We are thrilled to welcome our new Associate Director, Dr. Ray Unocic, to the AIF team! Ray joined NC State this fall as an associate professor in MSE. His research expertise focuses on advanced analytical methods, in situ/operando, and cryo-STEM. Ray will be an excellent addition to our team, with his primary goal being the installation of the TFS Spectra Ultra STEM and the development of a robust interdisciplinary research portfolio centered on advanced STEM techniques.
What inspired you to pursue a career in materials science?
In high school, my parents bought my sister and I an old-school Volkswagen Bug. The goal was to restore it back to all its well-deserved glory and to teach us how to drive stick (aka Gen Z anti-theft device). This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me since I really enjoyed learning about everything it takes to restore a classic car: from being an amateur mechanic, to doing body work and upholstery. Back then there were not a lot of resources, so you just had to figure things out on your own. It was fun going to VW shows in southern California with the family to get inspiration and sourcing parts from other VW enthusiasts.
As fate would have it, a required Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering course would change my career trajectory. In that course we were exposed to the classic structure-property-performance paradigm and learned how we can develop new materials and tailor their functional properties which I found to be fascinating. I thought, I could still work on race cars, but not as a Mechanical Engineer but rather as a Metallurgical Engineer where I can make materials that go into race cars lighter and stronger. From that moment on, I was hooked on MSE. Coincidently the professor who taught Intro to MSE that quarter turned out to be my PhD Advisor (Professor Mike Mills) years later.
Tell me more about your education, research, and honors.
After switching majors from Mechanical Engineering, I double majored in Metallurgical Engineering and Welding Engineering for a bit since there were several overlapping courses. Early on in my academic journey, I always had a strong desire to conduct research and fortunately for me, there were opportunities available to undergraduate students to conduct research. I spent time as an undergraduate researcher at the Edison Welding Institute working on hydrogen induced cracking and in the MSE Department working on ceramic matrix composite development as part of a senior design project. I also spent two internships in the Aerospace industry working on metals processing and alloy development programs. I ended up with a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering since an advisor suggested that I pursue an advanced degree rather than a double major. For graduate school, I attended Lehigh University where I conducted research on additive manufacturing for my M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering. I was called back to Ohio State for my Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering to work with my undergraduate advisor (Prof. Ken Sandhage). After about a year he had an amazing opportunity to move his research group to Georgia Tech, but I did not follow since my spouse (Kinga Unocic) was already working on her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Ohio State. Another blessing in disguise for me was when I was offered a position with Prof. Mike Mills (who taught the intro to MSE class mentioned above).
My Ph.D. research was utilizing TEM based materials characterization techniques to study the creep deformation mechanisms on Nickel-based Superalloys that are used in aircraft gas turbine engines. I took to microscopy like a duck takes to water and from that moment on I decided to pursue a career where I would develop and utilize advanced materials characterization techniques for fundamental and applied materials research. I was fortunate to start my career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as an Alvin M. Weinberg fellow, developing new methods to study electrochemical interfaces using in situ/operando electrochemical STEM. I spent 15 years at ORNL as a materials scientist and I culminated my career there as a group leader of the Materials MicroÅnalysis group at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.
What excites you most about joining our team as associate director?
The Analytical Instrumentation Facility (AIF), NC State’s premier shared research facility for materials characterization, has a long history with roots dating back a bit over a century ago. The mission back then, that continues to this day, is to support fundamental and applied research. Reflecting on this, I imagine the depth and breadth of research that was enabled by having this type of campus resource available to the scientific community. I think about the many “aha” moments that must have led to scientific breakthroughs and the many new innovations that came to fruition because of the research being conducted there. I also think of the vibrant scientific ecosystem that it creates, where new knowledge is generated and passed along to the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Understanding AIF’s history, I was excited to meet the AIF staff and tour the facility during my interview for a faculty position in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NC State. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, and I knew I was walking into something special. Their infectious enthusiasm and commitment towards scientific research left a good impression on me. So, when I joined NC State this fall (2024), I was thrilled when AIF’s Director, Professor Nina Balke, invited me to serve as the associate director—an opportunity I accepted with great enthusiasm. NC State has a strong reputation in scanning transmission electron microscopy, and I’m excited to build on this foundation while bringing my own perspective to the field.
What’s a hobby or interest you enjoy outside of work?
This post was originally published in Analytical Instrumentation Facility (AIF).