iMAPS New England 40^th Symposium and Expo

Recently, I was asked to be a symposium chair for the iMAPS New England 40^th Symposium and Expo. The event is the largest regional symposium dedicated to microelectronic and packaging. The event will be held on Tuesday May 7^th, 2013 at the Holiday Inn Boxborough Woods Conference Center in Boxborough, Massachusetts.

I will be organizing a technical session on current Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) challenges and solutions. We are currently accepting abstracts from now till January 1^st.  For more information visit the chapter website at http://www.imapsne.org/.

 

Boston University Energy Club Panel

I recently participated as a panel member for an Energy Club Career Panel discussion on October 4, 2012. The panel was the first event of the year Energy club, bringing together individuals from a range of energy related careers.  Some of the co-panelist included CEO’s of start-up companies, green energy investment managers, non-profit energy policy advisors and more.  I myself represented the academic energy research sector, speaking on my experiences in utilizing nanostructures for light emission and thin-film solar cell enhancement. The event was an incredibly fun and valuable experience for myself and for the attendees.  I thought the event was especially useful for undergraduates looking for advice and direction on the many paths one can take in the energy sector.  Great job by the Boston University Energy Club!

 

ASM Materials Camp at Boston University

I recently had the pleasure of participating in the first annual Boston-based ASM Materials Camp at Boston University on May 14^th 2012. Sixty-six sophomores and juniors from five Massachusetts high schools attended the event, sponsored by the New England Chapters of ASM International: the Materials Information Society, the College of Engineering and the College’s Division of Materials Science & Engineering. The daylong event featured talks and interactive demonstrations at the BU Photonics Center and the Engineering Manufacturing Building and Annex, a lunchtime Q&A session with BU students and industry professionals, and tours of College of Engineering undergraduate labs led by Engineering Dean’s Hosts.

For me this kind of event is the most rewarding use of my time. The future of America’s strength in science and technology depends on the interest and proficiency of our nation’s youth, school teachers, and the general public in math, science, and engineering. Throughout my career I plan to contribute to events that stimulate public knowledge and excitement around these disciplines.

 

New ACS Nano Letters Publication

Link to article

Founding of the Boston University MRS Chapter

In November of 2009, I attended the Fall Materials Research Society (MRS) annual meeting here in Boston.  Prior to the plenary speech, the president of MRS stood at the podium and thanked the many university chapters of MRS for their contributions to the society.  As the list of universities scrolled by, I was surprised to find that Boston University was not present.

The surprise comes in that Boston University has a rich history with MRS, a strong engineering program, and is the host city to the Society’s largest annual meeting.  These thoughts lead to conversations with fellow BU MSE graduate student Alket Mertiri and faculty members, culminating in the petition for the formation of a local MRS chapter at BU.

In the fall of 2010, Alket (vice president) and I (president) co-founded the MRS University Chapter at BU.  Our official chapter acceptance came at the 2010 Fall MRS meeting in Boston where I was presented with our official certificate by MRS president David Ginley (picture below).

The mission of the Materials Research Society Chapter at the Boston University is to promote communication for the advancement of interdisciplinary materials research to improve the quality of life.  The Chapter aims to build a dynamic and interactive local community of student and faculty materials researchers to advance technical excellence by providing a framework in which the materials disciplines can convene, collaborate, integrate and advocate.