10/27/2019 James Sopkin
Written by James Sopkin
One way NPRE celebrated Graduate Student Appreciation Week last week was by highlighting the work of some of our graduate students. Under direction of Prof. David Ruzic, NPRE graduate student Jeremy Mettler hopes to use his studies of plasma-material interactions to start his own career in academics.
What previous degrees do you hold and when and where did you receive them?
Previous Degree: BS NPRE, received in 2018 from Illinois.
What are your research interests?
I am interested in studying how plasmas can be used to modify and enhance the properties of materials for use in everyday life. In general I find interesting the wide variety of ways plasmas have proven useful in engineering new materials for everything from computers to solar panels.
Who is your advisor?
Prof. David Ruzic.
On what project are you currently working?
I am currently studying how laser/plasma systems might be used to produce microstructures and modify the surface properties of materials. Specifically, I am looking at how femtosecond lasers can be used to produce ordered ripple structures at the micro and nano scale on metals, and how these structures change the wettability and other surface properties.
What funding/fellowship is supporting you?
I am supported by a 25 percent teaching assistantship and a 25 percent research assistantship. I like the combination of research and teaching as I would like to become a professor once I graduate.
When do you expect to earn your PhD?
I expect to graduate in 2023
What are your career goals?
To become a professor and continue to pursue my passions both in research and as a mentor to students.
Why did you choose NPRE?
I chose NPRE because I recognize the unique importance of plasma processing as a current and future technique for producing advanced materials. The NPRE Department is unique, in my view, for the combination of excellent faculty, sense of community, and broad slate of exciting and interesting research.
Why did you choose Illinois?
Same reasons as NPRE.