5 Minutes with...Hamed Ghaednia

5 Minutes with...

Hamed Ghaednia, PhD Student, Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University

Hamed with his poster at the 2013 STLE Annual Meeting

What got you interested in tribology, and where has that interest led you? Looking back, I can recognize a couple of events over the course of my studies that prepared me and got me interested in the field of tribology.  While I was working on my undergrad I was offered to enter a double major program as part of an honors program.  I was given the choice to select a second major and I chose to study chemical engineering because of my fascination with chemical processes.  I did not know it at the time, but the mechanical/chemical engineering combination gave me a boost through my career in the field of tribology. My first exposure to tribology research was when I started working on my master’s degree.  I was looking for research topics that included both of my majors so I started working on the semi-active control of a rotor mounted on magneto-rheological journal bearings.  My research involved: numerical simulations of a rotors’ vibrations, MR fluid journal bearing modeling and design of a fuzzy control system.  My Master’s thesis was partly related to tribology. However, I had the opportunity to engage in a variety of research topics related to tribology when I began my PhD research at Auburn University.  That was when I began to really appreciate the complexity and interdisciplinary approach to tribology in solving unique and cutting edge problems, which got me interested in tribology. I have been active in the field of tribology ever since as a Research Assistant in the Multiscale Tribology Laboratory at the Auburn University and I have been involved in a range of topics such as nanotribology, lubrication and contact mechanics.

Can you give us some detail on your research? Currently, I am focused on the effect of nanoparticle additives on lubricants as my PhD project. Nano-sizes particles are small enough to infiltrate the small gaps between surfaces in contact and alter the tribological characteristics. However the particles’ exact enhancing mechanisms remain unknown (with a few exceptions). This project has different angles and challenges to be explored, such as stability of nanoparticle suspensions. Usually the base oils are non-polar so there is no strong intermolecular force available to suspend the particles. Nanoparticles change the bulk properties of the lubricants, such as viscosity and thermal conductivity, which need to be quantified. The main goal of the project is to understand the effect of particles on friction and wear and to study the interaction of particles with surfaces under high pressure.  This project involves a variety of different experimental techniques ranging from purely chemical tests to friction and surface analysis tests. In addition, I am working on developing a contact model for nanoparticles between rough surfaces. Therefore it is a very good opportunity for me to get involved in various tribological topics and try to increase my knowledge of tribology. I am two and half years into this project and have tackled multiple fronts of the project. Results so far are very interesting and I have couple of papers in publication and in preparation on the subject.

During my Master’s program I was working on magnetorheological (MR) journal bearings. MR bearings consist of a conventional bearings filled with the MR fluid.  MR fluid is a suspension of micron size ferromagnetic particles in a base oil. MR fluids’ viscosity and rheology changes under an applied external magnetic field that could be utilized to control the response of the bearing in a feedback control system.  The first goal of the study was to develop a heat transfer model for the bearings and explore the effect of temperature rise on the performance of the rotor-bearing system. The second goal was to design and implement a semi-active fuzzy control system to minimize the vibrations of the system.

What recommendations would you give to other students and researchers in the field? Grad school is usually stressful, lengthy and typically revolves around your research. Therefore take plenty of time to explore your possibilities and choose the research topic that you like and enjoy learning about. This can significantly improve your grad school experience.

As known, tribology mainly explores the contacts between different materials. These can be in different phases and are governed by different physical or chemical principles. Tribology links different physical and chemical concepts together in search of an answer.  Tribology does not stop at the edge of the materials; it bridges the gaps. Hence, if you are want to be involved in this field, my advice is to be willing to bridge the gaps and learn every day.

Any final thoughts you’d like to give readers? Don’t forget that many breakthroughs in the history of mankind came from early tribologists.  Examples of these are cavemen making fire out of friction and the invention of the first rolling element bearing, the wheel. Thus, it is probable that a tribologist will invent the next revolutionary device or discover the key to the next chapter of engineering!

