The Office of the Vice President for Research would like to recognize Assistant Professor of Physics Dr. Jason Hancock for his recent award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his project “Lattice dynamics of strong negative thermal expansion materials.” During the three-year award period, Dr. Hancock will investigate the physics surrounding unusual but potentially useful materials with heat-induced volume reduction, also known as negative thermal expansion (NTE). The motivation for the project is the exploration of the fundamental physics behind the remarkable NTE effect and search for quantum and many-body effects not before recognized in other materials. Currently, the applications of NTE are virtually nonexistent, but hold strong promise to aid information and telecommunication industries, as well as giving in-roads to thermal stabilization of a host of engineered structures. The improved understanding of the basic science behind NTE achieved through this project will aid the search for new materials to realize these ideals. Dr. Hancock’s project will also improve education for a new generation of scientists and engineers, as he plans to use funds to collaborate with undergraduate research students to co-develop a novel Doc-cam demo toolkit, a compact and versatile platform to display thermal expansion and other physical effects in large lecture-style courses.
The NSF has committed significant funds to Dr. Hancock’s research project, further indicating its merit, distinction and promise. Congratulations to Dr. Hancock on this accomplishment!
For more information, contact: Jessica McBride at jessica.mcbride@uconn.edu