Chris Ulmer | Motta Group

Advanced nuclear reactor designs push the operational requirements for materials, including tolerance to radiation damage whereby atomic displacements produce defects in the microstructure. Accelerated irradiation testing of materials is possible in the laboratory setting through ion irradiation, and its ability to reproduce real conditions is quantified by transmission electron microscope microstructural characterization and comparison to in-reactor irradiation.

Rare earth elements are used in the manufacture of lighter and stronger materials for energy applications such as gas turbines and wind and power systems, defense applications, electronics, and the medical industry.  2017 data indicates that the US is 100% import dependent for 21 of the 50 non-fuel mineral commodities. This dependence poses a national security threat and as such the US DOE, DOD, and DOI are actively pursuing research and development efforts in this area to expand domestic production. Penn State along with other industrial partners is involved in research efforts to develop physical separation and chemical methods to concentrate rare earths and other critical elements from coal and other waste products. This talk will outline the multidisciplinary nature and challenges in this task that require collaborations across several disciplines.

Sarma Pisupati | Center for Critical Materials

Over the past seven years, part of my research has focused on the use of nanoscale and microscale fillers as a strategy to transform the performance of polymers by providing new mechanisms to engineer dielectric, magnetic and coupled functionality, with important implications in actuation, energy harvesting and energy storage. The goal of the talk, which seeks to assess my interdisciplinary experiences with colleagues and students at Penn State and other institutions, is to provide an example of critical self-refection that might prove useful to colleagues interested in making sense of their own collaborative research and teaching practice.

Sarah Eichler | White Lab

Project Drawdown has used peer-reviewed research to assess the costs and impact of over 80 solutions to reverse global warming. The portfolio of solutions is broad and sometimes surprising, including not just energy, buildings and transportation but also chemicals and materials, food systems and land use, and gender equity. Adoption of drawdown solutions will require highly interdisciplinary teams and multiple levels of agency to identify and implement at the local scale. In this talk I will highlight four farmer-powered solutions that can store many gigatons of carbon. These agricultural land management solutions contribute to better food security and can increase farm profitability while empowering farmers to become agents of positive change.

Maryam Tilton | Manogharan Group

With an expanding global population the demand for bone and joint reconstruction surgeries has increased. Unfortunately, in the case of significant bone trauma such as bone cancer and major fractures, modern implants are not always optimized and often result in postoperative complications which require additional surgery. This talk will highlight additive manufacturing (AM) as a possible strategy to develop personalized orthopedic implants with improved fixation, reduced bone-implant interface instability and, improved bone resorption.

Helene Hopfer | Food Science

Sensory & Consumer Science is an interdisciplinary field of research that connects chemistry, and materials science, with psychology, human physiology, and neurobiology. At Penn State’s Sensory Evaluation Center (SEC) in the Food Science department, we utilize humans as instruments to evaluate food, but also use food to understand human perception. I will share examples of our research that demonstrate how materials science and chemistry can be used to develop more healthy and longer-lasting food products.