Lab member Debraliz Isaac-Aragones finishes summer research experience at Purdue

Lab member Debraliz Isaac-Aragones spent the summer at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. Her research focused on alternative thermal management solutions for electronic devices using thermal interface materials. She investigated the conduction pattern of particle-filled polymer composites using infrared microscopy. The experimental results were validated with both simulation software and theoretical relationships found in literature. She presented her summer’s work at the 2018 SURF Symposium.

Debraliz presenting her topic ‘Study of the Effective Thermal Conductivity of Polymer Composites with Varying Filler Arrangements’ at the 2018 SURF Symposium.

Debraliz also participated in a program called Pathways that provided additional mentoring, networking, and professional opportunities for underrepresented students interested in pursuing a PhD. “We had several informal meetings where a small group of students and I engaged in discussion with faculty and graduate students. It has been a valuable experience to ask questions first-hand about what life is like in and after graduate school.” Overall, SURF gave her a better outlook on her future as a researcher.

Debraliz with a sculpture of Neil Armstrong at Purdue University.