Seung-Kyum Choi directly began at Georgia Tech in Fall 2006 as an assistant professor. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, he was a research assistant at Wright State University, conducting research on uncertainty quantification techniques for the analytical certification of complex engineered systems.  

Thadhani joined the faculty in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech in September, 1992. His research focuses on studies of shock-induced physical, chemical, and mechanical changes for processing of novel materials and for probing the deformation and fracture response of metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, subjected to high-rate impact loading conditions. He has developed state-of-the-art high-strain-rate laboratory which includes 80-mm and 7.62-mm diameter single-stage gas-guns, and a laser-accelerated thin-foil set-up, to perform impact experiments at velocities of 70 to 1200 m/s. The experiments employ time-resolved diagnostics to monitor shock-initiated events with nanosecond resolution employing piezoelectric and piezoresistive stress gauges, VISAR interferometry, Photonic-doppler-velocimetry, and high-speed digital imaging, combined with the ability to recover impacted materials for post-mortem microstructural characterization and determination of other properties. He has built computational capabilities employing continuum simulations for design of experiments and development and validation of constitutive equations, as well as for meso-scale discrete particle numerical analysis (using CTH and ALE3D codes) to determine the effects observed during shock compression of heterogeneous materials, using real microstructures.

Mary Lynn Realff is an Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). She received her BS Textile Engineering from Georgia Tech and her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Polymer Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Her current research is focused on Effective Team Dynamics for both undergraduate and graduate students. The Effective Team Dynamics Initiative develops curriculum and workshops that enable students to gain the competencies to work effectively in teams and for faculty to gain the competencies to guide students through challenging team dynamics is making a positive impacts at Georgia Tech.

During my research career I have observed “new” material systems develop and offer promise of wondrous device performance improvements over the current state of the art. Many of these promises have been kept, resulting in numerous new devices that could never have been dreamed of just a few short years ago. Other promises have not been fulfilled, due, in part, to a lack of understanding of the key limitations of these new material systems. Regardless of the material in question, one fact remains true: Without a detailed understanding of the electrical and optical interaction of electronic and photonic “particles” with the material and defect environment around them, novel device development is clearly impeded. It is not just a silicon world! Modern electronic/optoelectronic device designs (even silicon based devices) utilize many diverse materials, including mature dielectrics such as silicon dioxide/nitrides/oxynitrides, immature ferroelectric oxides, silicides, metal alloys, and new semiconductor compounds. Key to the continued progress of electronic devices is the continued development of a detailed understanding of the interaction of these materials and the defects and limitations inherent to each material system. It is my commitment to insure that new devices are continuously produced based on complex mixed family material systems.