Jeffrey R. Comer

Personal Information:
Place of Birth: Ohio
Citizenship: The United States of America

Email: jcomer2@uiuc.edu

Education:
B.S., Physics, The University of Akron, 2001-2005
Summa Cum Laude

Field of Interest:
My research interest is condensed matter physics, particularly the modeling and simulation of such systems. Past projects have included an experimental study of adsorption of organophosphates on metal oxide surfaces and modeling atomic force microscope assisted oxidation of zirconium, titanium and their nitrides at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Courses:
Undergraduate coursework in physics, computer science, mathematics, chemistry and modeling and simulation, employing especially the Monte Carlo method. Capable of programming in C++, Java, Matlab and Fortran.

Honors & Awards:

• Covaledictorian at Sandy Valley High School
• Ohio Academic Scholarship: awarded to a student from each participating Ohio high school based on merit
• Scholarship for Excellence: top entering freshmen from the State of Ohio admitted to each college at The University of Akron
• The University of Akron Dean's List, 2001-2005
• Householder Physics Prize: outstanding sophomore physics student at The University of Akron 2002/2003
• Householder Physics Prize: outstanding undergraduate research at The University of Akron 2003/2004
• Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship 2004 Honorable Mention
• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the National Institute of Standards and Technology 2004
• Householder Physics Prize: outstanding senior physics student at The University of Akron 2004/2005
• University Honors Scholar 2005

Publications:

1. "High voltage SPM oxidation of ZrN: Materials for multiscale applications," N. Farkas, J.R. Comer, G. Zhang, E.A. Evans, R.D. Ramsier, and J.A. Dagata, Nanotechnology 16, 262-266 (2005).
2. "SPM oxidation and parallel writing on zirconium nitride thin films," N. Farkas, J.R. Comer, G. Zhang, E.A. Evans, R.D. Ramsier, and J.A. Dagata, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, in press.
3. "Parallel writing on zirconium nitride thin films by local oxidation nanolithography," N. Farkas, J.R. Comer, G. Zhang, E.A. Evans, R.D. Ramsier, S. Wight, and J.A. Dagata, Appl. Phys. Lett. 85 (23), 5691-5693 (2004).
4. "Chladni plates revisited," J.R. Comer, M.J. Shepard, P.N. Hendricksen, and R.D. Ramsier, Am. J. Phys. 72 (10), 1345-1350 (2004).
5. "Phosphate adsorption on metal oxide surfaces," M.J. Shepard, J.R. Comer, J.S. McNatt, R.D. Ramsier, T.L. Young, J. Rapp-Cross, M.P. Espe, T.R. Robinson, and L.Y. Nelson, Silanes and Other Coupling Agents, Volume 3, K.L. Mittal, Ed., VSP: Leiden, The Netherlands (2004).

Employment and Research Positions:

• Research Assistant, The University of Akron Physics Department, Akron, Ohio, Summer 2002-Spring 2004. Studied the formation and determined the subsequent environmental stability of thin films of organophosphates on metal oxide surfaces to determine their ability to promote adhesion of other materials, inhibit corrosion and act as anti-stiction modifiers. In educational research, helped to develop a novel method for laboratory students to determine the position of antinodes on thin vibrating plates.
• Learning Assistant, The University of Akron Physics Department, Akron, Ohio, Fall 2003-Spring 2005. Assisted students in performing laboratory experiments and understanding the physical mechanisms responsible for their observations. Graded assignments.
• Guest Researcher, The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship 2004. Determined the the local oxidation kinetics of zirconium nitride and titanium nitride thin-films by atomic force microscope assisted lithography. Studied the effect nitrogen content on transport properties through a fractional kinetics model.

Conference Participation/Presented Talks:

1. "Fractional kinetics in atomic force microscope assisted oxidation of zirconium nitride," J.R. Comer, N. Farkas, G. Zhang, R.D. Ramsier, and J.A. Dagata, Materials Research Society 2004 Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 2004.
2. "Fractional kinetics in atomic force microscope assisted oxidation of zirconium nitride," J.R. Comer, N. Farkas, G. Zhang, R.D. Ramsier, and J.A. Dagata, Conference on Undergraduate and Graduate Student Research, Akron, OH, Oct. 2004.
3. "Fractional kinetics in atomic force microscope assisted oxidation of zirconium nitride," J.R. Comer, N. Farkas, G. Zhang, R.D. Ramsier, and J.A. Dagata, Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship Student Colloquium: Plenary Session, Gaithersburg, MD, Aug. 2004.
4. "Adsorption of organo-phosphorus species on aluminum and zirconium surfaces," M.J. Shepard, J.R. Comer, J.S. McNatt, M.P. Espe, R.D. Ramsier, T.R. Robinson, and L.Y. Nelson, ICMSC Meeting on Applied Surface Modeling: Experiment, Theory and Simulations, Cleveland, OH, Aug. 2002.

Memberships:

• Society of Physics Students, Jan. 2004-present.
• Materials Research Society, Nov. 2004-present.