Meet Our NRT Fellows
The National Science Foundation Research Traineeship seeks proposals that explore
ways for graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs
to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM
careers. We have highlighted their research areas below.
- John Park is working on characterization and modeling of fracture and size effects
in materials with nonlinear behavior, such as soft matter, rubber compounds, as well
as fiber reinforced composites under shear.
- Thomas Piccolo is working on characterization and modeling of the mechanical behavior
of biomechanical composites that form the human abdominal wall, with ultimate goal
of improving hernia treatments.
- Racquel Lovelace is working on characterization and modeling of the mechanical and
failure behavior of epoxy at cryogenic temperatures (4K), with application to superconducting
magnets.
- Nicholas Paolini is working on experimental research in fluid mechanics and nanoscale science, for applications in renewable energy conversion and storage.