I’m thrilled to announce that I have transitioned from my role at Oxford Nanopore Technologies to embrace new challenges at Caudwell Marine . I am truly grateful for the invaluable experiences and incredible team I had the privilege to work with. Cheers to new adventures ahead! 🚀 #CareerChange #NewBeginnings

Multilingual professional with loads of Customer Service and Learning & Development skills. Always eager to learn and share my wisdom/knowledge

Looking Back on Aggies Invent: A Weekend of Innovation & Growth Hundreds of engineering students apply monthly to be part of this unique event. Aggies Invent: Advanced Manufacturing was one of the most intense and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Over 48 hours, my team and I tackled a critical challenge: reducing lithium battery volatility under heat and mechanical stress. Through collaboration and innovation, we explored advances in separator and electrolyte technology, ultimately theorizing a novel way to mitigate short circuits by using a combination of aramid fibers and Non-Newtonian fluids. The real test came when we presented our solution to Sandia National Laboratories' Defense Department heads. We didn’t just pitch an idea, we had to prove its technical feasibility, commercial viability, longevity, and production cost. It was an incredible learning experience, refining our ability to think critically under pressure and communicate complex ideas effectively. Taking home 2nd place in such a competitive environment was an amazing achievement, but the real win was the knowledge gained, the teamwork, and the problem-solving mindset that will stay with me. Looking forward to the next challenge!

Happy to share one of my collaborative research projects from my graduate studies, conducted with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been published in Advanced Functional Materials! 🎉 Our work, "Mechanically Reinforced Pseudosolid Polyelectrolyte Membranes via Layer-by-Layer Assembly for High-Performing Lithium-Metal Batteries", introduces an innovative approach to enhancing ionogels for next-generation lithium-metal batteries. By utilizing a layer-by-layer assembly strategy, we achieved significant improvements in mechanical strength and electrochemical performance, paving the way for safer and more efficient battery technologies. Grateful to my co-authors and collaborators for this incredible journey! Check out the publication here: https://lnkd.in/ekzeNerh #Research #LithiumBatteries #Innovation #Collaboration #AdvancedMaterials

Today, we are excited to announce a transformative $21M gift to the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering from CorDx founder Aiiso Yufeng Li (Jeff), with support from members of the Aiiso family – Jeff's wife, Aiiso DongDong Li (Doreen), Mac Chen, Haixia Yang, Monica Hu, and others at CorDx. "By investing in education, this gift will not just shape the future of the Chemical and Nano Engineering department at UC San Diego , but will also pave the way for research-fueled translational advancements to our global societal good," says Jeff. We hope this gift inspires others to do the same. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to support academia and other institutions that drive innovation and prepare the next generation of leaders dedicated to reaching beyond what is possible. #transformationalgift #engineering

A fascianting talk! (also arising ethical questions) Is biological inspiration the key to the future of engineering? Bioethicist Insoo Hyun sits down with Donald E Ingber, Founding Director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Professor of Bioengineering at Harvard's School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. Together they explore the profound impact of nature on engineering beyond the realms of cold, hard mathematics (it's not biomimicry). The fusion of scientific disciplines is driving advancements that were once thought to be the domain of science fiction. Highlights: 1) Now we could actually leverage biological principles to develop new engineering innovations. 2) "I always had an interest in nature and I always had an interest in how things work. I was always mechanically minded, but I also had, for whatever reason, natural interest in art without ever doing much art. .... I went to the art library, the biology, the physics library, chemistry lab, and I saw a theme about this... is the way nature built.... I think that's affected me from a very young time to not see boundaries between disciplines." 3) Ingber discussed how nature's ability to construct complex structures, like turning a caterpillar into a butterfly, can inspire engineering innovations. Using cells to create hybrid materials that merge biology with man-made structures is an example. 4) Success in biologically inspired engineering relies on collaboration across multiple disciplines, such as biology, physics, chemistry, and computer science. Ingber emphasized the importance of combining different perspectives to solve complex challenges. 5) The Wyss Institute focuses on healthcare and sustainability. Innovations include human organs-on-chips for medical testing and synthetic biology techniques to address environmental issues like carbon sequestration. The “organs-on-chips” project, which recreates organ functions using human cells, has influenced drug testing and regulation. This technology could reduce reliance on animal testing. 6) Ingber reflected on his career as a maverick in interdisciplinary science. He stressed the value of questioning authority and the potential of biologically inspired engineering to transform fields by breaking traditional boundaries. #biologicallyinspired #engineeringinnovation #natureandtechnology #bioethics #wyssinstitute #interdisciplinaryscience #syntheticbiology #organonchip #bioengineering #sustainabilitytech #futureofengineering #scienceandart #healthcareinnovation #carbonsequestration #polymathmindset https://lnkd.in/da3f7b9X

