Research Projects
Classifying quantum states of matter with machine learning
Middlebury College Department of Physics | Middlebury, VT
Feb 2024 – May 2024
Historically, a one-semester senior project was a requirement for all physics majors at Middlebury. While my graduating class
was the first to have this requirement lifted, I still opted to pursue a project which would allow me to combine my interests
in physics and computer science in a more applied setting than any previous coursework had allowed. My research explored the
implementation of various neural network architectures in classifying simulated magnetic materials as ferromagnetic or paramagnetic,
as indicated by whether the simulated spin configurations corresponded to a system that was above or below the transition temperature.
I worked exclusively in Jupyter notebooks, using the TensorFlow ML framework which I found to be quite approachable yet also
powerful enough to conduct this interesting research. This was my first dive into any kind of machine learning architectures,
and I am quite happy with how it turned out.
GitHub | Poster
Fabrication of a novel multi-layer electric vehicle half-bridge inverter module
National Renewable Energy Laboratory | Golden, CO
Jun 2023 – Aug 2023
I returned to NREL in the summer of 2023 working as a SULI in the Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines group. I developed a comprehensive GUI application with Tkinter in Python to control and automate
a custom-made hot press being used to fabricate a new kind of power inverter module for electric vehicles. I designed the program to be as intuitive and efficient as possible while also minimizing the amount of
user input required. Preliminary modules produced with this updated press program demonstrated successful program operation, highlighting future areas of improvement in the fabrication process.
During this time at NREL I also helped develop a general-purpose data acquisition program in Python designed to be distributed laboratory-wide, implementing a suite of programmable sensors and
controllers produced by Phidget.
General Audience Abstract | Poster
Installation, calibration, and experimental verification of a layered deposition scheme
National Renewable Energy Laboratory | Golden, CO
May 2022 – Aug 2022
I spent the summer of 2022 working in the Materials Discovery group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as part of the DOE-sponsored
Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program. My research primarily involved the attempted synthesis of a newly-reported ternary nitride crystal
structure previously discovered by the PI of the research group.
Much of my work focused on the growth of Zinc Titanium Nitride (ZnTiN2) and Magnesium Tungsten Nitride (MgWN2) thin films using a high-vacuum magnetron
sputter deposition chamber and running subsequent characterization measurements on the films using techniques such as profilometry (to measure film thickness),
X-ray fluorescence (to determine the molecular composition), and X-ray diffraction (to identify the crystal structure of the film).
General Audience Abstract | Poster
Education
B.A, Physics and Computer Science | Summa Cum Laude with Honors in Computer Science
Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT
Sep 2020 – May 2024
Semester Studying Engineering Sustainable Environments in Scandinavia
DIS Stockholm | Stockholm, Sweden
Aug 2022 – Dec 2022