Faculty

Keivan Esfarjani is theoretical and computational materials scientist.  He has pioneered a method to compute phonon lifetimes and thermal conductivity of solids from density functional calculation of force constants. He has held appointments at the Institute for Materials Research of the Tohoku University, UC Santa Cruz and MIT, among others.

Jerrold Floro's research is to investigate and exploit nanoscale self-assembly and pattern formation in inorganic materials, to enhance properties and develop material functionality. Techniques include vapor phase thin film growth, laser processing, melting and rapid solidification, powder processing, and solid-state phase transformations.

Our group focuses on the synthesis of well-defined nanoparticles, their dispersion into polymer solutions and melts, and their suspension rheology. With our fundamental studies, we seek to optimize processing to achieve a desirable microstructure in industrial suspensions, and to set a foundation for developing constitutive rheological models.

Dr. Helge Heinrich joined the NMCF as the Principal Scientist for High-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, with expertise in focused ion beam sample preparation and cross sectional electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) from the University of Central Florida.

Patrick E. Hopkins is a Whitney Stone Professor in Engineering at the University of Virginia, with a primary appointment in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and courtesy appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Physics. He is also the director of the ExSiTE Lab.

James M. Howe's research focuses on: i) the application of in-situ high-resolution and analytical transmission electron microscope techniques to study mechanisms of phase transformations and the structure and properties of interphase boundaries at the atomic level, and ii) the use of valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy (plasmons). 

Ihlefeld is a Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments at the University of Virginia. His group studies the process-structure-property relations in ferroelectric, dielectric, and ion-conducting oxides and uses this fundamental knowledge to improve material performance.

Professor Emeritus, Materials Science and Engineering