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DEPARTMENT OF Materials Science & Engineering 1
Susan B. Sinnott
Wolfgang M. SigmundDavid P. Norton
Darryl P. Butt
UNIVERSITY OF
FLORIDA
c o n t e n t sMAIC 2 New Faculty 3 MSE-Teach 2000 7 E-Fair 8 Student Awards 8 Faculty Awards 9 Student Degrees &Scholarships 11 TMS/ASM Chapter 12 Fuel Cells 13 Alternative Medicine 14 Chairman’s Corner 15
Vo
l. 16
, No
. 1
2000
2 FALL 2000
Luisa Amelia Dempere
was appointed as the
Director of the MAIC
on June 23, 2000. Her
educational back-
ground is in chemistry
from Universidad de
Oriente, Venezuela.
She obtained her M.S.
and Ph.D. in Materials
Science and Engineer-
ing from the University
of Florida working in
intermetallic compos-
ites. Contact her at
352-846-2200 or
Graduate students Eric Fodran (Dr. Kaufman’s group) and Charlie Malpass (Dr. Gower’s group)attend a training session on the new SEM JSM-6335F with Wayne Acree (MAIC staff).
parallel detection electron energy spectrometer (PEELS). Inaddition, the JEM 2010F system will be capable of atomicresolution Z-contrast scanning transmission electronmicroscopy (STEM-Z), a chemically sensitive image thatcomplements the conventional structural images obtainedby diffraction or phase contrast. This technique has beenapplied to the study of interface structures in a wide rangeof materials, as well as in the study of atomistic processesin non-equilibrium systems.
The SEM JSM-6335F, housed at the Engineering ResearchCenter for Particle Analysis (ERC), is an ultra high resolu-tion conventional lens field emission SEM. It has a typicalresolution of 1.5 nm and 5.0 nm at 5kV. This microscopehas a stable high performance electron optical systemsuitable for the analytical functions added to it such as aEDS (Oxford Link ISIS system), and a Cathodoluminescedetector (CLD).
The JEM 2010F and JSM-6335F communicate with theoutside world through a built-in ethernet interface. Thisinterface allows remote control as well as image transferto network printers and networked storage devices foroff-line image processing and archiving. The incorpora-tion of these last two microscopes with remote operationcapabilities opens endless opportunities in training,education, research and service to the scientific commu-nity at the University of Florida and throughout the stateuniversity system (SUS) as well as to industrial and commer-cial users. The center is providing seminars, and offers shortcourses and workshops to introduce and train interestedusers in the new instrumentation and associated techniques.
The Major Analytical Instrumenta-tion Center (MAIC) is remainingat the leading edge in materialscharacterization with theincorporation of new instrumenta-tion to its current analyticalcapabilities. The new instrumentsare: the JEOL JEM 2010F Transmis-sion Electron Microscope (TEM),the JEOL Scanning ElectronMicroscope (SEM) JSM 6335F, theOxford Electron BackscatterDiffraction (EBSD) Link OPALsystem, and the Philips X’Perthybrid x-ray system.
The X’Pert hybrid x-ray system, ahigh resolution materials researchdiffractometer (MRD), is one of thefirst commercial systems of its kind in the world. Itsmonochromator/collimator system allows for a very highincident beam intensity (450,000,000 cps) which coupledwith a high resolution (20 arcsecs.) makes the systemparticularly suitable for the study of textured materials,stresses in polycrystalline films, and high resolution phaseidentification. The system permits a goniometer tilt of 180°that allows for pole figure analysis.
The Oxford Link OPAL system incorporates EBSD tothe current capabilities of the SEM JSM-6400. This SEMhas the Link ISIS system allowing imaging transfer andprocessing, and EDS analysis, including x-ray maps,phase maps, stereo pair analysis, and x-ray linescans. TheEBSD Link OPAL system complements the capabilities ofthis system.
Some of the most common Link OPAL applications are:measurement of local orientations, fatigue mechanisms,creep in superalloys, crystallographic analysis, integrityof single crystals, corrosion, cracking and fracture, micro-texture and macro-texture, phase identification, analysisof strain in alloys, segregation, precipitation, migration,recognition of strain free grains in partially recrystallizedmicrostructures, and assessment of ion implantationdamage in silicon.
The TEM JEM-2010F field emission electron microscopeis a multipurpose high resolution analytical electronmicroscope with high resolution image observation,micro-area x-ray analysis, and a wide range of capabili-ties. It has a 0.1 nm lattice image resolution and 0.19 nmpoint image resolution. The JEM-2010F is equipped withan energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and a
The Major Analytical Instrumentation Center (M A I C)at the leading edge of materials characterizationBY AMELIA DEMPERE
DEPARTMENT OF Materials Science & Engineering 3
Dr. WolfgangSigmundhas strong roots thattie him to the historyand land of Germany,the country where hewas born, raised andeducated. Yet, life hastwice found him inthe United States atthe University ofFlorida. He came firstin 1992 as a postdoc-toral student andreturned seven yearslater as an assistantprofessor of materialsscience.
“I wanted to be a faculty member at a world-leadingdepartment, since I had gone to school and worked in
outstanding departments throughout my career,”Sigmund said.
He was born and raised in Mannheim, the city that saw
the world’s first automobile from Carl Benz and GottliebDaimler at the end of the 19th century. Sigmund startedhis education in the sciences when he attended the
University of Heidelberg, which is situated where theNeckar River opens into the Rhine valley. The universi-
ty was founded in 1386 and is the oldest in Germany,with a long history of prominence in both physics andchemistry. It saw the discovery of several new elements
from professors G. R. Kirchoff and R. W. Bunsen, and thedevelopment of the well-known Bunsen burner. He
completed his master thesis in physical chemistry ofpolymers and received his degree in 1987. Aftergraduating, Sigmund attended the Max-Planck-Institute
for Polymer Research in Mainz, the leading Germaninstitution for polymer study.
During his stay in the city where Johannes Gutenbergdeveloped his printing press, he worked with Professor
Gerhard Wegner as the first student to study polymersin ceramic particle systems at the Max-Plank - Institute
for Polymer Research. Sigmund received his Dr. rer.nat., the Ph.D. equivalent for natural sciences, beforecoming to the chemistry department at UF to begin his
postdoctoral work on organized nanolayers of polymerswith Professor Randolph Duran. He also did postdoctor-
al work at The Institute of Physical and ChemicalResearch, the premier governmentally funded researchfacility in Japan.
Sigmund was drawn back to Germany in December 1993 to begin work on surfaceforces and ceramic processing in the Max-Planck-Institute for Metals Research in
Stuttgart, but life would see him back at UF before long. When an email offered himthe chance to return to UF in early 1999, he chose to become part of the materials
science department he said is a worldwide leader.