For more info, click here to read The 10 Greatest Events in Tribology History (article and poster)

Hamed’s Favorites 
Tribology book/reference: Even though I use several tribology-related books on a regular basis, I can name three books as my favorites:

• Contact Mechanics by K.L. Johnson
• Intermolecular & Surface Forces by J. Israelachvili
• Fundamentals of Fluid Film Lubrication by Hamrock, Schmid and Jacobson | Read the review

Favorite professor(s)/mentor(s): Dr. Jackson and Dr. Ohadi, my PhD and Master’s advisors, are my favorite professors and mentors.
Favorite online resource related to your research: http://www.tribology-abc.com/
Favorite quote:  “Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.” – Andre Gide, French critic, essayist, & novelist (1869 - 1951)

Biography
Hamed Ghaednia received his BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and in Chemical Engineering from the Tehran Polytechnic (also known as Amirkabir University of Technology), Iran, in 2007 and 2010, respectively. During his undergraduate he was a member of the Parsian Robotic Group and participated in several international robotic competitions and won awards. He received his MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tehran Polytechnic in 2010 while working as a Graduate Assistant for the Vibration and Noise Control Laboratory. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering, in the field of Tribology, at Auburn University. He is currently a Research Assistant at the Multiscale Tribology Laboratory. He has published papers in the fields of: nano particle lubricants, magneto-rheological fluid (MR fluid) bearings and contact mechanics. His current research involvements are nanoparticle lubricants, nanotribology and contact mechanics.

Mr. Ghaednia is a member of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Resources & Navigating the Annual Meeting for Students & Early Careerists

Read on below for information on upcoming events, deadlines and news for both students and early careerists. Each item will be marked with an S (for student), EC (for early careerist), or both.

Tweet the Meeting (S, EC)

If you’d like to be more involved during the conference and share information with fellow attendees, we’re encouraging attendees to use Twitter to tweet noteworthy sessions, questions, resources, and information on talks you’re presenting.

We have started to compile a list of attendees and if you’d like to be included, just tweet using the #STLE2013 hashtag, or email us your Twitter handle. And stop by the Membership Booth to see our live Twitter wall, where we’ll display #STLE2013 tweets. Don’t forget to follow @STLE_Tribology for news, information and resources direct from STLE!

 

2013 Annual Meeting Networking Event (S, EC)



Click here for more photos from 2012



This year’s Early Careerist Networking Event will be held at Drive – the ping pong social club, on Sunday, May 5, from 7-10 pm. Drive is a quick walk or PeopleMover ride from the Renaissance Center. Admission is FREE for all you students and early careerists and includes a chance to show off your ping pong skills, a drink ticket and sweets, and a great opportunity to network with some of STLE’s well-known members! RSVP to ensure space by April 19. Send your RSVP to Kara Sniegowski at ksniegowski@stle.org, or call us at (847) 825-5536.

[Click here] to visit Drive’s website

[Click here] to get information on the PeopleMover

Like us on Facebook or join our LinkedIn group to receive updates on this event

2 Days Left to Apply for Annual Meeting Housing Award (S)

The Young Tribologists Committee is sponsoring the annual Housing Award for our conference coming up in May. Applications are due March 30, so be sure to get yours in to see if you can get a free hotel stay while at the 2013 Annual Meeting!

[Click here] for details and to apply

Scholarships Available (S)

Our local sections – including Central Illinois and Philadelphia – are currently offering scholarships to students working in the field of lubrication and tribology. Deadlines are April 1 and May 1. Don’t miss your chance – apply today!

[Click here] for details and to apply

Upcoming Webinar Series (S, EC)

Starting this year, we’ll be offering a series of FREE webinars on topics relevant to students and early careerists to help you get ahead in your career. The first webinar has been scheduled, with more topics to come. See below for details and to register. Future topics will include: How to Present Your Work, Successful Grant Writing as well as job-search related topics. If you’d like to make a suggestion, contact Kara Sniegowski.

• 4/8: Best Practices for Presenting Your Poster | REGISTER
• 4/15: Getting Published | REGISTER
• 4/16: Preview/Demo the New Annual Meeting App | REGISTER

To receive information on the webinar series, the networking event, scholarships and awards, you’ll have to mark your interest in your online profile. Simply log in at www.stle.org, click to edit your Demographic information and choose “Early Careerist” as an interest area. You’ll then start receiving information on articles, events and resources catered to you.

Two Perspectives on Attending #STLE2012

In a recent interview, we talked to two STLE members - one a student and the other a young professional about their past attendance at STLE Annual Meetings, and their advice for others looking to attend too.
Rachel Colbert, STLE Student Member
How did you first decide to attend the STLE Annual Meeting? I got involved in STLE initially through my advisor. He highly encouraged everyone working in the laboratory to attend STLE. The first meeting I attended I presented a poster, but since then have participated in both the podium and poster presentations.

