The rare earth metals are becoming increasingly applicable in our everyday life. The enormous importance of rare earths in the technology, environment, and economy is attracting scientists all over the world to investigate them starting from the extraction to the physical and chemical properties measurements.  Although a lot of works have been done on the experimentation of rare earths, the true understanding from theory and modeling on these materials is lagging behind.

The research goal of this project is to examine the impact of crystal orientations populations in metals on the stochastic fracture process.    The crystal orientation distributions provide a spatial basis for understanding mechanics material damage modeling.  The project will work with characterizing microstructures and determine a class of distributions using metallographic examination and crystallographic data.   The project will involve sample preparation, measurements and examination of stochastic processes in microstructure.

Engineering 3D biomimetic scaffolds that incorporate both biochemical and mechanical properties required for cell culturing is critical for many biotechnology applications. Hydrogel-based scaffolds are widely used due to their biocompatibility, tunable biochemical properties, and tissue-like water content. In contrast to hydrogels, microfibers have high mechanical strength and are used as the building blocks to create highly porous scaffolds.

We are interested in design, construction and characterization of flexible biodegradable materials. Flexible biodegradable materials can be used to make smart devices that disintegrate at a specific rate, under specific conditions. Smart devices utilizing this technology can be the platform for implantable electronics, drug-delivery systems, and biological sensors. There are numerous applications in medicine and biomedical device, one of them main advantages is that the need for surgical removal is eliminated.

High performance computing (HPC) is rapidly changing the way most scientific disciplines pursue science. The DMSE program of The Ames Laboratory is seeking a student with a background/ coursework in computer programming to modify and rewrite scientific code for use on High Performance Computers.