Michael S. Pierce
Curriculum
Vitae
Materials Science Division, Bldg 223
Argonne National Laboratory
9700 South Cass Ave. Argonne, IL 60439
Phone: (630) 252-4353
Fax: (630) 252-9595
mpierce@anl.gov
Academic Training
• Postdoctoral Research Appointee, Argonne National
Laboratory, 2006
• PhD Completed, April 20th 2006 from University of
Washington
• Full PhD Candidate University of Washington 2003
• Passed General Examination December 2002
• M.S. University of Washington (UW) 2002
• Passed Physics Qualifying Examination Summer 2001
• B.S. Physics Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) 1998,
Magna Cum Laude
Research Experience
• Postdoctoral Research—
Argonne National Laboratory
Materials Science Division
Advisor: Dr. Hoydoo You
mid 2006 — Present
I currently work in the Materials Science Division at
Argonne National Laboratory under the guidance of Dr.
Hoydoo You in the Synchrotron Radiation Studies group. We
study the structure and character of novel materials using
modern x-ray sources such as the Advanced Photon Source.
Our primary research interests are surface and interface
science, nanomaterials, and electrocatalysis. Currently, we
are developing coherent surface diffraction techniques to
explore dynamic phenomena at surfaces and interfaces. We
have previously studied the reconstruction of gold atoms
from room temperature to near the bulk melting point in
different gaseous and electrochemical environments. I have
also been studying the properties of Au and Pt
nanoparticles on metal-oxide substrates such as MgO and
TiO2. I have also been fortunate to be able to continue
some of my thesis research in magnetism and coherent x-ray
scattering.
• PhD Thesis Work—
University of Washington
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Advisor: Professor Larry B. Sorensen
2001— mid 2006
My thesis work has centered around using coherent x-ray
scattering experiments to study thin magnetic films. First
we demonstrated the use of coherent soft x-ray scattering
as a way to study the microscopic magnetic properties of
perpendicular magnetic films. The experiment worked so well
that we went on to apply it to study the effects of
disorder on the memory properties of a series of
technologically important Co:Pt films. What we found
surprised us and conflicted with predictions from current
models of magnetic hysteresis. We went on to work with
several leading theorists to formulate possible
explanations for our observed results.
• Undergraduate Thesis Work—
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Theoretical Nuclear Physics
Advisor: Professor Nimai C. Mukhopadhyay(deceased)
1996-1998
My undergraduate research involved the study of Delta(1232)
resonance in photon-nucleon interactions. I used an
Effective Lagrangian model developed by R.M. Davidson and
N.C. Muhkopadhyay to study the photon-nucleon scattering
process at the Delta resonance to extract the electric
quadrupole (E2) and magnetic dipole (M1) amplitudes from
existing data. Precise determination of the amplitudes was
our primary goal such that predictions from theoretical
models of nuclear physics could be tested.
• Undergraduate Research Experience—
University of Texas
Experimental Plasma Physics
PI: Professor Alan J. Wootton
Summer 1997
I worked on a project to build a linear plasma device for
the study of instabilities and turbulent flows in plasmas
for the Fusion Research Center at the University of Texas.
Teaching Experience
Physics by Inquiry based teaching : While
a graduate student at the University of Washington, I was a
teaching assistant for several undergraduate courses which
incorporated inquiry based instruction. This approach has
been shown to be highly effective at not only conveying
facts, but also at imparting scientific principles and
reasoning. By directly engaging the students, the students
are encouraged to develop physical ideas, interpret
observations and construct explanatory models. These models
are then tested and revised during instruction. As a part
of my graduate education, I also participated in several
physics education seminars and tutorial classes whose focus
was upon improving instruction.
• 2003 Teaching Assistant (UW) Physics 431, Modern
Experimental Physics Lab, Physics 434, Interfacing
Computers and Experiments
• 2002 Teaching Assistant (UW) Physics 431, Modern
Experimental Physics Lab
• 1999-2001 Teaching Assistant (UW) Physics 117,118,119
Freshman Labs, Physics 131,132,133 Freshman Labs
• 1997 Teaching Assistant (RPI) Junior Experimental Physics
Lab
Awards and Recognition
• 2007 Henderson Prize for outstanding PhD thesis,
University of Washington
• Thesis research selected for Advanced Light Source at
Berkeley National Lab science highlight for 2005
• Thesis research selected for Advanced Light Source at
Berkeley National Lab science highlight for 2003
• 1998 G. Howard Carragan Award (RPI)
• 1998 APS Apker Award Nominee for RPI
• Graduated Magna Cum Laude (RPI)
• Completed Honors Program, Amarillo College 1995
Publications
• M.S. Pierce, K.C. Chang, D. Hennessy, V. Komanicky, A.
Menzel, and Hoydoo You. “CO-Induced lifting of the Au(001) surface
reconstruction.” Letter: Journal of Physical
Chemistry C, 112 2231-2234 (2008).
• D. Hennessy, M.S. Pierce, K.C. Chang, S. Takakusagi, H.
You, and K. Uosaki. Hydrophilicity Transition of clean the rutile
TiO2 (110) surface. Electrochimica Acta.
53, 6173 (2008).
