Seminars

Welcome to the PAMS department seminars!

Attending seminars is a great way to expand your knowledge in our areas of physics, astronomy, and materials science. Invited faculty from other universities and from MSU, PAMS alumni students, and speakers from the industry give talks on their research/work. Members of the PAMS department are highly encouraged to attend our seminars and the MSU community as a whole is also more than welcome to attend.

Kemper Hall 204
Thursdays, 4:00 p.m.

(unless otherwise noted)

See the CNAS Events for other college seminars.
List of previous seminars.

Fall 2023 Seminar Schedule

Date	Speaker	Title
8/24	1st week of classes	No seminar
8/31	PAMS Faculty	Faculty Research in the Department
9/7
9/14
9/21 Zoom	Dr. Steven Harrellson Columbia University	Hydration Solids
9/21 Zoom	Note! This is a Zoom seminar: https://missouristate.zoom.us/j/96444437857 Dr. Harrellson is an alumni of PAMS Abstract: Hygroscopic biological matter in plants, fungi and bacteria make up a large fraction of Earth’s biomass. Although metabolically inert, these water-responsive materials exchange water with the environment and actuate movement and have inspired technological uses. Despite the variety in chemical composition, hygroscopic biological materials across multiple kingdoms of life exhibit similar mechanical behaviors including changes in size and stiffness with relative humidity. In this talk, I will discuss atomic force microscopy measurements on the hygroscopic spores of a common soil bacterium and the development of a theory that captures their mechanical behavior. This theory, based on the disruption of water structure, explains an extreme slowdown of water transport and successfully predicts a strong nonlinear elasticity. These results indicate that water not only endows biological matter with fluidity but can also provide rigid support. This unique behavior is why we call these materials “Hydration Solids”.
9/28	Austin Shearin SynTouch, Inc.	What I thought I learned, what I actually learned, and what I wished I learned from getting a bachelors in Physics
9/28	Shearin is an alumni of PAMS Abstract: This will be a discussion of how my degree in physics affected my career. I will discuss some of my misconceptions regarding the knowledge I obtained from pursuing a degree in physics. I'll fill you in on the things I wish I had focused on more while still in school. I'll also review some general suggestions about entering the job market and starting a career based on some of the pitfalls I have experienced.
9/29	Dr. Ariful Haque Texas State University	(i) Fully funded Ph.D. opportunities in MSEC at Texas State University (ii) UWBG Carbon for Electronic Applications
9/29	Note! This is a Friday seminar at 3:00 pm in Kemper Hall 206 Dr. Haque is an alumni of PAMS Abstracts: (i) The materials science, engineering & commercialization (MSEC) Ph.D. program at Texas State University is a multidisciplinary program with a priority on advanced materials science/engineering research, education, and commercialization. The MSEC offers students (from diverse backgrounds, i.e. Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Nanotechnology, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and other engineering disciplines) a unique multidisciplinary experience where they conduct research with state-of-the-art cleanroom/ fabrication and characterization equipment, and simulation tools. Very recently, the MSEC has decided to significantly increase the number of doctoral instructional assistant and doctoral research assistant lines with an attractive package, which includes stipend, tuition support, supply/travel support, etc., for the Spring and Fall of 2024. I will provide an overview of the MSEC program, the research opportunities/facilities, the research interest of the faculty members, the application requirements, the details of the funding opportunities, and what’s next after obtaining the degree. I will also share tips on preparing a good application package to enhance the chance of securing an assistantship/funding. (ii) Metastable forms of carbon with ultrawide bandgap electronic properties, such as diamond and Q-carbon (short form of ‘quenched phase of carbon’), demonstrate remarkable structural, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties for different electronic and energy-related applications. In the second segment of this seminar talk, I will provide an overview of the fabrication aspects of different useful nano and microstructures of diamond and Q-carbon by nanosecond pulse laser annealing and chemical vapor deposition techniques. These novel structures of carbon demonstrate excellent electron field emission for electronic applications which will be illustrated in this presentation.
10/5	Dr. Saikat Talapatra Southern Illinois University	TBA
10/12	Fall break	No seminar
10/19 Zoom	Dr. Chenfeng Cao Hongkong University of Science and Technology	TBA
10/26 Zoom	Dr. Halya Hodovanets Missouri University of Science and Technology	TBA
11/2	Dr. Kurt Brorsen University of Missouri	TBA
11/9	Dr. Andrew Meng University of Missouri	TBA
11/16	Dr. Elisabeth Mills University of Kansas	TBA
11/23	Thanksgiving holiday	No seminar
11/30	Dr. Mohammadreza Momenitaheri University of Missouri, Kansas City	TBA
12/7	Last week of classes	No seminar
12/14	Finals' week	No seminar

