much.”
Daniel Paquet, a Ph.D. student working
with Prof. Somnath Ghosh was awarded
the Best Poster Award at the Physical
Metallurgy Gordon Research Conference
held on August 2-7, 2009. The objective
of the conference was to explore the
recent progress in use of computational
materials models to unify the science
and engineering of metallic materials.
Daniel presented his work on multi-
scale modeling of ductile fracture of cast
aluminum alloys.
Women in
Engineering Awards
Six MSE students were honored for their
academic excellence Februray 19, 2009
at the annual Women in Engineering
Banquet:
Top Academic Awards
Sophomore, Jacqueline Ohmura
Junior, Stacey Vansickle
Outstanding Academic
Awards
Senior, Amanda Lorenz
Junior, Elizabeth Martin
Sophomore, Tiffany Ngan
Senior, Caitlin Toohey
Foundry Educational
Mr. Herderick Goes to Washington
Edward D. Herderick was awarded the prestigious 2009-2010 Materials
Societies Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship. Ed will
spend one year working as a special legislative assistant on the staff of
one of Ohio’s U.S. Senators, Sherrod Brown. Activities involve conducting
legislative work, assisting in hearings and debates, preparing briefs, and
writing speeches. Fellows attend an orientation program on Congressional
and executive branch operations.
Ed received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering in August
2009. He received his BS (2005) and MS (2007) in MSE from Ohio State as
well. His graduate research has been done under the advisement of Prof.
Nitin Padture and has been focused on the synthesis, characterization,
and property measurement of metal-oxide-metal heterojunction nanowires. During his
graduate studies Ed was an NSF IGERT fellow (2005-08) and received a Diamond Award from
the American Ceramic Society (2008). In addition to his academic work, Ed has been an active
member of the campus community, serving on the OSU Council of Graduate Students and also
taking part in many outreach activities. His main area of policy interest is in improving the way
we generate, transmit, and consume energy to provide economic growth and strengthen national
security in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Student Awards
Congratulations to the following students who received department awards at the annual ASM-
Columbus meeting and Student Awards Night, April 15, 2009.
Outstanding The MSE Chair
Junior Scholar Award
To the outstanding senior
Award
Recognizing an scholar in the Materials
outstanding junior Science and Engineering
student. Program.
Justin Bennett Gregory Ebersole
Justin Bennett with
Prof. Kathy Flores

Foundation George R. St. R.E. ‘Ernie’ Greg Ebersole and

Christin Department Chair
Scholarship Pierre Award Prof. Rudy Buchheit
For scholarship Memorial
Recipients and professional Award
activities in the MSE For the student who best demonstrates
In April, 2008, the Central Ohio Chapter
department. how industrial experience has influenced
of the American Foundry Society
Evan Standish his or her educational development.
awarded a number of scholarships,
Evan Standish with
Olivia Rumpke
totaling $8600, to Ohio students.
Prof. Em. George St. Pierre

Angel Carrasquillo Alan

Berk Gencer J. Markworth Mars G. Fontana
Taylor Hopkins
Memorial Award Award
Daniel Owsley To the outstanding senior
To the student who best
Evan Standish scholar conducting
reflects the personal and
Evan Uchaker research in metallurgy.
professional talents of Prof.
Craig Vanderbilt John Sosa
Alan Markworth.
Aaron Washburn Caitlin Toohey
Caitlin Toohey with John Sosa with
Adam Young
Prof. Wolfgang Windl Prof. Glenn Daehn