What were your expectations prior to attending that first meeting? I was not sure what to expect for my first meeting other than being excited for the Berries and Cream Social.

What did you think of the poster competition? Are you presenting this year? I think that the student poster competition is a great way to start to get involved in the meeting. The years I have participated, I have found it to be a way to network with both professionals who were also interested in my research as well as the other student presenters around me. I have been able to make contacts and friends across the country and world. I also found that the poster presentations are a little more informal than the talks which has provided me a chance to have in depth conversations with people about my work which to some extent has helped shape my research and provided me with job/internship opportunities.

What did you think of the Student/Young Professional networking event? It was quite fun last year. There was not a huge turn out, but everyone who did attend had a great time. It's yet another way to network in the field but in a more informal setting.
STLE Note: This year's event promises to be even better! We will have key STLE members - including incoming President Jerry Byers, Young Tribologist Committee members, young professionals and students. It will be a great mix of people leading to great discussions and contacts you can utilize after the meeting. Click here for more details - it will happen on Tuesday, May 8, from 7:30-10:30 at Flamingo Bowl. Share this information with your colleagues and encourage them to attend (with an RSVP of course!).

Do you have any advice for those presenting this year? Practice, but don't memorize. Knowing the presentation in and out and presenting in front of my lab mates has helped get me ready for questions as well as know that when my nerves kick in I will still have a general idea of what I want to say.

What recommendations do you have for a first time attendee (things to do or see, people to meet, etc.)? Attend the welcome reception and any other social events, but when you do make sure to converse with people outside of your lab or normal social group. It's a great way to make professional contacts in the field. Also make sure to bring business cards. It's the easiest way to exchange information. When you receive someone's business card, write on the back how you met them and what you discussed so you will remember by the time you get back home. Try and plan out what talks you would like to attend in advance, but be flexible with your schedule. My last recommendation is when attending talks, attempt to come up with at least one thoughtful question to ask the presenter. Even if you are too nervous to ask during the session, you can ask them during the next break. This provides an ice breaker and a way to meet some of the top researchers in the field.

David Burris, STLE Member, University of Delaware
How did you first decide to attend the meeting? I had done undergraduate research and the work was accepted for a podium presentation.

What were your first impressions? I remember being impressed by the variety of research present at the annual meeting. The type of work that we were doing in the lab was only a very small fraction of the breadth of work by the community.

What was the top thing you took away from the meeting? As an undergraduate, the top thing to me was traveling (via van) from Florida to NYC. I had never been to NY and this was quite an experience for me. However, I remember being inspired and getting a lot of new ideas about the directions my research would take. Since this first meeting, the number one take away from this meeting is re-invigoration and inspiration for new studies.

What would you say to convince others to go? This is by far the best, most efficient way to learn about the current standing and future directions of tribology research. It is an essential yearly trip for the aspiring researcher.

Now that you’ve attended a few meetings, what makes you come back every year? Going to the annual meeting really helps me stay current, identify emerging trends, and choose my paths forward in different areas of research I am involved in.

How do you meet new people? What if you don't know anyone at the meeting? Asking someone a thoughtful question about their research presentation or abstract is an excellent way to break the ice of a cold introduction.

What are your recommendations for making the transition from student to young professional? Get involved. Participating in the business meetings for the technical tracks is a good starting point. You will naturally meet and work with professionals with common research interests. The progression from student to profession is a natural one for those who get involved.

If you are a student or young professional, be sure to check out all our resources for #STLE2012:

• Overview of Events, Resources, etc.


• Tips for First Time Attendees


• Student Poster Presentation Interviews - 2 more perspectives from the 2011 IJTC


• Student & Young Professional Networking Event - held at the Flamingo Bowl, Tuesday, May 8, 7:30-10:30 p.m. RSVP today so you can attend!


• FREE Webinar on Getting the Most from Your Attendance at #STLE2012 Register

Antonis Vakis, Harman Khare discuss their experience at the 2011 IJTC

This week, we feature two interviews with Student Poster Competition winners from the 2011 International Joint Tribology Conference.