Previous Seminars

Spring 2023

Date	Speaker	Title
2/2	Simon Batzner Harvard University	Equivariant Interatomic Potentials
2/9	Dr. Deepak Singh University of Missouri	Designer Magnet with Fundamental and Practical Implications
2/23	John Dagdelen University of California, Berkeley	Natural Language Processing for Accelerating Scientific Breakthroughs
3/2	Dr. Julia Medvedeva Missouri University of Science and Technology	Fundamentals of Amorphous Oxide Semiconductors
3/9	Isaac Laseter University of Wisconsin-Madison	The JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES): The First Results from the Deepest Observations of the Universe to Date
4/13	Dr. Sheng Ran Washington University in St. Louis	Spin-triplet Superconducting State in the Nearly Ferromagnetic Compound UTe₂
4/27	Dr. Yijia Gu Missouri University of Science and Technology	Phase-field Modeling of Ferroelectrics: Polarization Rotation and Flexoelectricity
5/4	Dr. Bret Lehmer University of Arkansas	An X-ray Perspective on the Evolution of Galaxies Throughout the Universe

Fall 2022

Date	Speaker	Title
8/25	Dr. Arthur Mar University of Alberta	Materials Discovery through Machine Learning: Experimental Validation and Interpretable Models
9/15	Dr. Katharine Flores Washington University in St. Louis	High-throughput Investigations of Phase Formation and Mechanical Properties in Complex Metallic Alloys
9/29	Alex Miller ThermAvant Technologies	2010 Alumni Update: Career Paths, Thermal Management R&D, and In-state Job Opportunities
10/20	Dr. Alice Bean University of Kansas	Experimental Particle Physics and Tracking Detectors
11/3	Dr. Daniel Moreno Missouri State University	Exploring the Limits of Electrosorption-Based Electrodes for Capacitive Deionization Using Thermodynamic Principles
11/10	Dr. Manashi Nath Missouri University of Science and Technology	The Story of Transition Metal Chalcogenides: Multifaceted Electrochemical Applications for Energy Conversion, Storage, Sensing & Catalysis
12/1	Dr. Ruma Dutta Missouri State University	Multiple Attractor in Tumor Immune Dynamics

