Dr. Elizabeth Sooby
Associate Professor
Dr. Sooby is part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty with a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her research expertise is in high temperature materials synthesis and thermal analysis for nuclear energy applications, specifically advanced fuel fabrication and characterization. Prior to UTSA, Dr. Sooby was a Staff Scientist II at Los Alamos National Laboratory where she also completed a Seaborg Postdoctoral Fellowship following graduation with a PhD in Physics from Texas A&M University in December 2014.
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Dr. Patrick Warren
Assistant Professor of Research
I'm a research professor in EEML. My research involves microstructure and mechanical properties characterization of radioactive and non-radioactive materials exposed to extreme environments. Prior to joining UTSA, I worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Idaho National Laboratory. I completed my doctorate in Materials Engineering in December of 2022 at Purdue University.
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Postdoctoral Research Associates
Dr. Jennifer Stansby
Dr. Stansby is a Lecturer in Nuclear Engineering at the University of New South Wales, joining the EEML at UTSA as a visiting Research Fellow. She specializes in advanced characterization of next generation nuclear fuels, primarily using in situ neutron scattering techniques. Dr. Stansby transitioned to the field of nuclear during her first Postdoctoral Fellowship at UNSW upon graduating with a PhD in Chemistry on energy storage materials from UNSW/ANSTO in 2021.
Jennifer Stansby Google Scholar
Dr. Mira Khair
I am a postdoctoral researcher at EEML, working on synthesis and microstructural characterization of nuclear fuel (UN, UB2, UMo) and Steel (Fe-Cr, Ni-Cr). My first postdoctoral position was at University of Lille, France, where I focused on U-Mo fuel characterization (XRD, SEM, EBSD). I obtained my PhD in Physical Chemistry of Condensed Matter from University of Bordeaux, France, in December 2019.
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Graduate Students
Steven Jay Cavazos
Doctoral Student
I am a physics PhD candidate anticipating graduation in December 2024. I am currently a G. T. Seaborg GRA Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory using the BISON nuclear fuel performance code to simulate fission product diffusion in irradiated TRISO particles. I enjoy coupling experimental results with modeled predictions using thermodynamics and multiphysics in effort to further understand mass transport in nuclear material systems.
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Nouf Alzahrani
Doctoral Student
I am married and a mother of three daughters, with a dream of becoming a foremost physicist. I earned my master's degree in physics from Texas Tech University (TTU). Currently, I am a PhD student at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). In the Extreme Environment Materials Laboratory (EEML) led by Dr. Elizabeth Sooby, my research focuses on quantifying the recession of the silicon carbide (SiC) layer in Tristructural Isotropic (TRISO) particles under off-normal nuclear reactor conditions. After graduating, I plan to return to Saudi Arabia to teach and apply the advanced knowledge and techniques I have acquired at Al-Baha University and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). My long-term objective is to contribute to nuclear energy technology, particularly, in Saudi Arabia's nuclear energy program as one of the pioneering women in the field.
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Santiago De Stefano
Master's Student
I graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College and got a Bachelor of Science in Physics. I am currently in the Mechanical Engineering Masters program. I am working under the guidance of Dr. Elizabeth Sooby. My projects focus on the fabrication and characterization of Ni-Cr (Nickle Chrome) and Fe-Cr (Iron Chrome). Fe-Cr and Ni-Cr alloys are produced using an arc melting process. After fabrication, these samples are subjected to varying cooling rates to observe their impact on grain size. Additionally, some samples undergo heat treatment post-fabrication to examine any resulting changes in grain size.
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Jordan Stone
Doctoral Student
Hi! My name is Jordan Stone and I am a graduate student at UTSA pursuing a doctorate in Physics. At EEML, I help lead Infrared filmographic observation of compound synthesis in high-temperature environments and its integration with Deep learning; therefore, furthering in-situ measurement of material properties to better understand sample structure that is assisted with machine learning. I interned in the CONNECT program during my undergrad and most recently conducted research at Argonne National Laboratory for AI segmentation of micro-sized defect detection with Infrared Imaging. My goal for my career is to complete a postdoctoral study and become a Researcher at a National Laboratory.
