RESEARCH.
Studying Materials Science at the UW
Research, to me, is an exploration of the unknown. It requires embracing uncertainty, asking questions that may not have clear answers, and continuously pushing boundaries in pursuit of new knowledge. This mindset has shaped my academic and personal growth, and motivates my pursuit of advancing aerospace-grade additive manufacturing (AM) technology. This goal led me to a Ph.D. program at the University of Washington with Dr. Dwayne Arola, a leading professor in aerospace materials research. My work focuses on addressing the gap in material systems available for AM of flexible continuous fiber materials with high specific strength. During my Ph.D. program, I was honored with a College of Engineering Dean's Fellowship and an Achievement Reward for College Scientists, among other awards that have supported my research journey.
With this support, I have led a passionate team of materials science and engineering students, greatly improved my technical writing skills, and built my identity as a researcher in materials science and engineering. This work resulted in a first-author publication titled…
“Additive manufacturing with continuous ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene yarn," contributing to AM material advancements and next-generation armor systems.
Research Background
My research experience began at Western Washington University in Dr. Janelle Leger’s physics lab, where I was awarded two Jarvis Memorial Summer research awards so I could continue my work outside of the academic year. I pursued the development of plasmonic devices that could access guided-wave plasmonic modes that were previously thought to be forbidden. I contributed to the advancement of plasmonics research by designing and executing experiments in hopes of accessing these guided-wave plasmon polariton modes. Through this experience I discovered my interest for materials science and with Dr. Leger’s support applied to join the MSE program at the University of Washington. This work resulted in a publication titled…
"Excitation of 'forbidden' guided-wave plasmon polariton modes via direct reflectance using a low refractive index polymer coupling layer"