Spring 2022

Date	Speaker	Title
1/27	Christian Stepien (PAMS)	Analysis of Thorium Ions in Chloride Aqueous Solutions using Raman Spectroscopy
2/10	Devon Romine (PAMS)	Modeling Atomic Layer Deposition of Alumina as an Ultra-Thin Tunnel Barrier Using Reactive Molecular Dynamics
2/16	Bandon Decker University of Missouri-Kansas City	Stellar Mass Properties of Infrared-selected High-redshift Galaxy Clusters from MaDCoWS
2/17	Emily Justus (PAMS)	Applications of a Combined Approach of Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations and Machine Learning to Model Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) of Metal Oxides
3/3	Dr. Mahmud Reaz Microchip Technology Inc.	Reliability of Silicon Devices - Hot Electron Effects
3/10	Dr. Corrinne Mills University of Illinois-Chicago & Fermilab	Baryogenesis, Higgs Bosons, and What's Next
3/24	Dr. Guang Bian University of Missouri-Columbia	Cloning of Dirac Electrons in Graphene/SiC Heterostructure
3/29	Farhan Ishrak (PAMS)	Investigations of Mn-Co-NiO Based Heterostructured Nanocrystals
3/29	Sharif Uddin (PAMS)	A Study of Bimagnetic CoO/NiFe₂O₄ Heterostructured Nanoparticles
3/31	Dr. Soumitra SenGupta Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science	Gravitational Wave: The Song of the Cosmos
4/7	Dr. Xiaobo Chen University of Missouri-Kansas City	Chasing Clean Energy and Environment Dream with Nanoscience: Photocatalysis, Rechargeable Battery, Hydrogen Production & Others – A Brief Summary of Our Past Research
4/21	Ripon Saha University of Missouri-Kansas City	Identifying Large-scale Structures Using Dust-obscured Galaxies (DOGs) as Signposts 9-10 Billion Light-years Away
4/28	Dr. Tommy Sewell University of Missouri-Columbia	Predicting Multiscale Responses of Organic High Explosives Subjected to Thermo-Mechanical Extremes
5/5	Dr. Xiangbo (Henry) Meng University of Arkansas	Atomic & Molecular Layer Deposition (ALD/MLD) for Emerging Research Studies
5/12	Dr. Hiro Nakamura University of Arkansas	Angle-resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy: 2D Materials and Heterostructures

Fall 2021

Date	Speaker	Title
9/2	Rifat Ara Shams (PAMS)	Study of Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties of Copper Oxide Phase Mixture Thin Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition
9/9	Bishwajite Karmakar (PAMS)	Study of Structural and Magnetic Properties of Ni-NiO Thin Films
9/16	Dr. Adam Brandt (alum) Colorado State University & NIST	A Measurement of the 2S_1/2 - 8D_5/2 Transition in Hydrogen
9/23	Dr. Conal Murray IBM T.J. Watson Research Center	Investigating Material Improvements in Superconducting Qubits
9/30	Dr. Shun Saito Missouri University of Science and Technology	Cosmic Acceleration and the Role of Galaxy Surveys
10/14	Dr. Yicheng Guo University of Missouri - Columbia	Dissecting Distant Galaxies: How Sub-structures Shed Light on Galaxy Formation and Evolution
10/21	Dr. Maria Mills University of Missouri - Columbia	Force-based Detection of Sub-millisecond Topo-isomerase IA Dynamics
10/28	Dr. Wai-Lun Chan University of Kansas	Turning Light into Electricity – How Excitons Dissociate at van der Waals Interfaces
11/4	Emily Justus (PAMS)	Applications of a Combined Approach of Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations and Machine Learning to Model Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) of Metal Oxides
11/11	Devon Romine (PAMS)	Modeling Atomic Layer Deposition of Alumina as an Ultra-thin Tunnel Barrier using Reactive Molecular Dynamics
11/18	Dr. Damena Agonafer Washington University in St. Louis	Bioinspired Evaporative Cooling for High Heat Flux Applications
12/2	Dr. Rizal Hariadi Arizona State University	Understanding Molecular Machines using Protein and DNA Origami Nanoarrays
12/9	Dr. Jingyi Chen University of Arkansas	Controlling Three Dimensional Morphology of Nonprecious Metal-Based Nanostructures