“I could not resist going back to Gainesville to join one of the leading departments
in materials science and engineering in the nation and the world,” Sigmund said.
Sigmund’s more than 40 published papers on ceramic processing and polymersshow that his presence in the material science department will help to strengthenits leading reputation. He also holds two patents on ceramic processing. Upon
returning to UF, Sigmund focused his activities outside of work on learningabout the history of the areas around Gainesville that will become his new roots.
His favorite activities now include jogging in historic downtown, tubing downthe Ichetucknee River and playing beach volleyball or tennis.
Sigmund also broadened the scope of his work during his first year as an assistantprofessor to include materials processing of ceramics, polymers, hybrids and
biomaterials. He focuses primarily on surface forces for applications in colloidalprocessing and sol-gel processing in combination with rapid prototyping. A centraltopic in Sigmund’s research group is the physical and chemical fundamentals for
dispersion of nanoparticles. Here a novel technique based on an atomic forcemicroscope is under development for directly probing forces of nanoparticles. In
solid freeform fabrication - a special rapid prototyping technique - three-dimension-al objects can be printed directly from a computer file. Here Sigmund’s group
develops novel printing inks and focuses on the reduction of the size of the printedstructures. Materials for printing range from conventional ceramics like aluminaand zirconia to biomaterials. Special attention is given to the development of
bioresorbable scaffolds for growing organs and bone. The systems under investiga-tion are not only resorbable by the body, so a second operation to remove them can
be avoided but, additionally, these ceramics are fabricated close to room tempera-ture, which allows the incorporation of living tissue into the ceramic before startingthe fabrication opening a large variety of designs.
Currently, Sigmund is writing two book chapters and editing one book. His goal in
this work, he said, is to produce “improved textbooks that more closely connectfundamental physics and chemistry with materials processing.”
Sigmund enjoys teaching and researching in the interdisciplinary topics allowed bythe large number of departments at UF. “I enjoy the possibility to put the specialty
that I am teaching in a bigger perspective,” he said.
The courses he teaches include the undergraduate ceramic lab, ceramic processing for
undergraduates and graduates, and colloid and interface science for engineers.Sigmund said working with his students is inspiring because they offer new ideas and
have challenging questions. “I myself learn a lot from that and enjoy continuousgrowth and never-ending learning and better understanding,” Sigmund said.
new facultyBY MARY MCDONALD
4 FALL 2000
Dr. SusanSinnottjoined the Materi-als Science and
Engineeringdepartment as anew associate
professor at thestart of the fall
2000 semester.Sinnott bringsmore than a decade
of experience inresearch and
teaching to thematerials science faculty at UF, as well as anestablished presence in many professional
organizations.
She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry in
1987 from the University of Texas in Austin and her
Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Iowa State
University in 1993. Sinnott did her postdoctoral
work at the Naval Research Laboratory in Wash-
ington, D.C., before taking a position in 1995 as an
Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical
and Materials Engineering at the University of
Kentucky in Lexington.
During her five years at Kentucky, Sinnott received
the 1998 and 2000 Outstanding Teaching Awards for
the materials engineering program and served as the
faculty advisor for the student chapter of ASM/
TMS. She also worked as a research participant
during that period for the Solid State Division at
Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1996.
The focus of her research is the use of
computational methods to study and develop
new materials. Computer modeling, she said, is
a very useful method in “choosing which
materials to actually make.” The areas she
studies include reactive element segregation to
ceramic grain boundaries, the study of materials
composed of nanoparticles, and thin-film growth
through ion, molecule and cluster beam deposi-
tion. The latter project involves materials for
contact lenses and medical implants. These
products, she said, require “precise composition,
measurement, dimensions and structure”. Therefore, rather than processing
them through the usual, cheap methods, such as are used to make plastic toys,
so-called “dry” methods, such as kinetic models will lead to improvements in
manufacturing which should lower the cost of producing these items”. The
work on this project is done in collaboration with the experimental work of
Professor Luke Hanley, of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Sinnott stresses
that the collaboration between computational simulations and experimental
results is very important for “getting the big picture about what is happening
during processing”.
Sinnott also has an active area of research studying carbon nanotubes. Fullerene-
based carbon nanotubes are unique materials that were discovered in 1991. They
can be thought of as rolled-up sheets of graphite that have diameters on the
order of a few nanometers and lengths of a few micrometers. Depending on the
ways the sheets are rolled up, carbon nanotubes can be metallic conductors,
semiconductors, or insulators. They are also especially strong in the direction of
the cylindrical axes. Sinnott and her collaborators at the University of Kentucky
are investigating putting carbon nanotubes into polymers to make new stronger,
lighter composite materials. These materials are used in sports equipment,
military aircraft, and car bodies. If Sinnott and her colleagues are successful in
their study of new nanotube-based carbon composites, composites might be
used in additional applications such as satellite parts and space vehicles.
Sinnott periodically gives or contributes to oral presentations at conferences and
also organizes and co-chairs conference proceedings. Her professional member-
ships include The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, the Materials Research
Society, the American Ceramic Society and others. She is the current Chair of the
Student Issues Committee for the American Vacuum Society.
Sinnott frequently does paper reviews for peer-reviewed journals and has more
than 30 paper publications in refereed journals. She has also contributed several
chapters for textbooks.
Sinnott, who grew up in the U.S. and Middle East, spends the majority of her
free time reading or with her husband John and children, 8-year-old Joseph
and 4-year-old Alexander.
DEPARTMENT OF Materials Science & Engineering 5
Dr. Darryl P.Butt, AssociateProfessor, is aninnovator and leaderwho loves extremeenvironments. He hasspent much of his liferesearching theenvironmental effectson materials, devel-oping materials anddevices for severeenvironments, andracing to accidentsites as an emergencymedical technician
and ambulance driver. “I don’t want to get into a rut, soI try new and different things all the time,” Butt said.
Butt attended Pennsylvania State University for hisundergraduate and graduate studies. He began hisstudies in art and took several writing courses beforeturning to engineering. Butt focused on electrical andcivil engineering before settling on materials and receiv-ing his B.S. in ceramic science and engineering in 1984 andhis Ph.D. in ceramic science in 1991. He has a minor intechnical writing.
Butt met his future wife in a hospital business office afterattending an accident in Yellowstone National Park as anEMT. They met again later and began dating when he sawher driving the opposite way on I-90 in South Dakota and“drove across the median to turn around and catch her.”They have three children and enjoy outdoor activities suchas snow or water skiing, backpacking and fishing. Butt,who is a licensed state soccer coach, also coaches and playssoccer with his kids.
