Congratulations 2013 Boise State Foundation Scholar Award Recipient, Dr. Darryl Butt
Professor Darryl Butt, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has established himself as a premier scholar with 220 publications and more than $10 million in external funding. His multiple roles as graduate student mentor, past department chair, and associate director of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies provide evidence of a unique, inclusive approach to his research that invigorates colleagues and has advanced the careers of many students. The positions he has held, programs he has developed and students he has mentored paint a picture of devotion and professionalism in all aspects of his work.
Boise State Foundation Scholar Awards honor Boise State faculty members who have demonstrated ongoing commitment, expertise and accomplishments in teaching, research/creative activity or professionally related service.
MSE Assistant Professor, Claire Xiong Performs Research to Build a Better Battery
By: Kathleen Tuck Published 10:58 am / March 14, 2013
Squeezing more life out of Lithium-ion batteries is a high priority, given the fact that so many consumer electronics — particularly handheld devices — are powered by them. The Li-ion batteries are so popular because they have high energy to last longer than conventional batteries. On the flip side, they’re also less stable than their old-school cousins, leaving room for improvement.
“Battery safety and stability are critical and challenging problems for the life of a Li-ion battery,” said Claire Xiong, assistant professor of materials science and engineering and co-author of a study conducted with colleagues from the Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago.
Their findings were recently published in Physical Review Letters in a paper titled “Compositional Tuning of Structural Stability of Lithiated Cubic Titania via a Vacancy-Filling Mechanism under High Pressure.”
In a nutshell, the group looked at the problem from the bottom up, focusing on the stability of nanostructured battery materials. What they found was that some materials — in this case titania — are better able to handle high pressure, an analog to stress in battery systems, leading to long-term stability for Li-ion battery operation.
“The anode material, titanium dioxide (TiO2), is abundant in nature and extensively used in many industrial applications,” Xiong said, “and it is one of a few metal oxides that can intercalate Li-ions at reasonably low voltage for safe operation.”
Congratulations Megan Beck, TMS Undergrad Student Poster Contest Winner!
By Rebecca Mirsky
Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) junior Megan Beck was the undergraduate winner in the Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division in this year’s TMS Technical Division Student Poster Contest. Megan’s poster, “Dynamic Recrystallization of Stainless Steel 316L: A Comparison of Experimental Results to Computer Simulation,” was one of two winners (one undergraduate and one graduate) selected from each of the five TMS technical divisions to receive $500 awards. The poster contest was among several student activities at the annual meeting and exhibition, held March 3 – 7 in San Antonio, Texas. Megan is currently pursuing a triple major in Materials Science & Engineering, Mathematics, and Applied Mathematics, as well as a Minor in Physics. She is engaged in undergraduate research with MSE Associate Professor Megan Frary, along with her poster co-authors, MSE undergrads Koyuki Fritchman and Chris Stifter, and MSE graduate student Callum Poole.
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) is a professional organization that encompasses the entire range of materials and engineering, from minerals processing and primary metals production to basic research and the advanced applications of materials. The TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition is a global forum that attracts more than 4,000 materials science and engineering professionals representing industry, academia, and government. More than 70 students participated in this year’s poster contest.
Congratulations to Darryl Butt and Marc Bechard, named Boise State University’s Distinguished Professors.
By: Kathleen Tuck Published 3:20 pm / March 1, 2013
Two Boise State faculty have been designated Distinguished Professors, one of the highest honors that can be accorded to a faculty member. The title recognizes distinguished achievement in the combined areas of teaching, research and public service and is reserved for a small number of faculty who have made major contributions to their academic disciplines.
This year’s honorees are Darryl Butt and Marc Bechard. They will be recognized at a reception from 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, in the Student Union Barnwell Room. The campus community is invited to attend. Read more.
Boise State Team Develops Single-Crystal Pump for Miniaturized DNA Forensics
By: Sherry Squires Published 9:59 am / October 12, 2012
A Boise State University research team has developed a new type of micro pump that can be used in forensic DNA profiling. Their results are being published in the journal Smart Materials and Structures this month.
“The pump represents a giant leap in miniaturization,” said biology professor Greg Hampikian, who leads the team along with materials science professor Peter Müllner. Read More
Boise State Gets Approval for New Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering
Posted By Matt Pene | Dec 8th, 2011 – 4:08 pm | Posted In: College of Engineering, Top Story
The Idaho State Board of Education approved a new doctoral program in materials science and engineering at Boise State University that will prepare graduates to be technical leaders and high level engineers in various fields of materials production and research. The field is multidisciplinary in nature, combining elements of physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.
Boise State Engineers Create Miniature Plasma Source for Thrusters
Published 10:21 am – December 6, 2011
A miniature plasma source for a micro-propulsion system developed and tested by Boise State engineering researchers could help move small satellites and enable them to maintain a position while in orbit.
The propulsive force in the miniature, inductively coupled plasma source is generated by electricity rather than combustion. In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas, where a portion of the particles are ionized. The new system is a result of research on electric propulsion in low-temperature, co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials. The engineers designed and tested a system that provides high-density plasma by using the gas argon as a propellant and injecting it into a thrust chamber to move small objects like a satellite.
Boise State Receives $1 Million Keck Foundation Grant to Pioneer a Novel Disease Detection System
Published 11:11 am – August 17, 2011
By Frank Zang
Boise State researchers have received the university’s first grant from the prestigious W.M. Keck Foundation. The $1 million, three-year charitable grant will support development of an inexpensive and portable system that could provide early-stage diagnosis through a simple blood test and lead to treatment of hundreds of diseases from cardiovascular to neurological.
