The CNST Welcomes Eight New Staff Members

Robert Celotta, Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), welcomed eight new staff members in July 2009.

C. Stephen Hellberg is a CNST Visiting Fellow in the Nanofabrication Research Group, on sabbatical leave from the Center for Computational Materials Science in the Materials Science and Technology Division at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, DC. Stephen's areas of expertise include ?rst principles and model Hamiltonian calculations of systems with strongly interacting electrons in con?ned geometries, such as nanowires and quantum dots. While on sabbatical at the CNST, he is working to elucidate the behavior of semiconductor quantum dots within nanophotonic resonators.

Renu Sharma joined the Nanofabrication Research Group as a Project Leader. She most recently served as a Senior Research Scientist in the LeRoy Eyring Center for Solid State Science and as an affiliated faculty member in the School of Materials and Department of Chemical Engineering at the Arizona State University. Renu is a pioneer in the development of environment cell transmission electron microscopy (E(S)TEM), combining atomic-scale resolution with dynamic chemical analysis of gas-solid reactions. At the CNST, Renu is establishling advanced TEM measurement capabilities for nanoscience research and overseeing the operation of a new TEM facility in the NanoFab.

Maxim Abashin joined the Nanofabrication Research Group as a CNST/UMD Postdoctoral Researcher. Maxim received his Ph.D. in Photonics from the University of California, San Diego, where he characterized nanophotonic devices using near-field scanning optical microscopy. Maxim is working with Henri Lezec on the implementation and improvement of nanophotonic measurement methods for studying visible-frequency metamaterials, nanoscale optical phenomena, and plasmonic devices.

Alec Talin joined the Energy Research Group as a Project Leader. Alec joined the CNST from Sandia National Laboratories, where he developed programs in nanofabrication, nanoelectronics, photonics and sensoring. Alec is leading projects focused on fundamental measurements of nanostructured materials in electrochemical energy storage.

Shaffique Adam joined the Electron Physics Group as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate. He received a B.S. in Physics from Stanford University, with departmental honors and a university distinction, and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Cornell University, where he studied the properties of nanoscale magnetic materials. Shaffique is working with Mark Stiles on theoretical studies of the electronic properties of graphene and other nanostructures.

Glenn Holland is an Instrumentation Specialist in the Electron Physics Group. Before joining the CNST, Glenn spent 22 years supporting research at the Naval Research Laboratory with the design of a wide range of experimental instrumentation. Glenn now assists the CNST scientific staff with all phases of experiment and instrumentation design.

Matt Gonzales is an Administrative Support Assistant in the CNST. Prior to joining NIST, Matt worked as a recruiter in the healthcare and IT industries.

Charles Yeh joined the CNST as a Student Intern in the Energy Research Group. Charles is a rising senior in the Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science magnet program at Poolesville (Maryland) High School.