John R. LaGraff has been awarded a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Chemistry. Dr. LaGraff's doctoral degree was in Materials Science from the University of Illinois under the supervision of Professor David Payne. Dr. LaGraff will continue research at the University of Illinois under the sponsorship of Professor Andrew Gewirth. Dr. LaGraff's postdoctoral training will provide him with skills in advanced surface science techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Longer term, he plans to apply AFM and STM to study the interfaces and surfaces of oxides such as barium titanate in order to determine the role of local defect chemistry in controlling nanoscale and bulk property responses. %%% The Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Chemistry Program is viewed as an important infrastuctural program designed to broaden the knowledge and experience of new Ph.D.s and attract them into meaningful careers in contemporary chemical research and teaching.