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Julian Valdez
Doctoral Student
I am a first year PhD student in physics here at UTSA. My current research includes fabrication and characterization of CeO2+(C, Eu2O3). We aim to study the effects of (C, Eu2O3) on grain size, porosity and phase segregation. Future work consists of doping UB2 into UN to study the oxidation kinetics. I received my bachelor's from and master's from UTSA and went to go work in the industry for a year until I found myself back at UTSA wanting to enter the PhD program. I originally started working here in 2017 as an undergraduate testing and characterizing various materials (Kanthal APMT, TRISO; etc) in extreme environments such as high temperature steam and static air. Outside of work I enjoy DJing and working on my car.
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Postbaccalaureate Research Fellow
Sabiha Younus
Hi! I am a postbaccalaureate research fellow at EEML, where I use scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and the Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer instrument to characterize materials and their properties. I also use Proteus from NETZSCH, ImageJ, Photoshop and Latex for my work. I first joined the group for summer research in 2021 during my undergraduate years as a Physics and Astronomy major, and I found myself seeking it out again after graduating with my Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin! After completing my fellowship, I plan to embark on my PhD in Physics. I love crocheting, watercolour and reading, and have gone through several audiobooks during the time I spend on chemical-mechanical polishing in the lab!
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Undergraduate Students
Valeria Cantu Vessi
I am an undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at UTSA. I am currently working on the fabrication and characterization of Fe-18Cr, under the guidance of Dr. Mira Khair and graduate student Santiago De Stefano Cavazos. The purpose of this study is to examine the oxidation and irradiation on Fe-18Cr. Besides of work and school, I like to spend my time traveling and learning something new. After graduating or getting my master's, I plan to work in the manufacturing industry.
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Natasha Engel
Hi! I'm Natasha Engel (she/her) and I am currently an undergraduate student studying Physics. Currently in the lab I am working on the oxidation of Uranium diboride in steam and air environments, and the characterization of these post-oxidized materials. I was part of the CONNECT summer URE in 2023 where I started working in Dr. Sooby's lab, and I was put on the project of characterizing Uranium diboride after it had been oxidized in steam. I hope to continue on to get a PhD in either Physics or Materials Science and continue to be a researcher at either a university or a national lab.
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Anthony Horsman
As an undergraduate student at UTSA, I am working towards a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics. Currently, I am assisting graduate student Julian Valdez on a project that involves the fabrication and characterization of cerium dioxide. Beyond my academic and research commitments, I enjoy running and playing golf. After earning my bachelor's degree, I intend to pursue a graduate degree in physics.
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Shakira Medellin
I am an undergraduate student at UTSA pursuing a bachelor's degree in Physics. I am working under the guidance of Dr. Mira Khair and graduate student Santiago de Stefano Cavazos. I am working on synthesis, fabrication, and characterization of Fe-Cr (Iron Chrome). I also took part in a study on grain structure formation via arc melting and through that I gained experience in sample preparation, electron microscopy, and IR thermography. I plan to pursue a PhD in Physics.
Michelle Voges
I am a third-year Mechanical Engineering student at UTSA. In the EEML, I have participated as an Undergraduate researcher helping with polishing, analyzing samples using electron microscopes and spectrometers, and labeling sample images using Photoshop. I have been on the team since my freshman year in January 2023. With this experience, I am interested in continuing my education and finding research opportunities to pursue a career in quality engineering. Outside of school, I enjoy cooking new recipes, going to the gym, and hanging out with my four cats.
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Cyana Zaragosa
Hello, my name is Cyana Zaragosa. I am an Undergraduate Research Assistant seeking a degree in Mechanical Engineering. My long-term goals consist of finishing my undergraduate degree and a possible graduate degree, then to continue working in research in the areas of materials, manufacturing, or robotics.
