James is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Pratt School of Engineering and also a research and development engineer in Duke’s Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMiF) where he assists researchers in the use of characterization equipment such as MicroCT, SAXS, Micro-Strain Analyzer, XPS, SEM, XRD, EQE, Solar J-V and UV-Vis.

Current Research Focus

• Understanding electrode interfaces of supercapacitor and photovoltaic devices via invacuuo deposition coupled with ultraviolet and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• Integration of a roll-to-roll processable organic photovoltaic and supercapacitor into a two-tiered flexible device
• Optimizing a transparent pseudocapacitor electrode for a supercapacitor device composed of nickel hydroxide coated copper nanowires and studying its electrochromic behavior

Research Interests

• Thin film photovoltaic materials
• Supercapacitor electrode, separator and electrolyte materials
• Understanding electronic structure of nanomaterials for energy applications

Past Experience

• American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) (Jul 2010 – Feb 2013)
  Microscopy and Imaging Facility (MIF) – Manager
  Oversaw the use and upkeep of MIF’s instrumentation: SEMs w/ EDS, EBSD and CL, MicroCT, Confocal laser scanning microscope.
• Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) (Aug 2008 – Jul 2010)
  Ceramic Materials Research Laboratory (CMRL) - Technical Aide
  Assisted in the design and testing of ceramic beads and their composition in the application of body armor, dental brackets, optical lenses and other novel applications via pressing them into a monolithic piece.
• Bethel University (Sep 2007 – Jan 2008)
  Physics Department - Teacher’s Assistant
  Assisted students in their laboratory projects and assignments completed in concert with their General Physics I course.

Publications

• Sanger, M., Thostenson, J., Hill, M., Cain, H. (2012) Fibrous Twists and Turns: Early ceramic technology revealed through Computed Tomography. Applied Physics A. 0947-(8396). 1 -11. doi: 10.1007/s00339-012-7287-6.
• Friedrich J. M., Ruzicka A., Rivers M. L., Ebel D. S., Thostenson J. O., Rudolph R. A. (in press) Metal veins in the Kernouvé (H6  S1) chondrite: Evidence for pre- or syn-metamorphic shear deformation. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2013.01.009

Awards and Honors

• Invited Speaker at Synchrotron Radiation in Art and Archaeology (SR2A), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (Jun 2012)
• Invited Speaker at Non-Destructive Testing & Management Association (NDTMA) Conference, Las Vegas, NV (Feb 2012)
• Invited Speaker at Digital Specimen, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany (Oct 2014)