Member Profile
Bruce Hinds
Many thanks to the IGERT Trainee Poster Challenge Judges!
We would like to sincerely thank the judges for the 2010 IGERT Trainee Poster Challenge, who volunteered their time during the Project meeting to evaluate trainee posters and choose our 10 awardees. We... More »
About Me
Professor Hinds was an IGERT student before there was an IGERT. His Ph.D. work was on the growth of high temperature superconductor thin films from group well known in Inorganic chemistry (Northwestern University, Tobin Marks). In addition traditional inorganic chemistry the project required the understanding and use of microfabrication (EE), low temperature (4K) magnetic/transport measurements (Physics), electron microscopy and XRD (materials). Bachelor studies were in general Chemistry at Harvey Mudd College in California with a senior thesis on electrochemistry within Nafion proton conducting films but summer jobs were at an Air Force Rocket lab looking at the failure mechanisms of rocket nozzles. Upon completion of the doctoral degree, he went on to post-doc with Gerry Lucovsky at NC State (Physics) to learn about semiconductor processing and interface states in the Si/SiO2 system. After 2 years, he then had an exciting opportunity to learn about nano-scale fabrication at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (EE) with Prof. Shunri Oda. This research effort was based on memory devices that stored a single electron in a nano-crystal of silicon. He then joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky (Materials) to start a research program to bring electronics fabrication to the molecular level (the goal was to electrically isolate single molecules under the shadow of a carbon nanotube). However the key breakthrough that his group is known for is making membranes that flow chemicals through the cores of carbon nanotubes (Science ’04, Nature ’06). One of the major goals of his research group is to mimic natural protein channels where we can selectively ‘pump’ chemicals through membranes orders of magnitude faster than is currently possible. Clearly Dr. Hinds is a proponent of working on ambitious projects requiring the skills/tools/collaboration of multiple disciplines. The biggest breakthroughs in his lab as an independent scientist required the insight/skills of all the disciplines and he considers the diverse background the most rewarding part of his career.
