Lab Partnering Service Discovery

CMI Researcher Thomas Lograsso began serving as CMI interim director in November 2019. He had led the CMI Focus Area 2, Developing Substitutes since 2014. Previously he led Focus Area 4, Crosscutting Research while serving as the interim director of The Ames Laboratory. Also at Ames Lab, Tom leads a BES Synthesis & Processing effort on Novel Materials Preparation and Processing Methodology, whose goal is to develop synthesis protocols for new materials including quasicrystals, ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, and those that may contain volatile reactive or toxic components especially in single crystalline form. Often his pioneering synthesis efforts result in the first single crystals of these novel materials to be grown and studied for intrinsic behavior. 

Tom is co-inventor of a rare-earth free substitute for the magnetostrictive alloy Terfenol-D (contains the critical elements Tb and Dy) used in high precision machining operations for small engine components and as a ultrasonic driver in petroleum exploration. This iron-based substitute is currently being evaluated for commercialization in energy harvesting applications.

Dr. Lograsso received his education in metallurgical engineering at Michigan Technological University, earning his Ph.D. in 1986. He did postdoctoral training working on the Rensselaer team, developing the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE) that flew on the Space Shuttle in the late 1990s. The IDGE tested the fundamental solidification physics of the pattern formation and kinetics of crystal growth in isothermal undercooled melts in growth regimes where gravity driven convection overwhelmed the growth in terrestrial conditions.

Dr. Yao is a theoretical and computational physicist, developing methods, algorithms, and codes to address condensed matter physics and materials science problems. With a degree of B.S. in department of intensive instruction in 2000 and M.S. in physics in 2003 from Nanjing University, China, he obtained his Ph.D. in physics from Iowa State University in 2009. After graduation, he took a postdoc position in Ames Laboratory. He was promoted to assistant scientist in 2011, associate scientist in 2015, and senior theoretical physicist in 2019, with an adjunct faculty position in department of Physics and Astronomy at Iowa State University. He is currently leading projects in the development of quantum computing approaches to solve ground state and dynamical properties of correlated quantum materials within the Gutzwiller quantum-classical embedding framework. He is also a key developer of the Gutzwiller density functional theory and rotationally-invariant Slave-Boson method and software.

Matthew Kramer has been Division Director for Materials Sciences and Engineering (DMSE) since 2014. He is also an adjunct professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Iowa State University. As DMSE director, Kramer oversees budgets, proposal preparation, Materials Preparation Center administration, and Sensitive Instrument Facility oversight. DMSE includes 13 FWPs (BES funded), EFRC CATS, approximately 13 additional DOE funded projects, and a small number of Strategic Partnership Projects. Kramer joined Ames Laboratory in 1988, specializing in the areas Structure and properties of glass forming metallic alloys, aperiodic intermetallic alloys, permanent magnets and high temperature alloys, development of in situ time resolved methods using electron microscopy and high energy X-ray diffraction, analytical electron microscopy, and advanced imaging techniques for understanding rapid solidification. He holds B.S. and M.S degrees in geo mechanics and geology from the University of Rochester and a Ph.D. in geology from Iowa State University.

Dr. Viktor P. Balema is a Senior Scientist at Ames Laboratory. He joint the laboratory in 2016 to lead new materials development and commercialization at Ames’ led DOE consortium (CaloriCool) founded by US Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office. His technical expertise comprises development of biologically active compounds, hard and hybrid materials, polymers and chemical recycling. 

Before joining Ames Laboratory, Viktor served in various leading roles, including Hard Materials Head and Global R&D Manager, at Sigma-Aldrich Corporation - a major materials supplier to research and commercial markets. Once at Ames Laboratory, Dr. Balema served on the laboratory’s Research Management Team and Technical Advisory Committee of REMADE Institute and contributed to the development of the Strategic Plan for Ames Laboratory.

Scientific expertise of Dr. Balema spans over chemistry of bio-active agents, synthetic materials chemistry as well as upcycling of spent products, including rare earths and polymers. Viktor published over 70 papers, reviews and proceedings in open literature and filed ~15 US and international patents and IP disclosures. He also developed and commercialized numerous proprietary materials that have been offered through diverse business channels.

Ronald Pindak’s research is in condensed matter physics with an emphasis on the use of x-ray scattering techniques to characterize bulk, surface, and interface structures as well as their kinetics and dynamical fluctuations.   Pindak worked for 24 years at Bell Laboratories where he achieved the rank of Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff.  He has 45 years of research experience with over 100 refereed publications covering work on both soft condensed matter (complex fluids, colloids, polymers) and hard condensed matter thin films such as found in electronic and opto-electronic devices.  He has 36 years of experience using synchrotron research facilities and 17 years of experience managing synchrotron facility operations.  He currently oversees a suite of state-of-the-art beamlines at NSLS-II that are optimized for coherent, micro-beam, inelastic, resonant, and small/wide angle x-ray scattering. 

Dr. Washington currently serves on multiple committees both at SRNL and in the Aiken community. These include the Conduct of R&D safety council, Diversity Board of Directors for SRNS, and the former Board of Directors Chairman and current member for Habitat for Humanity. He is an also an Adjunct Professor at USC Aiken in the chemistry department.

James Morris became Ames Laboratory’s Chief Research Officer in June 2019. As Chief Research Officer (CRO), Morris is responsible for initiating, developing and supervising the Ames Laboratory’s scientific divisions, institutes and programs. The CRO formulates and evaluates new initiatives in support of Ames Laboratory’s mission –to create materials, inspire minds to solve problems, and address global challenges –often emphasizing cross-disciplinary collaborations with other DOE National Laboratories, academia, and industry. Morris’ research has focused on a variety of materials science challenges, including alloy design, high entropy alloys, metallic liquids and glasses, and hydrogen storage and other confined fluids in porous media. He earned his B.S. in physics at Colorado State University in 1987, and his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Cornell University in 1992. He worked at Ames Laboratory, a Department of Energy (DOE) Laboratory located on the Iowa State University, first as a postdoctoral associate then as a scientific staff member. In 2003, he joined the Alloy Behavior and Design group at Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), and in 2005 also became joint faculty with the University of Tennessee’s Materials Science and Engineering department. At ORNL, Morris served as Deputy Director for the DOE Energy Frontier Research Center for Defect Physics, as Lab Coordinator for the Basic Energy Sciences -Materials Science and Engineering program, and as Materials Theory Group Leader.