Research Associate - College of Engineering - Department of Mechanical Engineering

Responsibilities

• Lead hands-on characterization work including tomography, microscopy, metallography, and related materials analysis.
• Build on existing process and microstructure modeling efforts to connect experimental characterization results with modeling findings.
• Produce high-quality experimental results, figures, methods descriptions, and technical summaries based on specific research directions provided by the PI.
• Integrate knowledge across stages of the metal AM workflow, including processing, post-processing, characterization, and interpretation of results.
• Support ongoing collaborative project activities by providing characterization expertise, technical feedback, and data organization, to ensure deliverables are completed accurately and on time.
• Learn and implement new techniques or concepts as needed to support evolving project needs.

Qualifications

• MS or recent PhD in materials science, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering, additive manufacturing, or a closely related field. PhD preferred.
• Prior experience with metal additive manufacturing processes, strong hands-on ability with laboratory equipment and experimental workflows.
• Experience with materials characterization techniques such as microscopy, tomography, metallography, or related methods.
• Basic experience with modeling or relevant modeling coursework.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to coordinate with students and collaborators.
• Demonstrated reliability, judgment, and ability to execute tasks.