$13 Million Gift from Micron to Advance Materials Science Will be Largest in Boise State History
Published 9:19 am – May 5, 2011
By Frank Zang
Boise State University today announced that Micron Technology Inc. has committed $13 million to the College of Engineering for the development of a Ph.D. program in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) — the largest gift to the university in its nearly 80-year history.
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Stephanie Barnes Recipient of Boise State’s Top Academic Award
Posted on April 2, 2011 by BlakeRapp
Stephanie Barnes, Lead Undergraduate Assistant, received the Top Ten Scholar Award, Boise State’s most prestigious academic award. For more on the story, click here.
Lead Undergraduate Research Assistant Accepted into Caltech Graduate Program
Posted on March 5, 2011 by BlakeRapp
Lead Undergraduate Research Assistant Stephanie Barnes has been accepted into Caltech’s Bioengineering Graduate Program. Congratulations to Stephanie!
Undergraduate Research Group Members Receive Awards
Posted on March 5, 2011 by BlakeRapp
Jessie Minick and Ryan Thompson were recipients of awards from the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers. Jessie received the Materials Science & Engineering Outstanding Idaho Society of Professional Engineers Junior of the Year Award. Ryan was the runner up for the ECE Outstanding Idaho Society of Professional Engineers Junior of the Year Award. Congratulations to Jessie and Ryan!
Former Lead Undergraduate Research Assistant Receives Research Award
Posted on March 5, 2011 by BlakeRapp
Former research group member and Lead Undergraduate Research Assistant, Dave Estrada, who is now pursuing a PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, was recently named the recipient of the 2011 John Bardeen Memorial Graduate Research Award. He also received a best paper award and a best poster award at two consecutive conferences that he attended for his research in imaging power dissipation in carbon nanotube thin film transistors. More on this story can be found here.
Professor Hughes Receives New Appointment to Research Council
Posted on March 5, 2011 by BlakeRapp
Professor Will Hughes, was recently appointed to the Research Council of the Mountain States Tumor & Medical Research Institute (MSTMRI) of Saint Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise. A PI in the Nanoscale Materials & Device Group, Dr. Hughes has been an Affiliate Faculty of MSTMRI since March, 2010.
New Issue of Boise State Explore Magazine Highlights Research Excellence
January 28th, 2011
From DNA nanotechnology research to pygmy rabbit studies and an inside look at the university’s technology transfer programs, the latest issue of Boise State Explore Magazine offers lively stories and photos featuring faculty and students engaged in a variety of research endeavors.
The cover story for Boise State Explore 2011 features engineering professor Bernard Yurke and his pioneering research in DNA nanotechnology.
Spreading the Word: Why Science Outreach Matters
January 11th, 2011
Amy Moll, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, is featured in a video interview filmed at the fall 2010 meeting of the Materials Research Society, for which she is chair of the Public Outreach Committee.
The clip is part of a series posted on the Institute of Physics website, Physics World. Called, “Spreading the Word: Why Science Outreach Matters,” Moll’s segment can be viewed here.
NOVA Series and STEM Collaborative Share Wonders of Materials Science
Posted By Erin Ryan | January 11th, 2011
From computer guts to spacecraft skins and biomedical robots, technology is driven by materials — the metals, ceramics, polymers and composites from which the modern world is made. They are the focus of a new NOVA series, and the nationwide premiere on Jan. 19 will anchor dynamic educational opportunities throughout the state made possible by a unique partnership.
Five Recognized for Contributions to CAES
BY KORTNY ROLSTON September 15, 2010
The Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) recently honored five employees from its partner institutions for their contributions to CAES and its mission. Jennifer Ambrose of Boise State University, Cheryl Hanson of Idaho State University, Joanna Taylor of University of Idaho and Mitch Meyer of Idaho National Laboratory were named CAES Outstanding Employees while Dr. Darryl Butt, a BSU professor and CAES associate director, received a special achievement award. This is the first year CAES has given out the awards. (continue reading)
Two Materials Graduate Students Receive NRC Fellowships
Two Materials Science and Engineering graduate students, Tram Bui and Davis Daniel, were recently awarded Nuclear Materials Fellowships for the 2010-2011 academic year by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Both students graduated with their Bachelors of Science in Materials Science and Engineering in May 2012 and are now pursuing graduate degrees in MSE at Boise State. (continue reading)
Collaborative Team Earns Grant from the National Science Foundation
In July 2010, one of the University’s powerhouse interdisciplinary research teams – led by Dr. Bernie Yurke (MSE) with co-PIs Drs. Bill Knowlton (MSE/ECE), Will Hughes (MSE), Jeunghoon Lee (Chemistry) and Wan Kuang (ECE) – was awarded $775,000 from an NSF Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) grant for “Self-Assembling Nanophotonic and Nanoelectronic Devices on DNA Nanobreadboards.”
Faculty and Students Published in American Chemical Society Journal
In 2010, a team of MSE faculty and students, led by Drs. Will Hughes, Bill Knowlton, Bernie Yurke, and Elton Graugnard had their paper, “Programmable Periodicity of Quantum Dot Array with DNA Origami Nanotubes,” published in Nano Letters.
Bill Knowlton (front left) and Will Hughes (front right) stand with their extensive student research team in the AFM Lab at Boise State University.