Current Officers

The Postdoctoral Society of Argonne (PSA)  provides a supportive community, facilitates career development, and creates a networking platform for postdocs at Argonne. As postdocs develop and fulfill their career aspirations, they create a network of ongoing friendships and collaborations for the benefit of the individual and the laboratory. The PSA works in alignment with the Postdoctoral Program Office towards these goals.

2022 PSA Officers

Kevin Brown, President
I am an Argonne Scholar (the inaugural Walter Massey Fellow) in the Mathematics and Computer Science Division. In this role, I investigate new networking technologies and designs for future supercomputers to solve emerging problems in AI and Climate Science. Prior to this, I received my Ph.D. in Mathematical and Computing Sciences from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and completed my first postdoctoral appointment in the Leadership Computing Facility here at Argonne.

 

Joshua Christopher, Vice-President
I joined Argonne as a Postdoctoral Appointee in December of 2021 in the Center for Advanced Propulsion and Power Systems of the Transportation and Power Systems Division. My research focuses on developing computational models to optimize gas turbines, study alternative fuels, and assist in the creation of digital twins. Additionally, I am developing a computational model of the electrospinning manufacturing process to better understand the conditions necessary to spin nanofibers. As vice president, I am focusing on increasing postdoc engagement with the PSA and providing resources to support postdocs during their time at Argonne. Prior to joining Argonne, I obtained my PhD from Colorado State University in Mechanical Engineering with Prof. Xinfeng Gao. Outside of work, I love to go running and hiking, baking pies and cookies, reading fiction novels.

Claire Chang, Social Liaison
I am a postdoctoral researcher working in the Solar Energy Conversion Group in the Chemical Science and Engineering Division. My research focuses on fundamental mechanisms for solar energy conversion in photosynthesis and biohybrid complexes for solar-driven fuel production. I received my PhD in Biomedical Engineering from University of Illinois at Chicago, working on the crosstalk between transmembrane proteins and inflammation-related diseases. Prior to graduate school, I worked at the FDA as an ORISE research fellow studying food chemistry and nutrition.

Currently, I am serving as the lead in the Speaker and Panel subgroup for the 2022 Postdoctoral Research and Career Symposium. As your social liaison, I am dedicated to helping our postdoctoral community navigate career and life choices. I am interested in organizing networking events for everyone to share their insight and experience.

As an immigrant and a proud American, I have had the opportunity to experience diverse cultures, improved my skills, and overcome language barriers. Therefore, I want to share my first-hand experience to assist the postdocs in communication and collaboration. As your social liaison, I intend to use my multicultural background to serve the PSA family.

Amanda Carr, Secretary
I am currently a Postdoctoral Appointee in the Heavy Elements and Separation Science group of the Chemical Science and Engineering Division. I study graphene-based heavy elements separations with interfacial-specific synchrotron x-ray reflectivity and non-linear spectroscopy techniques. I received my PhD in Chemistry from Stony Brook University, NY in 2020 after working with Prof. Surita Bhatia and Prof. Matt Eisaman on x-ray and interfacial characterizations of graphene and other nanocomposites. My infrared reflection adsorption spectroscopy measurements on graphene-polymer laminar composites, the first of their kind, netted me a nomination for the Physical Electronics Conference’s Nottingham Prize where I finished as a finalist in 2020. In graduate school, I was actively involved in the graduate school student government, my department’s chemistry council, and a STEM outreach group devoted to teaching science to economically disadvantaged elementary students in my hometown. I graduated from the University of Rochester, NY in 2016 with a major in Chemistry with distinction and a minor in Women’s Studies. When not thinking about science, I like to cook, go for walks, and spend time with my wife and cats.