Brendan Kehoe ’24
Electrical and Computer Engineering
The Materials Science of Sustainable Cements
I had the pleasure of working on two distinct projects. The first was to mathematically modify hundreds of datasets collected by neutron beams at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I used background subtraction, which took a “background function” of the data, and Fourier transformation to put the data in a form that can provide information about the properties of materials measured. My second project was to develop a process to make a mineral powder known as forsterite. Forsterite is commercially available with some percentage of iron, but other researchers in my group required pure forsterite to determine what effect, if any, the iron has. This internship allowed me to engage in independent research for the first time, and gave me a much better appreciation for the many steps taken and setbacks faced by scientific researchers before they come to publishable conclusions. My dual projects, one more hands-on and one done entirely on a computer, have not only furthered my interest in doing hands-on research, but helped me understand the important role that computational work and computer programs can play. I’m also inspired to continue engaging in environmental research.
2022
Innovation and a New Energy Future
Sustainable Cements Group, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University - Princeton, New Jersey
Claire White, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Jordan Hamel, Ph.D. candidate, Civil and Environmental Engineering