This summer, the Performance Materials Laboratory (PML) had the pleasure of hosting Derek Heidenfelder as a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) student. Derek spent the summer running density functional theory (DFT) calculations on advanced semiconductor materials for energy applications, using the UNC Charlotte supercomputer to carry out his simulations.
Computational materials research requires a different kind of patience and precision than working at the bench. Derek dug into the fundamentals of DFT methods, learned to navigate high performance computing resources, and applied that knowledge to modeling how semiconductor materials behave at the atomic scale, work that has real relevance for the next generation of energy technologies. He approached every challenge with curiosity and a genuine eagerness to understand the physics behind his results, not just the numbers themselves.
Derek did an amazing job this summer. He picked up complex computational tools quickly, asked thoughtful questions, and consistently pushed his own understanding further. It was a pleasure having him in the lab, and his contributions to our semiconductor materials work will carry forward as we continue building out this area of PML’s research.
Thank you, Derek, for a great summer. We wish you continued success and look forward to seeing where your research journey takes you next.