September 2015: Joel Destino

Joel Destino, 5th year PhD student in Prof. Bright's group.

• First-author publication in Langmuir
• 2015 EAS Graduate Awardee
• Co-chair of the Graduate Student Symposium for (going on) 4 years

"The primary goal of my research is to study various properties of functional materials by colocalized Raman and atomic force microscopy. Current projects include: the study of surface topography, chemical and charge segregation in antifouling hybrid xerogel coatings, and the development of tip-enhanced Raman for studying nanomaterials and thiol adsorbates on gold surfaces.

I enjoy being a graduate student at UB because the atmosphere is very welcoming and low-stress. The opportunities to collaborate, learn new techniques, and engage in activities (both social and professional) are endless.

In my time away from lab, I enjoy reading historical non-fiction, hiking, jogging, bicycling, playing tennis, attending free concerts and snowshoeing."