Michael Forney | A Journey From the Nanoscale to Outer Space
Event Date:
October 8, 2015 – 3:30 PM to October 9, 2015 – 4:59 PM
Location:
Burson 115
Event Date:
October 8, 2015 – 3:30 PM to October 9, 2015 – 4:59 PM
Location:
Burson 115
Ph.D Nanoscale Science Seminar Series | Fall 2015
Michael Forney
The Aerospace Corporation
“A Journey From the Nanoscale to Outer Space”
Abstract:
Nanoscale Science is an interdisciplinary field that can open the doors to many opportunities – this seminar chronicles the professional path of one graduate of UNCC’s Nanoscale Science Ph.D. Program. Dr. Michael Forney will cover the highlights of his Ph.D. research at UNCC, his postdoctoral research at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and his current research at The Aerospace Corporation. For Dr. Forney’s dissertation research, projects included studying the stability of pristine single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) dispersions in organic solvents and growing vertically aligned CNT arrays onto various substrates using a chemical vapor deposition system that he assembled. As a Postdoctoral Research Associate at RIT, primary research foci included (1) the use of nanostructured silicon and germanium active materials for higher specific capacity, (2) replacement of copper current collectors with carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets to reduce electrode mass, (3) the elimination of irreversible first cycle capacity loss associated with nanostructured electrodes through the use of Stabilized Lithium Metal Powder (SLMP) during cell fabrication, and (4) the use of CNTs as conductive additives to enhance rate performance. As an employee at The Aerospace Corporation, Dr. Forney supports a variety of customer battery tests and conducts internal research to pursue methods for increasing battery cycle life, where the goal is to modify and control the nanoscale interfaces of the battery electrodes.
Bio:
Dr. Michael Forney is currently a Member of Technical Staff in The Aerospace Corporation’s Energy Technology Department, where he supports internal research efforts and provides program support for customers. Before joining The Aerospace Corporation, Dr. Forney was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he worked with Dr. Brian Landi to research methods for improving the energy density and rate performance of lithium ion batteries. Dr. Forney received his Ph. D. in Nanoscale Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he performed basic research on CNTs under the advising of Dr. Jordan Poler. Prior to earning a Ph.D., Dr. Forney earned a B.S. in Physics from the University of Missouri -Columbia (Mathematics & Computer Science minors).