Peter Ballentine, from Duke Kunshan’s inaugural class, has been given an award by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
Received based on research into the use of aerosol jet printing to manufacture structures made of graphene, an incredibly thin, yet very strong material, he will use it to fund study at Columbia University in New York for a Ph.D. in electrical engineering.
“I’m elated. It’s a nice validation of all my undergraduate efforts and sets me up very nicely to succeed in a PhD program and beyond,” he said.
Ballentine received the award for his research on the manufacture of graphene structures, a material formed by a single layer of carbon atoms, tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice, which is 200 times stronger than steel, using aerosol jet printing. Aerosol jet printing is usually used to print 2D films of materials, but Ballentine used it to print 3D structures that could play a role in the development of fast-charging batteries, supercapacitors and new types of biosensors.
During his studies at DKU, Ballentine spent time at Duke University in North Carolina, where received a grant from the university’s Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility as part of their undergraduate program, and was also allowed to use their equipment, including an electron microscope that was crucial to his work.
His research was supervised by Aaron Franklin, Addy Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, who he described as an “incredible mentor”.
“He has set me up to succeed in my research and I am immensely grateful for his guidance throughout my undergraduate degree,” he said.
The award, which includes $34,000 stipend each year for three years, plus an additional $12,000 annually for the university he attends, comes from the U.S. National Science Foundation, an independent agency of the United States government that supports research and education.
Marcia France, associate vice-chancellor for undergraduate studies and the Language and Culture Center at DKU, said, “Peter was one of the very first DKU students I go to know. I remember reading an article about his decision to attend DKU and the research he did as a high school student before I had met a single DKU student. I was impressed by him then, and my admiration has only grown.
“Over four additional years working in research labs and contributing to intellectual and campus life at DKU, he has matured into a student scientist who truly represents the intellectual merit and broader impacts recognized by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program,” she added.
