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Anesia Auguste

Materials Research Engineer - Air Force Research Lab

I graduated with a PhD from UMass Amherst in May 2016. After graduation, I received a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to work with Dr. Timothy White on liquid crystal elastomers. My education from the Polymer Science and Engineering department has helped me get to where I am today.

I first came to UMass as an REU student in 2007 where I worked with Prof. Ryan Hayward's group on the creasing of hydrogels. I had a wonderful experience working with Prof. Hayward that I decided to return for my PhD. The goal of my PhD work with Dr. Ryan Hayward was to study the factors that contribute to surface instabilities in soft polymer materials, and specifically, the transitions between creases, folds, and wrinkles in soft polymer materials.

I chose the Polymer Science and Engineering Department at UMass Amherst because it is simply one of the best departments in the country. The students, faculty, and staff are all so helpful and I developed some lifelong friendships. This department breeds a cooperative environment where you learn from your peers and everyone around you. In addition, I believe the training in polymer physics, engineering and chemistry at UMass was critical in obtaining and being successful in my position as a post-doc and currently as a materials research engineer.