Current Positon

I graduated in 2012 and now I work at the IBM research lab in Rio de Janeiro.

Interests

My work experience is in materials science (simulations and analytical calculations).

Research

I study mechanical properties of carbon materials, more specifically graphene. Graphene is a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms. It presents many atractive properties to basic science and to industry (see Physics Nobel Prize 2010). I work on analytical calculations and C programming simulations of ripples and cracks in graphene.

Here you can see one of our molecular dynamics simulations of a clamped, free-standing graphene sheet under a constant downward force:

Tearing Graphene – edge crack (25A)

Education

Ph.D. Physics
The University of Texas at Austin,  May 2012
Dissertation topic: Mechanical properties of carbon materials (graphene).

M.S. Physics
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, June 2005
Dissertation topic: Electronic properties of metallic nanoparticles.

B.S. Physics
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, December 2002

Skills

Computers and Programming: Linux, Windows, Microsoft Office, LaTeX, Origin, FORTRAN, C programming, Maple, and Mathematica.

Languages: Portuguese (native), English (fluent), and Spanish (competent).

Experience

Assistant Instructor and Teaching Assistant
University of Texas at Austin, 2005-2011
Taught various physics classes, from basic to advanced topics (laboratory and theory).
Classes of 20 to 80 students – non-science majors, pre-meds, and science majors.
Prepared and taught classes, held discussion sections, wrote homeworks and tests, and graded assignments.

Community Outreach

RLM recycling: UT-Austin Physics, Astronomy, and Math departments recycling group, 2008-2012
Founded and organized recycling for: batteries, cell phones, CFL light bulbs, ink cartridge, packaging materials, plastic, and aluminum for a 17 story building.
Gathered 20 volunteers.
Developed an e-mail list and a web page with information about recycling on campus and in Austin, TX.

Austin-Wide Electronic Waste Drive, 2009 and 2010
Advertised the event and volunteering opportunities.
Organized the volunteering committee.
Recruited volunteers.
Coordinated shifts for 100 volunteers per event.

Selected Publications and Events

• Tearing Graphene, TechConnect World, Nanotech 2011, vol 1, 200’202, ISBN: 978-1-4398-7142-3
• Rippling of graphene, Europhys. Lett. 85 46002 (2009)
• 4th Canada-America-Mexico Graduate Student Physics Conference, Mexico 2009
• American Physical Society March Meeting, USA 2009 and 2011
• Workshop on Opportunities in Energy Research, American Physical Society, USA 2008
• Summer School on Condensed Matter Physics, Princeton University,USA 2007
• College on Physics of Nano-Devices, International Center for Theoretical Physics, Italy 2006

Awards

Fulbright-CAPES Fellowship, 2005-2009

F.A. Matsen Graduate Fellowship in Physics, UT-Austin, 2008-2009

College of Natural Science Special Fellowship, UT-Austin, 2007-2008

David Bruton Jr. Fellowship, UT-Austin, 2006-2007

Dean’s Excellence Award, UT-Austin, 2005-2006

CAPES Fellowship, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 2003-2005

CNPq Fellowship, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 1998-2000