As a curious freshman, Nicholas Landry, from Barrington, New Hampshire, sought out the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research hoping to become involved in a research project in his mechanical engineering major. His initiative paid off, and he was awarded a Research Experience and Apprenticeship Program (REAP) for the 2011 summer. For Nicholas, the opportunity to write an article for Inquiry has not only helped him advance his own knowledge of materials science, but has allowed him to share it with Inquiry’s wide range of readers. In the future, Nicholas plans to pursue a Ph.D. in materials science before teaching at the university level or leading research at a national laboratory. In the meantime, aside from studies and lab work, he lifeguards, plays squash, and tutors math.
Professor Todd S. Gross is currently completing his twenty-fourth year at the University of New Hampshire, where he is professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His special area of research is the mechanical behavior of materials, with a focus on experimental measurements. While Professor Gross has worked with many undergraduate students on research, it is his first experience as a Research Experience and Apprenticeship Program (REAP) mentor. He enjoyed working with Nicholas, he said, who “was an exceptionally motivated student.” Professor Gross likes being able to balance both teaching and research, and views writing in general as a useful exercise for helping students organize their thoughts and critically evaluate the concepts and results they are trying to explain.
Read Nicholas Landry's research article Using Nanoindentation to Investigate the Effect of Manufacturing Pressure on the Microstructure and Stiffness of Pyrolytic Carbon >>