In this first interview, we talk to Antonis Vakis (at right), who was one of three students to place in the competition (alongside Harman Khare and Justin Ye). In the interview, Antonis talks about his experience, what it's like to present, and encourages all students to get involved in conferences and technical societies like STLE.

Be sure to check out the March issue of TLT, where Antonis' extended abstract was published. Harman's will be published in April and Justin's will be published later on in the summer.

In the second interview, we hear from Harman Khare (at right), who was also one of the winners from the Student Poster Competition. Harman discusses his experience from the conference and competition, the steps leading up to presenting, and the number one benefit he sees from participation: the opportunity to present in front of peers and get feedback on research. According to Harman, conferences like the IJTC are "idea factories" which assist you in your own research.

To get the full experience, you can watch both presentations:
Antonis Vakis: 3-DOF Model of Magnetic Storage Head Disk Interface for Use with Adhesive Contact Model with Friction
Harman Khare: Characterization of Nanoscale Surface Films in Solid Lubricants

The student poster competition is held each year at both STLE conferences - the IJTC and the STLE Annual Meeting. Click here to see photos from the IJTC - and feel free to keep submitting your own photos, and use this as a way to find photos of yourself and your colleagues. You can also see a full list of the Poster Competition participants and winners on the Award Winners page. For details on this year's Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, visit the event page.

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) with Sukbae Joo

This episode features a focus on CMP, chemical mechanical planarization/polishing, and ECMP, electrochemical mechanical planarization/polishing. Sukbae Joo, a PhD candidate at Texas A&M, is conducting research in this field, and provides his perspective on CMP/ECMP and its role within the tribology field. He includes some of the challenges presented by this type of work, but also the successes he's had. To listen, click play in the slider bar above, download the episode, or read/translate the transcript.

This research plays an important role in the semiconductor industry, given that this method is used to create objects like optical lenses, LCD panels, MEMS, field emission displays, and plasma display panels (PDP) for televisions. These consumer applications are constantly changing and being improved upon - which creates a need for better methods and technology to create the products. CMP/ECMP is a path to that goal.

Sukbae also mentions his work on hydrogen embrittlement, which was the subject of his poster for the 2011 STLE Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition. In addition to entering the contest, he was the Vice Chair, helping to organize the competition for all those involved. Next year, he will become the Chair, and we look forward to his further involvement with STLE! You too can get involved. Visit our website for more details and to get started today.

What was your student poster competition experience like? How can it be improved? What would you like changed for next year? Tell us! Post a comment below, or send an email to klemar@stle.org.

Cell Adhesion in Nanotribology with Aracely Rocha

In this episode, we talk to Aracely Rocha, who has been doing research in the field of nanotribology for biological applications. Her focus has been on how materials at various scales interact with biomolecules. She has tried to quantify this interaction through adhesion. In a paper, Aracely and her co-authors posit that "measuring cell adhesion has become critical for design and development of materials and devices for biological applications." Her work could impact a number of biological applications, including improving the life of artificial joints, or the efficiency of drug delivery. To listen, click the play button in the slider bar above, download the episode, read or translate the transcript here for more on this exciting work. Below, you can see a snapshot of her work.

In addition to her work in the field, Aracely is involved in many different ways as a student member of STLE. Most recently, Aracely participated and received the Gold Level award in the Student Poster Competition at the 2011 Annual Meeting, for her work "Protein Adhesion to TiN and CrN Coatings." To see a full list of the award winners, click here. Aracely has also been a Program Session Chair at a previous STLE Annual Meeting and is now involved with her University's newly formed student chapter. Getting involved has its rewards. Become a student member today!

Tribochemistry and Nanoscale Surface Interactions in Nanotribology with David Huitink

In this episode, we discuss the interesting and growing field of nanotribology from a PhD student's perspective. David Huitink attends Texas A&M and is active in STLE. Most recently, he founded the Texas A&M University Chapter of STLE and served as its President in 2010. Listen as David discusses his work: using nanoscale contact to study friction and tribochemical reactions. This involves studying the chemical and interfacial reactions taking place at the nanoscale as a result of friction and contact forces.

To experience the interview, click the play button in the slider bar above, download the episode here, and read or translate the text version of the interview here.

Visit our website for more information about nanotribology. For more on David, you can read his winning Student Poster Abstract that was submitted at the 2010 STLE Annual Meeting and later published in TLT. You can also visit the Liang research group website by clicking here.