Events Calendar

Dr. Julia Greer - Munushian Seminar Speaker, Friday, February 23rd at 2:00pm in EEB 132

Speaker: Dr. Julia Greer, California Institute of Technology

Talk Title: Materials by Design: 3-Dimensional Nano-Architected Meta-Materials

Abstract: Creation of extremely strong and simultaneously ultra lightweight materials can be
achieved by incorporating architecture into material design. We fabricate threedimensional
(3D) nano-architectures, i.e. nanolattices, whose constituents vary in size
from several nanometers to tens of microns to centimeters. These nanolattices can
exhibit superior thermal, photonic, electrochemical, and mechanical properties at extremely
low mass densities (lighter than aerogels), which renders them ideal for many
scientific pursuits and technological applications. The dominant properties of such
meta-materials, where individual constituent size at each relevant scale (atoms to
nanometers to microns) is comparable to the characteristic microstructural length
scale of the constituent solid, are largely unknown because of their multi-scale nature.
To harness the beneficial properties of 3D nano-architected meta-materials, it is
critical to assess properties at each relevant scale while capturing the overall structural
complexity.
We describe the deformation, as well as the mechanical, biochemical,
electrochemical, thermal, and photonic properties of nanolattices made of different
materials with varying microstructural detail. Attention is focused on uncovering the
synergy between the internal atomic-level microstructure and the nano-sized external
dimensionality, where competing material- and structure-induced size effects drive
overall response and govern these properties. Specific discussion topics include the
nanofabrication and characterization of (often hierarchical) three-dimensional nanoarchitected
meta-materials and their applications in chemical and biological devices,
ultra lightweight energy storage systems, damage-tolerant fabrics, and photonic
crystals.

Biography: Greer's research focuses on creating and characterizing classes of materials with multiscale
microstructural hierarchy, that utilize the combination of three-dimensional (3D)
architectures with nanoscale-induced material properties. These include nature-made
materials, i.e. bone and hard biological systems, as well as synthetic ones that can be
comprised of a broad range of materials: from ceramics and metals to glasses, polymers,
organics, organic/inorganic hybrids, and multi-functional smart materials. These nanoarchitected
meta-materials not only provide a rich "playground" for fundamental
science but also have the potential to enable new technological advances in biomedical
devices, battery electrodes, lightweight structural materials, and
Greer obtained her S.B. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Advanced Music
Performance from MIT in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Stanford, worked
at Intel (2000-03) and was a post-doc at PARC (2005-07). Julia joined Caltech in 2007
and currently is a full professor with appointments in Materials Science, Mechanical
Engineering, and Medical Engineering.
Greer has more than 130 publications and has delivered over 100 invited lectures, which
include 2 TEDx talks, multiple named seminars at universities, the Watson lecture at
Caltech, the Gilbreth Lecture at the National Academy of Engineering, the Midwest
Mechanics Lecture series, and a "IdeasLab" at the World Economic Forum. She was
named a Vannevar-Bush Faculty Fellow by the US Department of Defence (2016) and
CNN's 20/20 Visionary (2016). Her work was recognized among Top-10 Breakthrough
Technologies by MIT's Technology Review (2015). Greer was named as one of "100
Most Creative People" by Fast Company and a Young Global Leader by World
Economic Forum (2014) and received multiple career awards: Kavli (2014), Nano
Letters, SES, and TMS (2013); NASA, ASME (2012), Popular Mechanics
Breakthrough Award (2012), DOE (2011), DARPA (2009), and Technology Review's
TR-35, (2008).
Greer serves as an Associated Editor for Nano Letters and Extreme Mechanics Letters.
She is also a concert pianist, with recent performances of "nanomechanics rap" with
MUSE/IQUE, solo piano recitals and chamber concerts (2007-present), and as a soloist
of Brahms Concerto No. 2 with Redwood Symphony (2006).

Host: EE-Electrophysics

More Info: minghsiehee.usc.edu/about/lectures/munushian

Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Marilyn Poplawski

Event Link: minghsiehee.usc.edu/about/lectures/munushian