Butt is a member of The Electrochemical Society andAmerican Ceramic Society and has more than 140 pub-lished papers. He holds or has applied for several patentsand holds the world record for in-situ corrosion measure-ment in a high-radiation field. He credits his success tofreedom in hiring his staff and said his accomplishmentsare only “a reflection” of those who worked alongside him.“I’ve had great mentors throughout my career, whetherthey be technical or managerial mentors,” Butt said.
He has been active in ACS for many years and is anassociate editor for the Journal of the ACS. He saidthe position helps him to stay at the cutting edge ofbreakthroughs in research. “As an editor I have to readeach article, which means I know what’s coming to printa year from now,” Butt said.
Butt won the ACS 1992-1993 Nuclear Division Best Paper Award and its 1997Robert L. Coble Award for Young Scholars.
Butt began his career as a postdoctoral fellow in the Nuclear Materials Technol-ogy Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 1991. His subse-quent position as a technical staff member focused on high-temperature gas-solid reactions and other areas relating to a manned mission to Mars.
His work included developing nuclear fuels that could cover the distance toMars. The Mars project that initially drew him to Los Alamos ended soon afterhis arrival, but a series of interesting projects followed. One project involved anattempt to sequester carbon dioxide as a means to lessen global warming.
In 1994, Butt helped establish a Materials Corrosion and Environmental EffectLaboratory at Los Alamos where he studied high-temperature oxidation,aqueous and atmospheric corrosion, radiation effects on materials corrosion,and development of high-temperature materials and seals.
His specific focus was developing a more efficient process for removinggallium from weapons-grade plutonium. The thermal technique he worked onresulted in less waste than the commonly used aqueous method. Within sevenyears he became the laboratory’s head project leader for Warhead Dismantle-ment and Fissile Materials Transparency. In this position, Butt oversaw“technical efforts and policy development related to a possible warheaddismantlement treaty with Russia.”
While at LANL, Butt received a 1994 Distinguished Performance Award and1999 Pollution Prevention Award. He worked on development and evaluationof properties of insulating refractory materials at A. P. Green Industries anddevelopment of ion transport membrane technology for production of syntheticgas at Ceramatec, Inc.
Butt’s other technical interests include ceramics, composites and devicefabrication. At UF, he will continue researching environmental effects onmaterials and fabricating materials and devices for use in severe environments.He is now trying to develop a small chemical reactor, or small power plant, thatwould have military and civilian uses. He is also continuing his research onmaterials corrosion, which he said is often ignored with nanomaterials.
Butt has mentored students of all ages and is looking forward to the daily challengeof introducing complex topics, such as corrosion and cellular solids, in ways easilyunderstood by both undergraduate and graduate students. “I’m looking forwardto making students interested in materials during my spring 2001 materialsintroductory course,” he said. “I’m really going to make teaching a priority.”
Butt said he is looking forward to the mutual learning process he willencounter in the classroom, and awaits the days when students with a freshperspective will raise new questions and offer unique insights to the conceptshe presents. “I have wanted to teach my whole life and it has been a long pathto get here,” Butt said. “I’m glad I finally got to UF, to this program, and I planto be here for the rest of my life.”
6 FALL 2000
Dr. DavidNortonwas drawn to MSE
by its high quality
and positive
interactions with
its faculty. At the
start of his first
year as an
associate profes-
sor, it is clear he
plans to enhance
the reputation
that drew him to
Gainesville
through his research, professional activities and
teaching.
“I have a strong interest to excel in research, but I’m also
looking forward to interacting with the students,”
Norton said. “I hope to have a good balance between
the two.” Norton said he knew the work of the faculty
long before coming to UF and wants to continue
making the materials department highly visible
within the scientific community.
Norton’s father, grandmother and a seventh-grade
science teacher sparked his attraction to the sciences
while he was growing up in Baton Rouge, LA. “I
used to watch science fiction shows on Friday nights
with my grandmother,” Norton said. “She loved
them and I started to spawn an interest in science.”
Norton said watching the progress of the Apollo mission
piqued his interest also because it was something that had
never been done before. He enjoys the same sense of
innovation when doing research now.
Norton concentrates his research on the synthesis,
properties, and devices of thin-film electronic
materials. His research focuses on electronic oxides,
phosphor materials, atomic layer-by-layer film
synthesis, and laser-driven film growth and materials
processing. The quality of his research has resulted in
more than 120 published articles in refereed journals
and books. He has also received 27 invitations to
present papers and lectures at national and interna-
tional conferences and served as co-editor for four
conference proceedings volumes.
Norton received his B.S. with highest honors in electrical engineering from Louisiana
State University (LSU) in 1984. He remained at LSU and completed his Ph.D. in
electrical engineering and minor in physics in 1989. He received a Distinguished
Dissertation Award for the continuous high quality of his work at the university.
Norton met and married his wife, Tammie, while at LSU. Upon his graduation, they
settled in Knoxville, TN and started their family. They have a 12-year-old daughter,
Whitney, and 10-year-old son, Matthew. Favorite activities for the family center on
their church and community. “Faith was important in my family during my
childhood, and now my work with children in the church ministry is a nice diversion
from the sciences,” Norton said.
While his wife pursued a career in art, Norton began his employment as a Eugene P.
Wigner Postdoctoral Fellow in the Solid State Division at Oak Ridge National Laborato-
ry (ORNL). Norton became a senior research staff member working with the Semicon-
ductor Physics, Thin Films and Photovoltaic Materials Group at ORNL after ending his
fellowship in 1991. Norton said a national laboratory is “a great place to immerse
yourself in research” and that ORNL had “great people and facilities.”
His efforts during the nine years at ORNL focused on the synthesis and properties of
electronic and photonic oxide thin films. He devoted much of his effort to producing
superconducting wires using a Rolling Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrates
approach, also known as RABiTS.
Several U.S. companies are now working to commercialize the technology Norton and
his ORNL colleagues patented. The superconducting electrical wire is good for
transmission lines and magnetic windings because it carries current with no resistance,
Norton said. He shared a 1999 Research and Development 100 Award with his co-
creators for that innovation.
Norton frequently organizes and serves as co-chair for conferences as a member of
the Materials Research Society and the American Physical Society.
He said he intends to take advantage of the opportunity to develop a broader
program at UF with his research and will focus on electronic materials for next-
generation technology concepts. There is more flexibility working as a professor at a
university than there is as a researccompositesher at a national laboratory, Norton
said. “The university offers a chance to choose your own research, work with
students, work with large groups and work across many fields of expertise.”
Norton adds a new level of expertise in electronic and photonic oxides to the
materials science faculty and it is his goal to help build and maintain a world-class
program in electronic materials through his research and teaching. Norton said to be
at the top of your field, you have to have ambitious goals and work constantly at
them. This will be a multi-faceted job, he said, that requires skills as a “mentor,
salesman, scientist, manager and teacher.”