Ashley is smart, friendly and fun to be around. I'm glad she gets a shoutout today. #DayInTheLife of Ashley Schmidt, PhD our Applications Scientist for Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction, based in Madison, WI, USA. Ashley’s journey in solid state chemistry has taken her from studying semiconductors at Duquesne University, to discovering new quantum materials at the University of Texas at Dallas, and exploring Uranium-based superconductors at Los Alamos. A unifying thread in her work has been the use of single crystal X-ray diffraction to determine the material’s structure. At Bruker, Ashley educates and trains new crystallographers, assists experts with complex structures, and collects high-quality data to showcase Bruker’s technology. She loves teaching and empowering students to run their own crystals and model structures because she knows firsthand how transformative it can be. As Ashley puts it, “I remember how big of a deal it was for me to go from growing a brand new, never-before-created material to determining its structure. It was empowering to see the full cycle of the scientific process.” Outside of work, Ashley enjoys crafting, including cross-stitching, sewing, and crocheting. Did you know she transformed an old Bruker booth backdrop into a blazer? Now, that’s what we call combining creativity with sustainability! #BrukerAXSUncovered #RealPeopleRealStories #BrukerAXS #WorkingAtBruker

The future talent for developing exciting innovation is truly bright as showcased at this year's Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Over $9 million was awarded to brilliant young minds at Regeneron ISEF 2024, the world's largest pre-college STEM competition. 🏅✨ Top Honors included: 🏆 Grace Sun from Lexington, KY, won the $75,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award for developing a groundbreaking organic electrochemical transistor, potentially revolutionizing electronic medical devices. 🔬 Krish Pai from Del Mar, CA, also received $50,000 for his machine-learning software, Microby, which identifies genetically modifiable microorganisms to biodegrade plastics, offering a cost-effective recycling alternative. 🌊 Justin Huang and Victoria Ou developed an ultrasonic filtration system to remove microplastics from water, earning the Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations. 🧠 Ingrid Wai Hin Chan's multi-sensory therapy app for dementia patients garnered the Craig R. Barrett Award for Innovation. Developing these types of innovation is essential if we are to tackle the signifcant health and waste system challenges we see across the world. As George D. Yancopoulos of Regeneron noted, “These students push the boundaries of science and technology, creating positive, sustainable change for all humanity.” 🌟🌍 See the full summary here: https://lnkd.in/e6C-qDGq Photo Credit: Society for Science/Chris Ayers #Medtech #Sustainability #STEM #Innovation #YouthInScience #ISEF2024 #FutureLeaders #KeepInnovating

https://lnkd.in/gknie6aA | https://lnkd.in/gdsV7r4E Let’s discuss: When can we call a #thinfilm 2-dimensional? We explored new ways to define #2DMaterials by looking at different types like van der Waals ( #vdW ), #non -vdW, #crystalline , and #amorphous based on their #irreducibleThickness .  As science progresses, we need to keep these definitions up-to-date. We invite interdisciplinary discussions to update and refine our definitions #2DMaterials #MaterialScience #ThinFilms Perspective published in Current Opinion in Solid State & Materials Science #COSSMS FirstAuthor- Tobias Foller of UNSW Team Graphene - UNSW - UNSW Science

Very excited to share that Dr. Kara McCloskey , faculty Jason Sexton , Colleen Naughton, E.I., PhD , Erin Hestir , and Josue Medellin-Azuara , along with colleagues at The Ohio State University , North Carolina State University , Texas Tech University , and Caltech , just landed UC Merced's second NSF Engineering Research Center! Along with the IoT4Ag ERC, this makes our second active ERC. It is exceptional -- especially for an institution that is only 20 years old -- and we are very humbled to have this opportunity to create a steady national supply of natural rubber. This ERC will lead to breakthroughs in utilizing marginal agricultural lands, hydroponic systems, and new extraction methods. Importantly through the cultivation of guayule, we can replace imported goods with products made from domestic natural rubber. Our research activities will combine bioengineering discovery, new automated cultivation practices on the UCM Experimental Smart Farm, and new advances in biomanufacturing to create high-performance latex. This is a tremendous win and complements our💡 F3 Innovate investments, 🤖 AgAID Institute partnerships, and affiliations with ☀ BEAM Circular and 🔭 HawkTower. Exciting times here in the San Joaquin Valley: Priscilla K. , Karen Warner , Danny Bernstein , and Daniel Emilio Sabzehzar . (Have any guayule 🌵 growing tips?, please let Danny Royer and me know.) https://lnkd.in/gCSvbQpN

Yesterday, our PI Irene Fernandez-Cuesta hosted Prof. Jose Moran-Mirabal from McMaster University as part of our nanoscience colloquium. I had the pleasure to listen to his talk on tuning the interfacial functionalities of nanocellulose and the latest advancements in 3D bioprinting, which was nothing short of inspiring. It’s incredible to see the vast, untapped potential of nanocellulose-derived materials—especially in sustainable, innovative applications! After the talk, we continued the stimulating discussions during a lab tour over the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) campus. Exploring the synergy between cutting-edge research and practical solutions always leaves me very motivated! #Nanoscience #Sustainability #Bioprinting #CompositeMaterials #Nanotechnology #ResearchInnovation

The careers of the won't just be on 🌍 fer sure. #semiconductors will play a huge role in #LEO Low Earth Orbit economy and with #nycreates GlobalFoundries Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University at Albany College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE) right here in our backyard, the Capital Region is positioned to be at the forefront of the next economic frontier. As #educators and for those of us who are #parents , preparing #students for their future begins with our understanding today...we may not know what the exact jobs will be but we can surmise the necessary #skill set and academic foundation. We have ample resources...just need to build the pathways.