Spring 2021

Date	Speaker	Title
1/21	Dr. Jason Jackiewicz New Mexico State University	Seismology of Sun and Stars
1/28	Dr. Michael Gordon Æsir Technologies	Nickel-Zinc Battery Research Opportunities
2/4	Kwabena Asante Boahen (PAMS)	**Modeling of Argon Bombardment and Densification of Low-temperature Organic Precursors using Reactive Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Machine Learning
2/11	Dr. Oliver C. Grant Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia	Virus-Receptor Interactions of Glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Human ACE2 Receptor
3/2	Bikash Timalsina (PAMS)	Development of EAM and RF-MEAM Potential to Study Thermal Properties of Zirconium Diboride
3/2	Bishwajite Karmakar (PAMS)	Tuning Physical Properties of ZnO for Optoelectronics Applications
2/25	Dr. Cathy Wong University of Oregon	In Situ Transient Absorption Spectroscopy During Materials Formation
3/4	Dr. Robert Baker National eXtreme Ultrafast Science (NeXUS), Ohio State University	Watching Electrons Move at Interfaces: Visualizing Charge and Spin Dynamics Using Ultrafast XUV Spectroscopy
3/11	Alin Niraula (PAMS)	Transport Properties of Binary and Doped Diborides
3/11	Abiodun Odusanya (PAMS)	A Study of Laser-assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Technique to Grow Carbon-based Materials
3/25	Shannon Dulz (PhD student, alum) University of Notre Dame	Cold Exoplanets: Ground-based Direct Imaging and Population Studies Planning for Future Space Missions
4/8	Dr. Vashti Sawtelle Michigan State University	Research on Inclusive Practices: Supporting Two-Year College Transfer Students in the Physics Community
4/15	Dr. Ryan Behunin Northern Arizona University	Noise in Integrated Photonic Brillouin Lasers
4/22	Dr. Marilu Perez Garcia Ames National Laboratory	Designing Ligands with Predetermined Metal Ion Selectivity using Electronic Structure Theory, Machine Learning, and Molecular Mechanics
4/23	Rifat Ara Shams (PAMS)	Electrical and Optical Properties of CuO-Cu₂O Phase Mixture for Solar Cell Application
4/29	Joshua Kern (PhD student, alum) Clemson University	Using ro-vibrational Emission from Protoplanetary Disks in Order to Observe Accretion and Planet Formation in Action
4/30	Abu Zobair (PAMS)	Effect of Pulsed Laser Annealing on the Optoelectronic Properties of ZnO Thin Films
4/30	Sajal Islam (PAMS)	Simulation and Fabrication of All Oxide Based Glass/ITO/TiO₂/CuO/Au Heterostructure for Solar Cell Application

Fall 2020

Date	Speaker	Title
9/3	David Magness (PAMS)	Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations of Atomic Layer Deposition
9/3	Tauhidul Islam (PAMS)	Study of Size-controlled CoO@MnFe₂O₄ Core-shell Nanoparticle
9/10	Dr. Matthew Horton Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory	Democratizing Access to Materials Science with the Materials Project
9/17	Nadib Akram (PAMS)	A Raman Study of Actinide Complex Species in Aqueous Chloride Solutions at High P-T Conditions
9/17	Sudha Krishnan (PAMS)	Exploring Topological Weyl Semimetals Isostructural to YbMnBi₂ and Co₂MnGa
9/24	Dr. Andrew Mason University of Central Arkansas	Do They Care, and Does It Matter? An Analysis of Learning Goals and Perceived Relevance of Introductory Physics to Life Science Majors
10/1	Dr. Jessica Krogstad University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	Exploring the Potential of Concentrated Point Defects: Their Role in Mass Transport, Microstructural Evolution and Material Functionality
10/15	Dr. Paul Canfield Ames National Laboratory & Iowa State University	Cooking, Fishing and Jogging through Phase Space: A Practical Guide to Discovering and Understanding New Materials
10/22	Dr. Dilpuneet Aidhy University of Wyoming	Properties of Concentrated Alloys Predicted from Atomistic Calculations and Machine Learning
10/29	Abiodun Odusanya (PAMS)	A Study of Laser-assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Technique to Grow Carbon-based Materials
10/29	Sajal Islam (PAMS)	TiO₂-CuO Heterostructure Solar Cell for Cost Effective and Better Optoelectronic Properties
11/5	Alin Niraula (PAMS)	Predicting Thermal Conductivity of High Temperature Ceramics (Diborides)
11/5	Abu Zobair (PAMS)	Effect of Pulsed Laser Annealing on ZnO Thin Films
11/12	Dr. Alannah Hallas University of British Columbia	Competing Orders and Phases in Pyrochlore Magnets
11/19	Bikash Timalsina (PAMS)	EAM and RF-MEAM Interatomic Potential Development to Study Thermal Properties of Zirconium Diboride
12/3	Dr. Catherine Espaillat Boston University	A Panchromatic View of Variability in Protoplanetary Disks