“This department has a great reputation that comes from the quality of research
produced, leadership in the scientific community and how well the students do when
they leave,” Norton said. “I plan to help build on the solid base that is already here.”
DEPARTMENT OF Materials Science & Engineering 7
If you had ventured into Rhines Hall last
June you may have observed a strange sight; a
conference room full of people dressed in clean room
suits. This was just one activity during MSE-Teach
2000, a training program for elementary and secondary
teachers. Begun in 1996, MSE-Teach aims to provide
teachers with hands-on laboratories and real-world
examples of science and technology to excite their
students about future careers in materials science and
engineering.
For MSE-Teach 2000 the Department of
Materials Science and Engineering partnered with the
School Board of Alachua County. Eighteen teachers
from within Alachua County were selected to attend.
They spent one week in the department hearing lectures
from faculty and industrial speakers, and conducting
laboratories. The week began on Sunday afternoon with an
introduction to materials science from Professor John
Ambrose. Each of the subsequent days were devoted to
one specific materials area, with both a faculty presentation
and an industrial speaker.
The polymer lecture was presented by Dr. Elliot
Douglas, electronic materials by Dr. Paul Holloway, ceramics
by Dr. David Clark, and metals by Dr. Fereshteh Ebrahimi.
Each day also included laboratories devoted to that day’s
material. Friday was devoted to laboratories, as well as a
barbecue hosted by the department. On Saturday the teachers prepared lesson
plans that they could use in their own classes, and presented these plans to the
entire group.
The laboratories were conducted by Andrew Nydam, Olympia High School,
WA; John Rusin, Edmonds Community College, WA; and Karen Hinkley, Issaquah
High School, WA. These three teachers all teach materials science at their schools, and
have taught at a program similar to MSE-Teach conducted in Washington State.
Participants learned how to batch and melt glass, made metal alloys, and learned the
chemistry of pottery glaze. Overall this has been a very successful program, and has
excited both teachers and administrators within Alachua County about new ways to
teach science at all grade levels. We hope to continue this program and expand it to
other school districts, and are currently seeking the funding we need to do that. MSE-
Teach 2001 is scheduled for July 8-14; for further information contact Elliot Douglas,
MSE-Teach 2000BY ELLIOT DOUGLAS
During her two years in the Department ofMaterials Science and Engineering, doctoral studentNakato Kibuyaga has received continuous academicaccolades while playing an active role in the communityand maintaining a 3.82 gpa. Her goal in her graduatestudies is to use her specialization in biomaterials togain more interactions with biomaterials technology,patient care and the medical device industry.
The 24-year-old was awarded the GatesMillenium Scholarship last spring. She also hasreceived the Florida-Georgia Alliance for MinorityParticipation Fellowship and the Minority Engineer-ing Fellowship during the past two years.
She is active in the Black Graduate StudentOrganization and is the secretary of the Society forBiomaterials. Outside of the university, her activitiesinclude mentoring and tutoring at Lincoln Middle Schoolthrough the Gear-up program and performing with thedance group Le Bagatae Dance and Drum.
Aspiring EntrepreneurThe Chicago native has always had an
interest in the health care field and wanted to be amedical doctor from early childhood. Once she enteredNorthwestern University for her undergraduatestudies, her interests turned to the technical researchand development offered by biomedical engineering.She earned her bachelor’s degree in that area in 1997.
Currently, Nakato is serving a six-monthinternship with General Electric. She is gainingexperience there that will help her entrepreneurial goalof starting her own medical device manufacturing andconsulting company. Nakato came to our departmentseeking to acquire the “...tools and knowledge neces-sary not only for research and development of medicaldevices but also for appropriately addressing ethicalconcerns of industry involvement, such as balancing theneeds of the patient with the financial goals of thecompany or ensuring that the devices meet the costlysafety and human factor standards that are required byFDA regulations.”
8 FALL 2000
E - Fair 2000
University Scholars Programs
Elyssa Cutler, and David Burton were selected toreceive the University Scholars Award for Summer
2000. The award was a summer stipend to conductresearch over the summer. A presentation of thisresearch will be given in 2001.
International Student Awards
Balaji Krishnamurthy (Dr. Wachman’s group) andAlirio Liscano (Dr. Ebrahimi’s group) each receivedthe Certificate of Award for Outstanding Academic
Achievement by an International Student.
President’s Outstanding Student Recognition AwardThe President’s Outstanding Student Recognition wasawarded to Brett Almond and Elizabeth DeStephens
in recognition of their outstanding achievement andcontributions to the University of Florida.
CEC Student Speaking ContestElizabeth DeStephens won the CEC Student Speak-
ing Contest for her presentation entitled “Bioglass
Student Awards
Production Using Sol-gel Phase Separation Tech-nique” at the 102nd Annual Meeting of American
Ceramics Society in St. Louis on May 30-April 3.
NSBE Fellow AwardLizandra Williams won the NSBE Fellow Award forher academic achievement and dedicated service to
NSBE and the community. Along with a financialreward she also received recognition at the Awards
Luncheon of the NSBE National Convention.
Student Poster Awards
Greg Darby won first place for his poster on themechanisms of glass corrosion, entitled “The Effects
of Waste Loading on the Durability of Nuclear WasteGlasses,” at the 24th Annual Conference on Compos-ites, Advanced Materials and Structures.
Mike Stora won first prize in the student poster session of
the Florida Chapter of AVS in Surface Science andAnalysis and first prize at the Third Annual COHERANTSpectroscopy and Ultra-Fast Conference.
BY STEPHANIE BAKER
MSE Places in Every Category
This year’s Engineering and Science Fair wasa big hit. “E2K: Envisioning Centuries of Innovation,”brought many elementary, middle, and high schoolstudents to the O’Connell Center to learn aboutengineering and show their own science fair projects.The Materials Science and Engineering Departmentdid a phenomenal job of creating a display to teachthe students and general public about materials.Exhibits included large phase diagrams, ceramictools, replacement joints, and silicon wafers. Thechildren were most intrigued by the experiments—metal that can remember its shape, shuttle tiles thatcan protect from extreme heat, and a superconductormaterial that levitates a magnet.