mse.osu.edu
22 The • Ohio • State • Universit y

Denman Nanofiber Solutions wins 2009 Deloitte

Undergraduate Business Plan Competition at Fisher
Research Forum A team presenting
a newly patented
Among 522 students participating in
nanotechnology
the May, 2009 Denman Undergraduate
device won the 2009
Research Forum, were many MSE
Deloitte Business
undergraduate students. The Forum is
Plan Competition
an opportunity to showcase outstanding
on Saturday, May
student research and encourage all
16, 2009. The team,
undergraduates to participate in
Nanofiber Solutions,
research as a value-added element of
developed a start-
their education.
up business plan to
market nanofiber
Throughout the day the MSE students
mats to improve
displayed posters detailing their research,
screening and research
and answered questions from judges
in biomedical fields. l-r: Steve Karzmer (Calfee Corp.), John McEwan (Deloitte &
and the university public. Students
The winning team Touche), Ross Kayuha (CEO of Nanofiber Solutions), Assoc. Prof.
were judged by faculty, corporate, and John Lannutti, Jed Johnson, and Michael Camp of the Fisher
received $95,000 in College of Business.
external judges, with winners receiving
cash and services to
cash awards.
use as start-up funds to transform their idea into a thriving business.
Congratulations go to Diandra Rollins,
The Nanofiber Solutions team included Jed Johnson, a doctoral candidate in
whose project “Hollow Metal-Oxide
OSU’s Materials Science in Engineering; Assoc. Prof. John Lannutti, associate
Microshells for Advanced Gas Sensor
professor in the program; Brian Barnhart, an MBA candidate at Carnegie
Applications” earned third place in the
Mellon and alumni of the Ohio State MSE department (BS ‘05); and Ross
Forum’s Engineering category. Diandra’s
Kayuha, CEO at Columbus-based Strategic Thinking Industries. The student
project advisors were MSE Prof. Patricia
members of Nanofiber Solutions are all graduates of Ohio State’s Technology
Morris and then doctoral student Elvin
Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Academy offered by the Center for
Beach.
Entrepreneurship at Fisher College of Business. The programs and its leadership
have been recognized nationally for its innovative approach to the development
Nikolas Antolin: Structure
of entrepreneurial talent.
Determination of Non-Stoichiometric
SrTiO3 with Atomic Potentials
“Deloitte is pleased to sponsor the business plan competition particularly in this
Advisor: Wolfgang Windl
time when innovation and entrepreneurial spirit is so important for our country
and communities in stimulating the economy” said John McEwan, managing
Gregory Ebersole: Mathematical
partner of Deloitte’s Columbus office. “The business plans presented were
Modeling of the Mechanical Behavior
excellent and demonstrate the wonderful dreams and talent that reside at Ohio
of Engineered Skin
State.”
Advisors: Heather Powell, Peter
Anderson

Diandra Rollins: Synthesis and Evan Standish: Solidification

Top-bottom: Diandra Rollins,
Matthew Snider, Evan Standish,
Nikolas Antolin, John Sosa, Greg
Ebersole, Stacey
Vansickle
Characterization of Hollow Microshells
for Gas Sensors
Advisors: Patricia Morris, Elvin Beach
Matthew Snider: Sorption Behavior
of Amorphous Silica by High-pressure
TGA
Advisor: Hendrik Verweij
John Sosa: Exploration of Kinetic
Metallization on Deposited Particles
Advisors: Hamish Fraser, Peter
Collins
Modeling to Predict Dendrite Arm
Spacing
Advisors: Jerrald Brevick, Doru
Stefanescu
Stacey Vansickle: Fabrication of
Micropillars in the Cortical Region of
Bovine Bone
Advisors: Katharine Flores, Katrina
Altman
Materials • Science • and • Engineering 23

Engineering Service
Learning at OSU
by Elvin Beach, PhD ‘09

In the spring of 2008, I had the opportunity to travel

with a group of engineering students to Montana de
Luz, an orphanage for children living with HIV, in
south-central Honduras. The orphanage is built on
a hill overlooking the surrounding valleys filled with
sugar cane and two small villages.

Montana de Luz (MdL) houses between 30 and 40 children

and provides a nurturing environment, education, and medical
treatment for all of the children living there. It has continued
to expand during the past five years and adapt to the needs of
both the young and adolescent children living there.

