>Kyle Holloway graduated from Boise State last weekend with his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering. Kyle worked in the Advanced Materials Laboratory for three years as an undergraduate researcher. Here’s what Kyle has to say about his experience with undergraduate research:
“During my time in the AML, I conducted collaborative research on additively manufactured stainless steel 316L (AM SS-316L) for nuclear reactor structural components for the Transformational Challenge Reactor Project (TCR). The purpose of this research was to understand how different print parameters affect the mechanical performance and chemical composition of the parts. The project included hundreds of samples, so I designed an engraved labeling system to identify each sample. After the labeling process, I collaborated with the Engineering Innovation Studio to section all 18 monolith samples into 180 samples using electrical discharge machining. Half of the samples were then shipped to our collaborators. I then collected microhardness data at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) at the Idaho National Laboratory. The data from this tool is location-specific and allowed me to track sample hardness data in localized areas. I then used scanning electron microscopy to study microstructure. I have presented my work at multiple undergraduate research conferences, here at Boise State University and at the University of Maryland. I also participated in the McNair Scholar program, which prepares students from under-represented groups for graduate school. I am a recipient of the University Nuclear Leadership Program (UNLP) scholarship, and I served as vice president of the American Nuclear Society BSU Student Chapter.”
Kyle is spending this summer interning at Idaho National Laboratory as a GEM Fellow. In the fall he will begin his PhD in Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University. Congratulations Kyle!
