Founded in 1856, University of Maryland, College Park is the state’s flagship institution. Our 1,250-acre College Park campus is just minutes away from Washington, D.C., and the nexus of the nation’s legislative, executive, and judicial centers of power. This unique proximity to business and technology leaders, federal departments and agencies, and a myriad of research entities, embassies, think tanks, cultural centers, and non-profit organizations is simply unparalleled. Synergistic opportunities for our faculty and students abound and are virtually limitless in the nation’s capital and surrounding areas. The University is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding and diverse faculty and staff that will enhance our stature of preeminence in our three missions of teaching, scholarship, and full engagement in our community, the state of Maryland, and in the world.

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This postdoctoral fellow position is in the Nanoscale Assembly and Electron Microscopy group in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. The fellow will report to Prof. Taylor Woehl, the PI of this group. This position will be the primary experimentalist on a project aiming to image chemical and microstructural transformations during the pyrolysis of pre-ceramic polymers. The goal of this project is to elucidate the polymer-to-ceramic transformation mechanisms for several model polymer-derived ceramic systems and to establish how these mechanisms impact the final ceramic structure, bonding, and properties. The postdoctoral fellow will plan and lead in situ gas cell electron microscopy experiments using an aberration-corrected STEM.

Primary responsibilities include performing in situ transmission electron microscopy experiments, including imaging and electron and x-ray spectroscopy, to elucidate the evolution of microstructure and chemistry during pyrolysis of pre-ceramic polymers. Key duties include maintenance of in situ sample holders, preparation of MEMS samples, bulk characterization of polymer pyrolysis, atomic resolution imaging and spectroscopy of ceramic microstructure, and in situ gas cell experiments. The postdoctoral fellow will analyze and summarize results in regular meetings with the PI and will prepare manuscripts and presentations for submission to academic journals and conferences. Other duties include mentoring and training of undergraduate and graduate researchers.

The A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland serves as the catalyst for high-quality research, innovation, and learning, preparing our students to create innovations that will address the 21st century Grand Challenges (e.g., energy, environment, security, and human health) and improve the human condition. The Clark School is dedicated to leading and transforming the engineering discipline and profession, to accelerating entrepreneurship, and to transforming research and learning activities into new innovations that benefit millions.

Education:
Ph.D. in materials science, chemical engineering, chemistry, or related field.

Salary range $55,000-$60,000.

The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.