“Design and Synthesis of Frontier Functional Ceramics”
Saeed Almishal, Assistant Research Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, Penn State
Abstract
The pursuit of new materials and functionalities motivates alternative design frameworks such as high-entropy oxides, where chemical disorder is incorporated into crystalline lattices and stabilized across near- to far-from-equilibrium regimes. In this talk, I will present a synthesis framework that integrates machine-learning–guided exploration with thermodynamic grounding to navigate complex compositional and processing spaces in bulk ceramics. I will show that stabilizing such chemically complex compositions requires substantive advances in ceramic synthesis science, where kinetic constraints, defect equilibria, and far-from-equilibrium processing pathways govern phase accessibility and stability. Finally, I will demonstrate how these disorder-engineered ceramics and thin films provide functional platforms across an expanded property space, with a focus on magnetic heterostructures and spin-transport phenomena.
Bio
Almishal earned a dual degree in mechanical engineering, receiving his bachelor of science degree from The British University in Egypt (BUE) and his bachelor of engineering degree from London South Bank University in May 2019. He continued at BUE as a teaching assistant until January 2020. He then transitioned to Penn State Harrisburg to pursue a master of science degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in computational materials science, which he completed in May 2021. He subsequently joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MATSE) at Penn State to pursue his doctoral degree in the Jon-Paul Maria Group, which he successfully defended in December 2024. Since January 2025, Almishal has held the position of assistant research professor in MATSE within the Jon-Paul Maria Group at Penn State, where he continues his research focusing on complex oxide ceramics and thin films.
About MatSE 590 Seminar Series
The MatSE 590 Seminar series offer graduate students, faculty, and the general public a dynamic schedule of lectures featuring invited speakers from academia and industry. This 1–3 credit colloquium provides a platform for sharing research, exploring emerging topics and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue in materials science and engineering.
Support for the MatSE 590 Seminars is made possible through the generous contributions of industry partners in the Friends of MatSE program.