Overall everyone enjoyed the fair. Studentsand Gainesville residents enjoyed learning aboutmaterials and the university students enjoyedteaching them and sharing what they have learned intheir classes. At the end of the fair, awards were givenout and the Materials Science and EngineeringDepartment did very well. MSE took home awards inall four categories: first place in both Visual Presenta-tion and Audience Participation, for the great exhibitsand experiments, second place in Theme Integration
because of a timeline that traversed the backdrop, and third place in Oral Commu-nication for telling the students all about materials. These awards would not havebeen possible if it were not for the dedicated students who built and manned thematerials booth: Eric Caldwell, Stephanie Baker, Justin Anderson, Amy Gibson,Brian Cuevas, Matt Beckler, Erik Mueller, Matt Holmes, Kevin Keeney, RobertSimpson, Rob Proctor, Kristen Morgan, Matt Ivill, Tracy Waite, David Collado, KimChristmas, Brett Almond, Kaustubh Rau, Josh Stopek, Paul Martin, Lee Zhao, SusanLeander, Phill Graham, Elizabeth DeStephens, Elyssa Cutler, Andrew King and JeanThai. A special acknowledgment is owed to materials students Nithya Desikan, theco-director of E2K, andJennifer Williams, anE2K staff member, whomade this year’s fairrun so smoothly.Congratulations to theDepartment of Materi-als Science andEngineering and a greatthanks to all thestudents who helpedmake this E2K possible!
DEPARTMENT OF Materials Science & Engineering 9
Reza Abbaschian David Clark Elliot Douglas Larry Hench
Paul Holloway Wolfgang Sigmund Rajiv Singh
AwardsFACULTY
TMS FellowReza Abbaschian, Chairman and Vladimir A. GrodskyProfessor is the recipient of the 2000 Fellow Award bythe Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS).This award is presented to those who have madeoutstanding contributions to the practice of metallurgyor materials science and technology. Formal presenta-tion of the award was made during the awards dinnerof the society on Monday, March 13, 2000, at theOpryland Hotel and Conference Center, Nashville,TN, during the 129th TMS Annual Meeting.
Dupont Young Professor AwardCongratulations to Dr. Wolfgang Sigmund for beingchosen for the Dupont Young Professor Award. Thisaward is aimed to help young faculty members,within five years of their full-time appointment,start their careers. This indeed is an outstandingachievement for Dr. Sigmund and the Department.This year the Dupont Fellows Forum received 110nominations. Dr. Sigmund was selected for hisresearch on hierarchically organized biomaterials.
2001 SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational AwardDr. Elliot Douglas has been selected as one of the 2001 SAE Ralph R. TeetorEducational Award recipients by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Elliot’snomination and selection recognizes him for being a gifted teacher and creativeresearcher. As a part of the award, he will be invited to attend the AerospaceConference & Exposition as a guest of SAE, scheduled to take place in Seattle,Washington in September 2001.
University of Florida Research Foundation (UFRF) Professorship AwardDr. Rajiv Singh received the UFRF Professorship Award for 2000-2002 for hiskey role in the University’s research enterprise and growing emphasis ongraduate education. These three-year professorships were created to recog-nize faculty who have distinguished records of research and scholarship thatis expected to lead to continuing distinction in their field.
New National Academy of Engineering MemberProfessor Larry Hench, Graduate Research Professor Emeritus, was elected tojoin the National Academy of Engineering for the development of bioactiveglasses for human prostheses and fundamental studies of glass corrosion.Becoming a member of this academy is among the highest professional distinc-tions accorded an engineer.
Friedberg Memorial Lecture AwardProfessor David Clark received the Friedberg Memorial Lecture Award at theAmerican Ceramic Society’s annual meeting in St. Louis, for his teaching,research, and numerous contributions to the ceramic engineering profession.His lecture was entitled Microwave Energy: “And Now, The Rest of the Story.”
ASM International Fellow AwardThe Board of Trustees of ASM International elected Paul Holloway, Ellis D.Verink Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, as a Fellow of theSociety. His citation read: “For outstanding and sustained contributions inthe area of surface phenomena in metal contacts and thin films.” His awardwas presented during the Convocation of Fellows held during the ASMDinner at this year’s ASM Annual Event.
10 FALL 2000
Richard A. CohenDistinguished MSEAlumnus Award 2000
After earning his Materials
Science and Engineering
degree at UF in 1981, Cohen
began working for Motorola.
While with that company in Arizona in
1990, he earned his MBA at Arizona State
University. Although he started at Motorola
as a Process Engineer, Cohen climbed the
ladder to become the Product and
Manufacturing Manager in just four years,
becoming the youngest person ever to
hold that title at his company. He was
promoted to the Director of SCG Joint
Ventures and External Manufacturing in
1999. His division has since spun off from
Motorola to form a new company called
ON Semiconductor. Richard currently
works as Vice President and Director of
External Manufacturing and Supply
Management for ON Semiconductor,
managing all external manufacturing,
which includes five factories around the
world with approximately 3,800 employees,
and 35 subcontract facilities.
In his acceptance speech on April 17,
Cohen thanked friends and family and
offered some knowledge he picked up
throughout his career, including advice to
hang with the right crowd and to have
good relationships with the people you
work with. He offered the maxim, “Find
something you like to do, do your very
best, and then hang on for the ride.”
Albert Glasgow Guy – In MemoriamBy Rolf E. Hummel
On December 26, 1999 A.G. Guy, Professor of Materials Science
and Engineering at the University of Florida from 1960 to 1979,
died at the age of 82. Al was born in 1917 in Chicago, Illinois and
received a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 1938 and a bache-
lor’s degree in Engineering in 1940 from the University of
Chicago. He earned his M.S. (in metallurgical engineering) in
1941 from Ohio State University and his Ph.D. from the Carnegie
Institute of Technology in 1945. He held positions at General
Electric, North Carolina State University, Duke University and
Purdue before he came to UF in 1960. In Al we lose a dear friend
and an energetic colleague.
