Esther Grossman
Esther Grossman presented “Simulation of Glass Formation Near Covalently Grafted Nanoparticles” at the 2017 Ohio University Society of Physics Students Research Conference held in March.
Grossman was awarded an 11-week NSF-sponsored REU grant (Research Experience for Undergraduates). She worked with Professor David Simmons in the Department of Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron, along with two graduate students, Venkatesh Meenakshisundaram and Jui-Hsiang Hung.
“We used coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to look at how properties change at the interface of the nanoparticle and the surrounding polymer, she explained. “I learned how molecular dynamics are used to test theoretical models and was able to run simulations of nanoparticle-polymer systems. I also learned how cool glassy materials are! I met with my advisor about once a week. He would walk through the lab from time to time and we would discuss preliminary results for my simulations and point out trends or peculiarities in the results. It was cool to work in an interdisciplinary environment where chemists and engineers work with the others in my lab to test the theories developed in the simulation lab.
Esther Grossman – Engineering Physics major, Class of 2019, Honors Tutorial College
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