Spring 2020

Date	Speaker	Title
1/23	Yuxuan Lu (PAMS)	Reactive MD Simulation on the Formation of Amorphous Sub-nano Alumina Layer
1/23	Moudip Nandi (PAMS)	Synthesis and Characterization of Barium Titanate and Carbon-based Core-Shell Nano Particles
1/30	Abdullah Shafe (PAMS)	Magnetic Properties of NiO Based Magnetic Heterostructured Nano Crystals (MHNCs)
1/30	Joy Roy (PAMS)	Fabrication of CFO@C Core/Shell Nanoparticles by Laser Ablation
2/6	Dr. Mallory Molina Montana State University	Resolving Black Hole and Star-Formation Activity in Nearby Galaxies
2/7	Dr. Mallory Molina Montana State University	Towards a More Inclusive Astronomy: Building Community for All in Academia
2/13	Christopher Robledo (PAMS)	Heterostructure of 2D Materials
2/13	Shahidul Asif (PAMS)	Study of ZnO for Thin Film Transistor
2/20	Dr. Bharat Ratra Kansas State University	The Accelerating Expanding Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Einstein's Cosmological Constant, or Why Jim Peebles was Awarded Half of the 2019 Physics Nobel Prize
2/27	Dr. Wouter Montfrooij University of Missouri, Columbia	Does Spontaneous Fragmentation of a Magnetic Lattice Lead to Heavy Fermion Behavior?
3/5	Dr. Ariful Haque (alum) North Carolina State University	Fabrication of Q-carbon and Diamond Films by Ultrafast Laser Processing and Deposition for Electron Field Emission and Electrocatalysis Applications

Fall 2019

Date	Speaker	Title
8/29	Rajan Khadka (PAMS)	Study of Amorphous Boron Carbide (a-B_xC) Materials using Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Hybrid Reverse Monte Carlo (HRMC)
8/29	Muztoba Rabbani (PAMS)	Development of Multicomponent EAM Potential for Ni Based SuperAlloy
9/5	Hayley Sohn (PhD student, alum) University of Colorado Boulder	Active Liquid Crystal Skyrmions
9/12	Sabila Kader Pinky (PAMS)	Molecular Dynamics (MD) Study of Creep Deformation in Ni-based Superalloy
9/19	Moudip Nandi (PAMS)	Synthesis and Characterization of Oxide Carbide Core Shell Nano Particles
9/19	Joy Roy (PAMS)	Fabrication of CFO@C Core/Shell Nanoparticles by Laser Ablation
9/26	Abdullah Shafe (PAMS)	Structural and Magnetic Properties of NiO@Mn_xNi_1-xO Core-Shell Nanoparticles Synthesized at Varying pH Values
9/26	Sinjan Majumder (PAMS)	Development of a CVD Assisted PLD System for Growing Thin Films
10/3	Dr. Alexander Kozhanov Georgia State University	Spin Waves in Structured Ferromagnetic Materials
10/16	Dr. Lloyd Lumata University of Texas Dallas	Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance: Enhancing NMR and MRI Signals by >10,000-fold for Real-Time Metabolic Assessment of Cancer
10/24	Dr. Marco Cavaglià Missouri University of Science and Technology	Unraveling the Universe's Deepest Mysteries with Gravitational Waves
10/31	Dr. Rao Khan Washington University in St. Louis	Keeping Physics Relevant in Ever-changing Practice of Radiological Medicine
11/7	Dr. Yew San Hor Missouri University of Science and Technology	Promising Candidates for Topological Superconductors
11/14	Christopher Robledo (PAMS)	Heterostructure of 2D Materials
11/14	Shahidul Asif (PAMS)	A Comparative Study of Characteristics of ZnO TFT for Various Substrate and Fabrication Parameters
12/5	Dr. Emmett Redd Missouri State University	Mathematics and Physics: How to Make Artificial Intelligence More Like Biological Intelligence