Working in the lab during the COVID era
Getting to know James Spencer!
James Spencer is a PhD student working in Dr. Sukwon Choi’s group at PSU. His anticipated graduation date is August 2021. The CDP asked James Spencer the following to get to know him a little better!
What do you most enjoy about being a part of CDP?
Having been a student my entire life, CDP has offered me the opportunity to work with industrial partners and experience the process of applying my knowledge to help understand and resolve problems with real-world applications in an engineering environment. Furthermore, I am grateful for the opportunity to be exposed to different fields through the projects I have been working on which has allowed me to continuously learn new things and advance my studies.
Tell us a little about your current research for the CDP.
Currently, I am working on the thermal characterization and analysis of piezoMEMS and multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). Typically, thermal characterization of these classes of devices are performed at the macroscale using methods such as a thermocouple. However, using optical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, microscale thermal characterization can be performed to measure localized self-heating and to determine the heat generation mechanisms responsible for this self-heating. Recently, in collaboration with CDP members, we published an article in the Journal of Applied Physics titled “Local measurements of domain wall-induced self-heating in released PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 films” (https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0029582) where we applied nanoparticle-assisted Raman thermometry to measure local temperature rise (~1 μm spatial resolution) in operating PZT piezoMEMS test structures as a result of domain wall motion and AC Joule heating.
What are your plans/goals after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to find a job in industry. Since I have been in an academic environment my whole life, I would like to get experience working in an industrial setting. I am interested in seeing how companies function on a larger scale to accomplish objectives and how I can become an integral and efficient part of that functioning.
What do you like to do outside of work? What are your hobbies?
Outside of work, I like to hike, golf, ski, and play basketball. Basically anything to get outdoors! When I am stuck indoors, I like to watch sports, play videogames with friends, or watch a new show on one of the many streaming services we’ve all been bamboozled into paying for. As of late, I have also been trying to learn how to cook (well).
Any interesting facts that we should know about you?
I am a dual citizen; I was born in Sweden, but my family moved to the USA when I was about a year old.Deep sea fishing in Florida!