A group of engineering students led by Prof. John

Merrill from the College of Engineering has been
venturing to MdL during spring break for several
years. During the winter quarter at OSU, projects
are identified with the director and on-site staff of
MdL that are implemented by teams of 3-4 students
per project during the trip. Our group addressed
several needs at MdL. Drinking water quality,
specifically high levels of arsenic in the water, was
measured and shown to be almost completely
removed with a three stage filtration system that
also reduced yearly filter replacement costs by several hundred Upper left: The Montana De Luz house in south-central Honduras. Upper right: Elvin and
dollars. Water quality for one of the villages located in the Saul, MdL Maintenance Supervisor, in the MdL workshop. Center: View from the MdL
valley below MdL was also assessed and an improved chlorine Orphanage. Lower left: 3:00 play time! Lower right: Spring Break 2008 OSU Engineers for
Community Service Group.
delivery system was designed, built and installed on site to
improve drinking water quality in the village where several of
the people who work at MdL live. There are plenty of opportunities of this nature at OSU.
The Engineers for Community Service (ecos.osu.edu) is a
Another group, led by Gabe Moulton from the Office student run organization that works both locally and
of Information Technology, set-up a computer lab with internationally and is a good place to start looking
computers and monitors donated from various computer to get involved. If anyone is interested to learn more
labs around OSU. The computer team also provided a cost about Montana de Luz, please visit their web-site
effective solution for satellite-based internet access to the (www.montanadeluz.org).
remote location where the orphanage is located. Other projects
included construction of a rainwater collection system to help As an aside, another student in MSE, Devin Braun,
grow vegetables in the gardens, insect and snake-proofing the a Junior in the program, also took part in the MdL
few on-site air conditioning units (seriously there were snakes work. His focus was primarily on water-related
in them), and building some durable soccer goals for the projects. Devin volunteered during Spring Break 2009
annual MdL soccer tournament. No matter the job, the kids and offers his thoughts about the experiences on the
were always enthusiastic to help and even more excited when MSE department’s blog. Be sure to read his May 7, Top R-L: Katie Kinstedt, Ben Yeger
3:00 play-time came around. 2009 entry found at osumaterials.wordpress.com. Bottom R-L: Amanda Verhoff, and
Devin Braun

The trip was very rewarding and fulfilling from the standpoint
of making some improvements around the complex, but even
more so just for the chance to meet and spend time with the Thank you for your service!
kids. Overall this was a great opportunity to meet new people,
travel to a new country all while making a contribution to The following students gave generously of their time and talents to
an organization which makes a huge difference in these kids’ serve as officers in the department’s MSE Club in 2008-2009:
lives. Brian Peterson, President Caitlin Toohey, Treasurer
Berk Gencer, Vice Pres. Olivia Rumpke, Secretary

mse.osu.edu
 24 The • Ohio • State • Universit y

Materials Science and Engineering

177 Watts Hall
2041 College Rd.
Columbus, OH 43210-1179

Editors: Rudy Buchheit, Heather Parsons Design: Mark Cooper Photos: Geoff Hulse, Megan Daniels, University Communications

Development
The MSE department wishes to thank each of its supporters for their generosity. It is by means of such kindness that this program is able to provide
our students with the high quality education that serves them so well. The generous donors below have assisted the Department at a level of
$100 or more over the last year. For more about how you can support the Department’s educational and research efforts, please contact us by
phone: (614) 292-2553; e-mail: mse@osu.edu; or visit mse.osu.edu/alumni.

Sheikh Akbar Carrie & Le Roy Gordon Michael Reidelbach Sr Altstetter Family Trust UAD
Lisa Allen Joyce Hannon Frederick Roehrig American Foundry Society-Illinois
Peter Anderson Richard Hannon Jr Jay Scharenberg Chapter
Joseph Bailey John & Martha Hirth Paul Schasney American Foundry Society-Wisconsin
Peggy Barron-Antolin Ronald Hughes David Stahl Chapter
Marjorie Bennett Robert Johnston Jr J Christian Stallsmith American Foundrymans Society-
Walter Bennett Linda & Allen Katz Donald Stickle Central Ohio Chapter
Burton Brubaker Ann & Ronald Kegarise Sigel & Mabel Stocker Ashland Incorporated
James Clum Trent Latimer John Varhola ASM International
Hendrik Colijn Dalton Lowe Yunzhi Wang Computherm LLC
Connie Cron Robert Matz Nicholas Warchol Cummins Business Services
Thomas & Leslie Croyle Charles Mayer S J Whalen DNV Columbus
Chandrashekhar Damle Dennis McGarry James Woolley Ecolab Foundation
Richard Daniel Steven McGinnis Peihui Zhang Foundry Educational Foundation
Earl Dietz William McKinnell Jr General Motors Corp-North American
Marie Ellinger Robert Miller Companies: Operations
William Ellinger Elizabeth Morin 3M Foundation L H Marshall Company
Carl Gartner Joseph Nachman AIST Foundation QIT-Fer et Titane Inc
Anne & Robert Geist Howard Pickering Alcoa Foundation The Dow Chemical Foundation