Research Faculty and Adjuncts

Jian Luo (MSE)
Email: jianluo@clemson.edu

Jian Luo is currently a Professor of Nano Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. He graduated from Tsinghua University in 1994 with dual Bachelor's degrees, one in Materials Science and Engineering and another in Electronics and Computer Technology. He received his M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering in 1999, and his Ph.D. in Ceramics in 2001, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After graduation, he worked in the optical fiber and telecommunication industry for more than two years with Lucent Technologies and OFS Fitel/Furukawa Electric Co. in Norcross, Georgia. In 2003, he joined the Clemson faculty and COMSET as an Assistant Professor; he was subsequently promoted to an Associate Professor in 2009 and a Professor in 2012 at Clemson. Luo received an NSF CAREER award in 2005 and an AFOSR Young Investigator award in 2007. 

Luo’s research group has investigated nanoscale interfacial phenomena and applied these phenomena to control microstructural evolution and tailor materials properties. The recent research projects investigate advanced materials for energy applications, including: lithium ion battery materials; electrochemical capacitors; solid ionic conductors; high-temperature alloys; and materials for nuclear and fossil energy power systems. 

Luo’s research interests also include: oxide nanoparticles; nanostructured multilayers and thin films; materials characterization; sintering and grain growth mechanisms; thermodynamic modeling; and optical materials, fibers and devices.

Dave Musgraves (MSE)
Email: jdm047@clemson.edu

Musgraves is a researcher in the Glass Processing and Characterization Lab at COMSET, leading research projects on the development and application of novel infrared-transparent glasses. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona, where he studied the use of ultraviolet light as a method to photocatalyze sol-gel reactions with spatial resolution, using this as a tool to direct-write thin film structures from solution. He received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Pomona College, where he later served as a Lecturer of Physics and Astronomy.
 
Musgraves conducts research on a variety of challenges in chalcogenide and tellurite glasses. Current research projects include the development of glasses for use in thin-film sensor devices, in fiber-optic infrared light transmission, and in the precision glass molding of optical elements. Additionally, Musgraves conducts research into the evolution of glass network structure across multiple length scales, and the impact of this evolution on the resultant properties of the glass. His research in these areas combines efforts in statistics, quantum computational modeling, spectroscopic and thermal analysis in an effort to explore fundamental problems in glass science.

Sergei Pyshkin
Email: spyshkin@yahoo.com

Sergei Pyshkin earned the PhD in 1967 from the Moldova State University for his work "Investigations of Doped GaP Crystals" and the Scie. (habilitat) thesis "Investigation of Photoconductivity and Luminescence of Semiconductors at Various Level of Excitation" from Moscow State University in 1978. He worked on various problems in non-linear optics and semiconductor physics at the A. F. Joffe Institute (St. Petersburg), the Institute of General Physics (Moscow) and the Moscow State University under the guidance of Alexander Prokhorov (Nobel Prize for lasers). He was awarded the State Prize from the Republic of Moldova for investigations in solid-state physics and microelectronics as well as the academic rank of Professor in physics of semiconductors and dielectrics. Since 1964 Prof. Pyshkin has worked at the Institute of Applied Physics, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, heading their Laser Research Laboratory (1986-2001). He has also held positions as Senior Lecturer and Professor at the Free International University of Moldova (1999-2005). During the 2005-2006 academic year, Prof. Pyshkin was a Fulbright Fellow at Clemson University, SC, USA. The author of approximately 200 scientific papers and books, Pyshkin’s career work has focused on GaP properties and laser applications, non-linear optics (multi-quantum absorption), electron and phonon transport phenomena, photoconductivity and light scattering, luminescence, and crystal and thin film growth.

Bob Rice
Email: robert.r.c.rice@sbcglobal.net

Bob Rice has an earned doctorate in Physics as well as continuing educational activities in leadership, psychology, and German. He enjoyed a highly productive career at major aerospace and defense companies including McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman. His productivity enabled him to become Senior Fellow and Chief Scientist for the Laser System division at McDonnell Douglas, followed by Senior Technical Fellow for the elite Phantom Works at Boeing, and lastly Senior Scientist for the Center for Lasers and Sensor Products at Northrop Grumman Space Technology prior to his retirement. Rice has 80 publications and presentations and 78 issued US patents (with 2 more allowed). In addition he is a member of SPIE and a senior member of Optical Society of America (OSA). Rice has significant technical and historical knowledge of laser communication, laser radar, photonics, free electron Lasers, directed Energy, remote sensing, fiber optics, and crystal growth, and, therefore, is well-qualified to serve as a consultant to this effort.

Kathleen Richardson (MSE)
Email: richar3@clemson.edu

Richardson returned to the University of Central Florida / CREOL after spending 7 years at Clemson University / COMSET. She was on the CREOL faculty from 1993 – 2004.
 
Richardson received her PhD in Ceramics from Alfred University in 1992. She is world renowned for her research in optical ceramics and infrared glass. She is Fellow of a number of technical societies including the Optical Society of America (OSA), the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), the American Ceramics Society (ACS), and the Society of Glass Technology. She has received the Outstanding Educator Award from ACS and served as member of its Board of Directors. She also served as Associate Editor with the International Journal for Applied Glass Science, past-President of the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers, and of the Glass and Optical Materials Division (GOMD).
 
Richardson's outreach activities are extensive. She currently serves on advisory boards of numerous organizations, including Virginia Tech’s Materials Science and Engineering Department, the NSF-ERC on Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health and the Environment (MIRTHE) at Princeton University and as part of the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Ultrahigh-bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems (CUDOS), in Sydney Australia. Since 2006, she has served as a member of the Board of Trustees at Alfred University.

Dave Witter
Email: dwitter@clemson.edu

Dave Witter is an expert in crystal growth and characterization with 50 years of experience. About half of those years were spent at Texas Instruments (TI) where he was a Senior Member of Technical Staff. Mr. Witter graduated from North Carolina State University in 1968 with a Master’s Degree in Ceramic Engineering and continued learning the crystal growth trade at Union Carbide, Allied Chemical, Texas Instruments, MEMC Electronic Materials, and finally Northrop Grumman SYNOPTICS as Director, Engineering until his retirement in 2006.  His career includes crystal growth contributions to major projects concerning silicon, gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, yttrium aluminum garnet, gadolinium gallium garnet, yttrium orthoaluminate, fluorapatites, vanadates, cadmium zinc and mercury tellurides, barium strontium titanate, ruby, sapphire and magnesium aluminate spinel.  He is presently Adjunct Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Adjunct Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University.  Mr. Witter has been active in the American Association for Crystal Growth since 1973. In 2005 he co-chaired the International Workshop for Crystal Growth Technology in Beatenberg, Switzerland. In May of 2008 he participated in a similar workshop with the lecture entitled “Low Cost Semiconductor and Solar Silicon.”