MSE Seminar: Classical Atomic-scale Methods in Material Design and Discovery

McDonnell Douglas Engineering Auditorium (MDEA)
Susan Sinnott

Chair, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA

Abstract: A driving force for research is the discovery and design of new materials to improve existing technologies or enable new applications. Classical atomic-scale methods are now widely applied in pursuit of this objective. This presentation will review the evolution of some common material modeling methods and their integration with cutting-edge experimental techniques. Illustrative applications will be discussed within the context of water-metal interfaces and carbide-derived carbon materials.

Bio: Susan Sinnott received her bachelor's degree with honors in chemistry from the University of Texas in 1987 and her doctorate in physical chemistry from Iowa State University in 1993. From there, she joined the Naval Research Laboratory, Surface Chemical Branch, in Washington D.C. as a National Research Council postdoctoral associate until 1995.  Afterward, Sinnott became an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering at the University of Kentucky through 2000. She then began her tenure at the University of Florida, where she was an associate professor of materials science and engineering until her promotion in 2005 to the rank of professor of materials science and engineering. In 2007, she became an affiliate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and in 2012 she was named the Alumni Professor of Materials Science. Sinnott also became a member of the Quantum Theory Project in 2011 and director of the Cyberinfrastructure for Atomistic Simulation (CAMS) in 2012. In 2015, Sinnott joined the Pennsylvania State University as professor and department head of materials science and engineering.