Faculty Excellence AwardsAcademic Year 99-00
BY PAULETTE
PERHACH
Elliot Douglas Michael Kaufman Jack Mecholsky
DEPARTMENT OF Materials Science & Engineering 11
BS DegreesAtong, Microwave-Induced Combus-Duangduen tion Synthesis of Combustion
Synthesis of A1203-TiC Powder
Chen, Zhan Silicone Water-ContaminantInteractions in Dilute Hydrofluo-ric Acid Solutions and RelatedFundamentals in Colloid andInterface Science
Darby, Jay Quantitative FT-IRRS Gregory ofthe Analysis Effects of SolutionChemistry on Aqueous GlassCorrosion
Gavrin, Effects of Molecular ArchitectureArthur John on Liquid Crystalline Thermosets
Lewis, Alternating-Current Thin-Film
John South III Electroluminescence
Lunardi, Thermal and PermeationGilberto Joao Properties of Poly(ethene Co-1-
alkenes)S
Macdonald, Analysis of Non-CrystallineSteven Materials with Optical Andrew
Measurements by DispersionAnalysis
Mahajan, Uday Fundamental Studies on DioxideChemical Mechanical Polishing
Rau, Surface Modification ofKaustubh R. Biomaterials by Pulsed Laser
Ablation Deposition andPlasma/Gamma Polymerization
Stora, Production and Nature ofMichael Highly Emery Luminescent
Spark-Processed Porous Oxidesof Silicon and Other Elements
Subramanian, Atomistic Simulation Studies ofGopalakrishnan Defect Formation, Migration and
Stability in Ion-Implanted Silicon
Tang, Hui Novel Polyolefin Elastomer-BasedBlends and Their Applications
Lockheed MartinScholarship
Alfred Moore
Dean’s ScholarshipNeil Harrison
Rhines/Tarr ScholarshipAlecia Asiamigbe
General EngineeringScholarship
Jeanette Jacques
G.C. Fulton ScholarshipClaire Grimm
Dow ChemicalScholarship
Jeannette JacquesChristopher Velat
Pratt & WhitneyScholarship
Elyssa Cutler
Robert David AdamsonScholarship
Alecia AsiamigbeNeil HarrisonMaria ZapataDaniel Zeenberg
MSE ScholarshipsRachael BeameSteven CraneElyssa CutlerJaime Echeverry
Undergraduate Scholarships
Craig FichterNiccolo FiorentinoGlen FloresKevin GableJason GatewoodRory GimenezPatrick HoganMatthew IvillShannone JosephBrian KindingerDavid KisselJohn LigasDebra LushEric MacamMichele ManuelJessica MataBarry MillerAlfred MooreJohn MooreRyan MurphyAbiola OnabanjoMichael OssenbeckRon RamirezAndrew RamosCarrie RossBritt RyersonMeaghan SchliererColin ShepherdJeremy SnyderMichael SolimandoRegina ThaiClare ThomasShane ToddJosh ToledoHeather TrotterAmanda WetheringtonJerrad Wilson
COE Graduate MinorityFellowship
Jeremiah AbiadeKevin KloskeKristin MorganAntonio SaavedraAnthony StewartLeslie Wilson
COE Alumni FellowshipSamesha BarnesWilliam CloskeyRobert CrosbyChad EssaryRobert OwingsGerald Thaler
Named PresidentialFellowship
Andrew D. Deal
National ScienceFoundation MinorityGraduate Fellowship
Kimberly AllumsDionne NickersonTara WashingtonEboni Westbrooke
Fulbright FellowshipSergio Gueijman
GEM FellowshipKimberly Allums
Chen, FuwangClites, TerryHoward, JoshuaKondoleon, CarolineLeerungnawart, ParadeeOdom, DamianReardon, DamonSrivastava, Anuranjan
Aiken, Jeffrey DavidFela, FerminHarris, KeikoKisailus, DavidKrumin, EricLee, Kyu-PilMay, DarrenPietamvaram, SrinivasRobertsib, LanceWise, William
Cao, Xianan Advanced Processing of GaNfor Novel Electronic Devices
Cho, Kyu-Gong Modeling of the Cathodolu-mines Propeties of the ThinFilm Phosphors for FieldEmission Flat Panel Displays
Summer 2000
Fall 2000
Spring 2000
Fall 1999Tamaddoni-Jahromi, K. M.Thomas, Katherine PageTokarz, Jean LouiseWilliams, Jennifer LouiseZhao, Lee Cheng
Agee, NealGrumski, Michael G.Rude, John AustinThoe, Kathryn LynnWaite, Tracy-Ann
Anderson, Justin W.Eve, Elise CrystineJoyce, Charles AllynRotella, John Anthony
Gila, Brent Growth and Characterization ofDielectric Materials for WideBandgap Semiconductors
Jenkins, Lauri L. Polymeric and MetallicCardiovascular Biomaterials:Phosopholipid and SiliconeSurface Graft Polymerization andElectropolymerization
Lee, Kang-Nyung Effect of Chemical Treatment ofIll-Nitride Surface Characteristics
Mitchell, David J. Processing and Properties of aSilicon Nitride MultilayerComposite Toughened byMetallic Laminae
Schardt, Craig R. Photodarkening of Germanium-Selenium Glasses Induced byBelow-Bandgap Light
Thomes, Measurement and Modeling ofWilliam J., Jr. the Effects of Pulsed Laser
Deposited Coatings of Cathod-oluminescent Phosphors
Fall 2000New Doctoral Fellowships
Spring 2000
MS DegreesFall 1999
Bassim, NabilBukowski, TracieKrishnamurthy, BalajiMitchell, David J.Ream, JacquelineWalker, Carol
Banisaukas, HeatherBenfer, John EldridgeBoyapati, Sri RangaGrumski, MichaelKuryliw, ErikLiscano, Alirio JoseMa, HuiMoorehead, DavidMuralidharan, KrishnaNagory, AnupamOborn, ElizabethPark, SohyunShannon, KennethSheth, Piyush
Summer 2000
Aroch, MayaBullivant, John PaulCenteno, Joel OrlandoGlassberg, Josh R.Heitman, Erica LynnLagos, Marlon AlexisMiller, Timothy PatrickRosenberg, Scott IanSchmidt, Jacqueline CorralTubbins, Robert Lee
Baker, Stephanie AnneBeckler, Matthew AlanCaldwell, Eric ChristopherChini, PayamCollado, David MichaelDesikan, NithyaDiaz, Alejandro CarlosGibson, Amy LouiseGutierrez, Andres FelipeHarris, Keiko KatoKeeney, Kevin MichaelLeander, Susan ElizabethMorgan, Kristin LeighMueller, Erik MichaelOhm Rodriquez, Heather LeaPlew, Tara YvetteProctor, Robert FrederickRamirez, RubenRees, ElizabethSimpson, Robert BernardSwitzer, Kevin Wayne
Summer 2000
Fall 2000
PhD Degrees
Spring 2000
Fall 2000
12 FALL 2000
The proud tradition of an award-
winning TMS/ASM chapter at the Universi-
ty of Florida began in 1964 with a charter
from the American Institute of Mining,
Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers
(AIME) and Dr. Robert Gould as faculty
advisor. Four years later, the chapter
received a new advisor, Professor Ray
Rummel, and then its first award in 1970,
for Outstanding AIME Student Chapter.
That one honor was the kickoff to many
years of achievement and within a few years,
AIME distinguished the University of
Florida chapter as the best in the nation.
In 1972, AIME nationally
reorganized to form four independent
professional groups, including The
Metallurgical Society (TMS), who became
the parent of the Florida Chapter, and the
newly named Florida Student TMS
Chapter continued to win Outstanding
Chapter Awards every year.
