Alexánder Campos-Quirós ’22G, a PhD student in materials science and engineering, is a recipient of a 2023 M&M Student Scholar Award sponsored by the Microscopy Society of America (MSA).
His paper, “EELS Spectrum Imaging of Ca Segregation at Grain Boundaries in Magnesium Aluminate Spinel,” was among a small number of entries selected from a field of nearly 200 student submissions. The award covers registration costs and up to $1,000 in travel expenses to attend the upcoming Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting (M&M 2023), July 23-27, in Minneapolis.
Working with his advisor, Masashi Watanabe, a professor of materials science and engineering, Campos-Quirós applies advanced electron microscopy techniques to better understand how mechanical properties at the microscale (such as fracture toughness) are intimately related to phenomena at the atomic-level (such as the segregation behavior of dopant atoms in ceramic materials).
“I'm happy that my work at Lehigh has been recognized, and this award motivates me to keep working on my research project,” says Campos-Quirós. “This is a great opportunity to share ideas with other researchers in my field, and I'm looking forward to presenting my results at the M&M 2023 conference.”
Campos-Quirós earned an undergraduate degree in materials engineering from the Costa Rica Institute of Technology prior to enrolling at Lehigh.