From left to right: Rodrigo Gutierrez Lopez, Samuel Leventini, Matthew Metcalf and Justin Couvrette (not pictured: Remi Leano). Cohort 3 began their CONDESA traineeship during the 2023 summer and fall semesters.
Photo by Zulema Avalos
Materials and Biomaterials Science and Engineering
My name is Justin Couvrette and I am pursuing a PhD in Materials and Biomaterials Science and Engineering. My main reseach interest involves the biomimicry of slime mold for mechanical operations.
Chemistry
My name is Remi Leano and I am a PhD student in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department. I use density functional theory to study excited states in a variety of systems ranging from toy models to magic-sized clusters and 2D materials.
My name is Matthew Metcalf and I am a Physics PhD student. Before joining Dr. Hui Cai’s Lab at UC Merced, I earned a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in Mathematics from CSU Fresno, after which I worked as a manufacturing engineer at Gel-Pak in Hayward, CA. At CSU Fresno, I worked with Dr. Daqing Zhang and successfully synthesized silicon nanocrystals via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and imaged with scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. At Gel-Pak, I performed many duties including designing, building, and validating automated systems for use on the production floor; finding and qualifying new equipment and raw materials for use in production; working closely with the Production and R&D Departments to increase the efficiency of manufacturing processes, reduce scrap, improve product quality, and address problems relating to equipment and safety; and more. In Hui Cai’s Lab, I synthesize and characterize 2D materials and magnetic topological insulators using techniques including chemical vapor deposition, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. In my free time, I enjoy circuit racing and playing drums.