The American Society for Metals
(ASM) chartered a student ASM chapter at
UF in 1984. That same year, Dr. Richard
Connell joined Professor Rummel as a co-
advisor to the chapter. In 1987, after almost
two decades of supervising an award-
winning chapter, Professor Ray Rummel
resigned his position to serve on the TMS
Board of Directors.
The Florida Student T M S / A S M C h a p t e rBY PAULETTE PERHACH
Dr. Connell has continued to serve as the chapter advisor.
In 1985, ASM began sponsoring the student chapter contest with
TMS, and they began offering five unranked Chapter of Excellence
Awards per year.
The UF Chapter had won a Chapter of Excellence Award
every year up until 1997. When for the first time in over twenty-five
years, the UF Chapter did not receive an award in 1998, the chapter
officers of the 1998-1999 year worked to get back on the top. Their
dedication paid off in the form of two Chapter of Excellence awards
for that year in the categories of Excellence in Career Development and
Most Improved Chapter.
At the ASM Annual Meeting in St. Louis, the chapter
again received two awards for 2000: Excellence in Technical Program-
ming, and Excellence in Promotion of the Field.
The chapter is looking forward to continuing its quest
for excellence.
DEPARTMENT OF Materials Science & Engineering 13
Low Temperatures Solid Oxide Fuel CellsBY PAULETTE PERHACH
As the century turns, many look aheadto the changes that scientific break-throughs will bring in upcoming years.Society holds its breath in waiting forthe advancements of tomorrow, tobecome that futuristic society thatwe’ve seen in so many movies. Dr. EricWachsman is working toward thatfuture.
He is developing a new type of fuel cellthat may be used in the future to powercars. The US Department of Energyrecently selected to support Dr.Wachsman’s technology for develop-ment under their 21st Century Fuel Cell
Program. “The fuel cell, along with an electric engine it powers,would replace the current system,” said Wachsman.
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer great promise for thefuture of energy production. The use of SOFCs would be a cleanerand more efficient process of directly converting chemical energy toelectricity. “In the use of SOFCs for automobiles there would be one-third of the carbon dioxide gas, no nitric oxide, no carbon monoxide,and virtually no air pollution,” Wachsman stated. “Also, as a resultof their high efficiency, the use of SOFCs would result in three timesthe gas mileage of a regular engine.”
The problem with the current SOFC technology is that it isonly suitable for stationary use. This is due to the fact that it operateson a stabilized zirconia electrolyte, and must run at temperaturesaround 1000° C. At lower temperatures the conductivity of theelectrolyte decreases to the point where it can not efficiently supplyelectrical current externally. If SOFCs could be designed to give areasonable power output at lower temperatures remarkable benefitswould ensue, not the least of which is reduced cost.
Dr. Wachsman has developed a stable high conductivityelectrolyte for lower temperature SOFCs. It is specifically designedtoward meeting the lowest and most difficult temperature criteria:~50°C. “The lower temperature would make SOFCs more attractivefor automobile applications where the start-up time is more
important,” he said. “Nobody wants to sitin their driveway and wait for the car toheat up. They want to get in and go.”Meeting this criterion provides a potentialfor future transportation uses of SOFCs,where the ability to directly use hydrocar-bon fuels could permit refueling at the gasstations of today. Wachsman cited thecomplications of other systems, “Somecompany’s are developing similar systemsusing hydrogen, but fueling would becomplicated and dangerous; with ourtechnology you could go to any gasstation.”
Another benefit of the SOFCsystem in vehicles is that there will be littleneed for the car upkeep required with thecurrent engine. “Fuel cells require nolubrication, which means no oil changes. Thethings like wheels and suspensions wouldneed to be kept up, but there’s really no needfor engine maintenance.”
So how soon will we see thesesystems on the market? “Seeing themdriving on the street is still a few yearsaway,” said Wachsman. Fuel cell poweredvehicles are now available on a limitedbasis in Europe and Japan, but because sofew are produced and because the technolo-gy is new, they are currently expensive tobuy. However, since the system only usesone-third the gasoline of the regular engine,and because there is virtually no upkeep tothe car, the cost of operating the vehiclebecomes much less.
This technology is not onlybeneficial to the automobile industry. Dr.Wachsman thinks that the world ofelectronics can be changed by this newsystem. “Anything electric has potential tobe operated on a fuel cell, from mobilephones to boom boxes.”
14 FALL 2000
Materials Researcher Lynn Peck Explores Alternative MedicineDr. Lynn Peck has been with the Universityof Florida for a total of twenty years. After sheearned her BAin Zoology from the University of California,Santa Barbara, Peck came to UF. She went onto earn her DVM and an MS in ReproductivePhysiology (Equine). She has been in hercurrent position for eleven years, doingresearch in tissue protective coating solutionsand degradable films andgels. Her study is aimed at preventing orreducing the formation of adhesions betweentissue surfaces after surgical procedure.
Dr. Peck was not in the veterinary pursuit verylong before veering off the beaten path. “Iwas unhappy with conventional practice, andthe associate dean of students at theveterinary school suggested other areas ofmedicine.” At his recommendation, Peckwent to a meeting to listen to an internationalspeaker. Soon after she enrolled in a class,and began her career in alternative medicinewith veterinary homeopathy, a 200-year oldenergy-based system of medicine. It attacksdiseases by treating them with medicines thatwould create similar symptoms in a healthyperson, thus stimulating the body’s healingability.
If you think that sounds unbelievable, Dr. Peckunderstands your skepticism. “Even as I wassitting in my first class, I remember staring upat the professor and thinking, ‘No way, thiscould ever work,’’’ said Peck. However, shenow believes in the power of the body’sefforts and abilities to heal itself. “As I learnmore about alternative medicines and seeresults first hand, I tend to prefer thesemethods over traditional ones. I give the bodythe chance to heal itself first , and useconventional medicines second. It’s not foreveryone, but it has profoundly changed myunderstanding of what is healing and what ishealth.”
Her faith in the power of alternative medicinesis prevalent in her own life, as she evenpractices on her own animals. “I use homeo-path on my cat, Lou. But he won’t let me doacupuncture yet.”
Veterinary colleges are beginning to putmore alternative medical therapy courses intothe curriculum. Dr. Peck reported that 60percent of veterinary medical colleges offersuch classes. Most in the field agree that thesecourses should be taught in the latter years ofeducation, after a solid foundation in tradition-al medicine has been established.
“We need to introduce and familiarizestudents so that they can make their owndecision,” Dr. Peck said. She also thinks suchcourses will help students to think critically andto intelligently answer their clients’ questionsafter graduation.
