Leading-Edge Research and Development > Research Profiles > Profiles Archive > Recent CNSE graduate lands prestigious research position at NIST
Recent CNSE graduate lands prestigious research position at NIST
Dr. Phillip Rogers came to CNSE with a desire to explore the groundbreaking science of nanotechnology. After graduating in December as valedictorian of his class, he is now enjoying the unique opportunity to put his education and experience to work in a prestigious Postdoctoral position at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Washington, DC.
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CNSE graduate Dr. Phillip
Rogers
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A native of the West Coast, Dr. Rogers earned his B.S. in physics at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. During his time at Cal Poly, he spent two years working on a nanotechnology-related research project which included attending a nanotechnology conference at UC Santa Barbara, where he sat in on a presentation given by Dr. Robert Geer, CNSE Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer. The presentation strengthened Dr. Rogers' interest in nanotechnology, and after doing research on graduate schools, he came to the conclusion that, although it meant traveling across the country, the premier location to study nanotechnology was CNSE.
Under the mentorship of CNSE Associate Professor of Nanoengineering Dr. Michael Carpenter, Dr. Rogers' studies focused on harsh environment sensor technology - specifically, the unique optical properties of gold nanoparticles to give color to thin films of transparent yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). In the same way that metals are used in coloring stained glass windows, Dr. Rogers used the optical properties of gold nanoparticles to color the YSZ. At temperatures greater than 300 degrees, the nanocomposite films will change color in a predictable way, dependent on the gas exposure of the environment. This method of observing environmental effects on materials is beneficial for remote sensing applications in which environmental conditions are too extreme for electrical based sensing methods, and for fundamental transduction and mass transport studies.
"Dr. Rogers' body of experimental work will serve as a benchmark for understanding harsh environment interfacial chemical reactions and their corresponding effects on the plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles. He has truly laid the groundwork, both experimental and theoretical, for our future studies," says Dr. Carpenter. "He was able to transition his success in the classroom into the laboratory, and I am certain that he will go on to a very successful scientific career."
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| CNSE December 2009 Graduates |
After receiving his Ph.D. in Nanoscale Science and Engineering with a concentration in Nanoengineering, Dr. Rogers is now utilizing the education and training he received at CNSE in his new position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at NIST, through the National Research Council's Research Associateship Program - just one of three offers he considered upon graduation. Dr. Rogers will explore fundamental transduction mechanisms at the gas-solid interface of thin films deposited on microhotplate arrays for sensor studies and future sensing applications.
"My experience at CNSE has provided the cutting-edge tools and revolutionary education necessary to help me succeed in my new venture," says Dr. Rogers. "I feel confident that the opportunities that I had at CNSE, in combination with my problem-solving skills and enterprising attitude, will continue to open doors for me in the future."