Undergraduates

I am Brandon Emsley Bearden, a freshman in Electrical Engineering at UTD. I have a strong interest in physics and study the chemical characterization of graphene oxide. After a long hunt for lab work, I found the perfect opportunity to work with Weina Peng and Yves Chabal. I aim to one day lead research in the quest for room temperature superconductivity and earn my Ph.D in Physics.

I am currently a senior undergraduate student at UTDallas majoring in Electrical Engineering, and also an undergraduate research member of Dr. Yves Chabal’s group. Briefly, I was born in South Korea and I have come to United States to learn cutting-edge trend in the field and to experience newest laboratory equipment in nanoelectronics at hand by double degree program between Kyungpook National University in Korea and UTD. For now, I am a participant of the project about MOF (Metal Organic Framework) quantum dot structure under the supervision of Dr. Erika Fuentes. Trying to stack MOF structure on a substrate, once if it is made, I can measure the electrical properties of the device.

I love to play guitar, to sing a song, to play soccer and I also enjoyed watching movies, and traveling diverse people, cities and countries to feel their own lives.

My name is Thomas L’Esperance. I am an undergraduate student in chemistry at Midwestern State University and am currently participating in an REU program at the University of Texas Dallas. The research I am involved with consists of producing and characterizing thin films of metals and metal oxides deposited on silicon substrates by way of atomic layer deposition. Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanistic details of these processes for several different types of films using in-situ FTIR and ex-situ XPS techniques.

My interests in chemistry lie in the development of advanced nanotechnology, predominantly nanomanufacturing systems capable of hierarchical convergent assembly of molecular feedstocks. Though the development of this technology will require immense interdisciplinary collaboration, my interests lie in synthesis, assembly, and characterization of 3D nanocomponents for proto-nanosystems from an inorganic chemistry and spectroscopy background.

For the Summer of 2016, I am participating in UT Dallas’ REU Program in Surface Engineering for Sensing, Energy and Nanoelectronics. My mentor, Eric Mattson, and I are working to characterize a low temperature metallic surface state of ultra-thin ZnO films using IR spectroscopy. Through participation in the this program, I hope to gain some insight as to whether or not graduate school is something I want to pursue.

I will be graduating in Spring 2017 from Kalamazoo College in Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in physics with an applied math minor and environmental studies concentration. For this summer, I searched for a research position in materials science with a focus on sustainability. I was drawn toward materials science because I wanted to combine my interests in physics and chemistry. My main goal for whatever career I decide on is that it have an emphasis on sustainability.

In my free time, I enjoy watching Avatar (the show!) and English changing ringing, which I am fortunate enough to continue this summer at the St. James Episcopal Church.