The legal ramifications of the use ofalternative and complementary therapies inveterinary medicine were the subject of aseparate talk in Salt Lake City by veterinarianand lawyer Dr. Gregg Scoggins. He urgedpractitioners to be aware of the applicablelaws governing veterinary practice and to bewell versed on state practice acts, becausedefinitions and applications of alternative andcomplementary therapies can vary widelyfrom state to state. Like Dr. Peck, Dr. Scogginsunderscored the value of communicationbetween veterinarians and their clients, andstressed the importance of seeking andobtaining informed consent.
The AVMA Task Force on Alternative andComplementary Therapies continues toinvestigate these modalities. Research is likelyto continue for generations to come. In themeantime, as Dr. Scoggins said, “We’ve got todeal with these issues while the experts arefiguring these things out.”
As both Dr. Peck and Dr. Scoggins werequick to point out, these therapies are currentlybeing used, whether one is dubious about theirefficacy or not, and sooner or later, some clientswill want to investigate these modalities asoptions for treatment of their animals.
Dean J. MontiJournal of the American Veterinary Medical
Association, Vol 217, No. 6, September 15, 2000
What’s your alternative?
Acupuncture, homeopathy,botanicals, chiropractic. The verymention of these and other alternativeand complementary therapies causessome in the veterinary profession tocringe. After all, they didn’t spend yearsin veterinary school learning scientificprinciples only to have someone comealong and presume to heal an animal withpins, plants, or pressure points.
Interest in these modalities is on the rise,however. In a talk at the AVMA AnnualConvention in Salt Lake City, “AlternativeMedicine: Past, Present, Future,” Dr. Lynn S.Peck, research associate in the Department ofMaterials Science and Engineering at theUniversity of Florida, demonstrated throughstatistical data that alternative and complemen-tary therapies that are widely used today havebeen around for ages, and there is everyindication that demand for them will continueto increase.
She compared a 1990 survey thatindicated 34 percent of animal owners usedalternative therapies with a 1997 survey inwhich the number had increased to 42 percent.
The same survey suggested that 60 percentof people who used alternative therapies didnot disclose this information to their veterinari-an. Dr. Peck said a dialogue must open upbetween clients and veterinarians aboutalternative therapies so that practitioners arenot prescribing medication that could conflictwith some other form of treatment. “They needto be able to talk to clients about it in a waythat’s open and nonjudgmental,” Dr. Peck said.
She presented illuminating statistics froma variety of sources. An AAHA surveyindicated six percent of its members were usingalternative therapies in 1996. That number roseto 22 percent by 1998, and jumped to 31 percentin 1999. The most common modality represent-ed was massage therapy. A recent survey of7,000 AAEP members indicated that one in fivewere using some form of alternative therapy.
What is the appeal of these therapies, andwhy would people choose them over traditionalmedicine? Dr. Peck said many are drawn to thembecause they’re natural rather than artificial,affordable, and sometimes, more effective.
She said the Internet has also been acontributing factor in the growth in use of thesetherapies. Communication on Web site messageboards that laud the benefits of these therapiesby pet owners abound.
DEPARTMENT OF Materials Science & Engineering 15
Non-Profit OrgUS PostagePermit No. 94Gainesville, FL
MATERIALS WORLD is produced by the Department of Materials Science& Engineering, University of Florida
Phone: (352) 846-3300Fax: (352) 392-7219
Editor Gerhard FuchsAssociate Editor Dawn Byrd
Design Engineering Publication Services/Linda BaynePhotographer David Blankenship
Greetings from Gainesville. I ampleased to report that the first year ofthe millenium brought many greataccomplishments. In March, the newRhines Hall was inaugurated. Severalof our faculty members are nowfully settled in their new offices andlaboratories. The building alsohouses the departmental administra-tion, finance and accounting contractsand grants, payroll and personnel,academic services and network
administration. In April, we had the biannual meeting of ourVisiting Advisory Board, to review and provide input for oureducational and research programs and strategic plans. We also hadour annual awards banquet in April with over 250 students, faculty,staff, and guests in attendance. During the ceremonies, Richard A.Cohen, BS 81, was recognized as the MSE Distinguished Alumnusfor 2000. In his award acceptance speech, Richard credited hismaterials education for his success in developing new products atMotorola. He also attributed his success to teamwork andcontributions of his co-workers, by saying “the people below youare the ones that will make you successful.” In October 2000, wesuccessfully completed the ABET accreditation review under thenew ABET 2000 guidelines for Materials Science and Engineer-ing. Many long hours were spent for this event, but the outcomewas worth the effort.
The Fall 2000 Semester was initiated with a large enrollmentincrease in both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Theenrollment of 387 students includes over 220 graduate students. Iam pleased to note that the aggressive recruitment activities of theDepartment is paying off in the diversification of our student body.There are 107 women, 25 African-Americans, and 24 Hispanic-Americans among our students. Forty-nine of the women, eleven ofthe African-Americans, and eight of the Hispanic-Americans are inour graduate program. The Fall enrollment also included 38
freshman who declared interest in MSE when they arrived at theUniversity of Florida. Similar to other freshmen in engineering,they also overwhelmingly express a love of math and science. Ourgoal is to help them to develop their affinity for calculus, chemistry,and physics until they are admitted to the upper-division materialscourses. In the Spring 2001 semester, the Department will offer a“Materials Chemistry” course to freshmen for the first time. Thecourse, which will be taught by Dr. Elliot Douglas, will providematerials application examples for the teaching of chemistryprinciples.
Our faculty has maintained its innovative research and educationalprograms, technology transfer, and authorship of articles and newbooks. Faculty members also continue to be recognized nationallyand internationally. Some of their awards are listed in this issue. Weare particularly pleased with the establishment of three additional en-dowed professorships, bringing the total to 6 for the Department. Twoof the professorships will be named “Alumni Professor of MaterialsScience and Engineering,” and the third one “Pamphalon Professor ofElectronic Materials.” We have also established three scholarship fundsfor our students: Robert D. Adamson, Rhines-Walter R. Tarr, and Rob-ert E. Reed-Hill Scholarships. We appreciate our alumni and friendsfor their support.
The department also continues its growth by adding new faculty mem-bers in key areas. We are delighted to have Drs. Darryl Butt, DavidNorton, Wolfgang Sigmund, and Susan Sinnott featured in this issue.Two additional faculty positions are currently being considered. Wealso welcome Dr. Amelia Dempere as the Director of the Major Ana-lytical Instrumentation Center. Amelia replaces Dr. Stan Bates, whoafter providing several years of outstanding leadership, has returnedto full-time teaching and research.
Finally, I would like to thank all of you for your continued supportof our department. Your comments and suggestions are welcomedand greatly appreciated. You can reach me at 352-846-3301 [email protected].
C H A I R M A N ‘ S C O R N E R
UNIVERSITY OF
FLORIDADepartment of Materials & EngineeringP.O. Box 116400University of FloridaGainesville, FL 32611-6400
