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.

2023 PSA Officers

Claire Chang (CSE), President
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the solar energy conversion group of the Chemical Science and Engineering division at Argonne National Laboratory. I did my Ph.D. in biomedical engineering where I studied the cross-talk of two transmembrane proteins and the effects in inflammation-related diseases via drug delivery in micelle in vitro and in vivo. My current research interest is to understand the fundamental mechanism that controls solar energy conversion. One of my projects focuses on the reaction center and detection of charge separation in natural photosynthesis at the single protein level using a diamond NV center. In addition, I am exploring biohybrid capability using synthetic materials and light-harvesting proteins for efficient energy conversion. Through collaboration and communication, I seek to provide professional development resources and wellness support for all the PSA members.

Francesco Salucci (TPS), Vice-President
I am Francesco Salucci, an aerospace engineer postdoc in the Vehicle and Mobility Systems group (TAPS division). My goal is to facilitate a move towards sustainable aviation: a large part of my work is to design and model electric aircraft. I received my Ph.D. from the Politecnico di Milano (Italy) in 2021. Before that, I have been a faithful aviation enthusiast (BSc and an MSc degree in Aerospace Engineering) and a visiting Ph.D. student at TU Delft (Netherlands). Although I joined Argonne (and the American continent) just in July, I have been highly involved with PSA activities. I volunteered to help the social chair and organized the Halloween Social, with a successful Pictionary game involving 50+ postdocs wearing a costume and hungry supercomputers… I want to continue my involvement with the PSA from the VP position to support the 2023 board and continue doing a great job advancing Argonne postdocs.

Jessica Barbosa Martins (XSD), Secretary
I joined Argonne as a postdoctoral appointee in end-February 2022, and I am based at APS in the X-ray Science Division. My project is related to research from the Q-NEXT Extreme Scale Characterization Thrust. Q-NEXT is one of the five National Quantum Information Centers in the US, funded by the Department of Energy and led by Argonne National Laboratory. I employ advanced X-ray probes, covering from photoelectron and absorption spectroscopies to surface diffraction, to understand the interplay of electronic structure, morphology, and magnetic phases of materials applied as quantum bits. Furthermore, I investigate how this interplay affects the properties that make a material a desirable quantum bit and understand the origin of current challenges faced in quantum information, such as qubits decoherence. I have a bachelor’s and master’s in Chemistry from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and I hold a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry from Sorbonne University (France). In my free time, I like to walk my dogs, play video games with my husband, play guitar, and watch/practice sports.

Sixbert Muhoza (AMD), Engagement
Hello! My name is Sixbert Muhoza, I am an Argonne Scholar in the AMD division of AET. I completed my graduate studies at Wake Forest University in Materials Chemistry and have been at Argonne for a full year now. I currently serve on the PSA social committee and have worked up close with the PSA leadership on many issues, including organizing social events. I also serve on the social committee of our division, AMD, through which I have helped organize several seasonal events. Altogether, I believe that these experiences have prepared me for this engagement officer post. My goal is to support and enrich our social tradition in order to enhance our experience as postdocs!

Rakesh Kamath (AMD), Professional Development
I am a postdoctoral appointee with the Thermal and Structural Materials group within the Applied Materials Division. I joined Argonne in August 2022 after completing my Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee Knoxville with Prof. Hahn Choo. My research (both Ph.D. and postdoc) leverages multiple X-ray techniques at the APS to better understand the fundamental processes in operation during the advanced manufacturing of metallic alloys. In addition to being a frequent participant in the PSA events, I have helped organize events in the National Postdoc Appreciation Week and the weekly dance social in 2022. As the professional development officer, I plan to add to the existing wealth of professional development opportunities available through the PSA/ALI and keep expanding my postdoc network to increase the reach of bespoke opportunities. When not science-ing, you can find me playing badminton, at bar trivia and watching TV series from all over the world.