• M.S. Pierce, C.R. Buechler, L.B. Sorensen, S.D. Kevan ,
E.A. Jagla, J.M. Deutsch, T. Mai, O. Narayan, J.E. Davies,
K. Liu, G.T. Zimanyi, H.G. Katzberger, O. Hellwig, E.E.
Fullerton, and J.B. Kortright. “Disorder induced magnetic memory: Experiments
and theories.” Physical Review B,
75, 144406 (2007).
• M.S. Pierce, C.R. Buechler, L.B. Sorensen, J.J. Turner,
S.D. Kevan, E.A. Jagla, J.B. Kortright, J.E. Davies, K.
Liu, O. Hellwig, and E.E. Fullerton. “Hysteresis, disorder,
and the evolution of magnetic domains in Co:Pt thin films.”
In preparation for early 2007 submission to Physical Review
B.
• M.S. Pierce, C.R. Buechler, L.B. Sorensen, S.D. Kevan.
“The Persistence of Memory: Disorder-Induced Microscopic
Magnetic Memory.” Advanced Light Source at Lawrence
Berkeley Lab science highlight for 2005.
• M.S. Pierce, C.R. Buechler, L.B. Sorensen, J.J. Turner,
S.D. Kevan, E.A. Jagla, J.M. Deutsch,T. Mai, O. Narayan,
J.E. Davies, K. Liu, J. Hunter Dunn, K.M. Chesnel, J.B.
Kortright, O. Hellwig, and E. E. Fullerton. “Disorder induced microscopic magnetic
memory.” Physical Review Letters
94, 017202 (2005).
• M.S. Pierce, R.G. Moore, P. Geissbuhler, L.B. Sorensen,
S.D. Kevan, J.B. Kortright, O. Hellwig, and E.E. Fullerton.
“Learning how magnets forget.” Advanced Light Source at
Lawrence Berkeley Lab science highlight for 2003.
• M.S. Pierce, R.G. Moore, L.B. Sorensen, S.D. Kevan, J.B.
Kortright, O. Hellwig, and E.E. Fullerton. “Quasistatic x-ray speckle metrology of
microscopic magnetic return point memory.” Physical
Review Letters 90, 175502 (2003).
• R.M. Davidson, Nimai C. Mukhopadhyay, M.S. Pierce, R.A.
Arndt, I.I. Strakovsky, R. L. Workman. “Problems with Extraction of the Nucleon to
Delta(1232) Photonic Amplitudes.” Physical Review C
59, 1059 (1999).
• PhD Thesis 2006 (UW) “X-ray Speckle Experiments on the
Persistence and Disintegration of Magnetic Memory” Advisor:
Professor Larry B. Sorensen.
• Senior Thesis 1998 (RPI) “Importance of Double
Polarization Observables in the Study of the Delta(1232)
Resonance Using Real Photons.” Advisor: Professor Nimai C.
Mukhopadhyay.
* Direct access to papers may require subscription.
Talks, Conferences and Seminars
• Au Surface Studies : CO interaction with the Au(001)
Surface Reconstruction and Coherent Surface Diffraction,
Surface and Interface Interest Group, Advanced Photon
Source, September 16th, 2008
• Au surface studies : diffuse and coherent scattering,
Post-doctroal Research Symposium, Argonne National Lab,
September 11th, 2008
• CO and the Au(001) Surface Reconstruction, Catalysis
Science Group-APS, Advanced Photon Source, June 10th, 2008
• Questioning the Nobility of Gold : CO and the Au(001)
Surface Reconstruction : Pressure and Temperature Effects,
Catalysis Club of Chicago Spring Symposium, May 15th, 2008
• Questioning Nobility : CO and the Au (001) surface
reconstruction, 2007 PEC Conference, University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign, June 20th, 2007
• Disorder and Hysteresis. University of Wisconsin
Free-Electron-Laser workshop, magnetics focus group.
University of Wisconsin, Madison, June 18th, 2007
• Study of the influence of disorder on magnetic memory
using coherent x-rays, XSD-APS, Argonne National
Laboratory, April 3rd, 2007
• Persistence and Disintegration of Memory, Materials
Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, January
13th, 2006
• Persistence and Disintegration of Memory, Spallation
Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, January 6th,
2006
• Persistence and Disintegration of Memory, LANSCE Lujan
Seminar Series, Los Alamos National Laboratory, December
15th, 2005
• Persistence of Magnetic Memory, University of Washington
Physics—CDO Networking Day, November 1st, 2005
• The Persistence of Memory, University of Puget Sound,
November 19th, 2004
• New Lessons from Speckle Studies of Disordered Magnets,
Annual Advanced Light Source—Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory Users Meeting, October 19th, 2004
Other Activities
• Participant in two online
science outreach programs: the ANL-Newton Ask a Scientist
service and the Mad Scientist Network
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/aas.htm
http://www.madsci.org
• Participant (and occasional organizer) of the UW
Condensed Matter Journal Club, 2001—2005.
• Computer Operating Systems(fluent): Macintosh (OsX, Os9),
RedHat x86 Linux (6.x,7.x,8,9), Fedora Core x64 Linux
(3,4,5), Yellowdog PPC Linux (2.x,3), IBM OS/2, MS Windows.
• Computer Programming Skills(fluent): C/C++, Cocoa,
Fortan, Visual Basic(prior to .Net), Matlab.
• Track and Road Bicycle Racing, Category 3 USCF Road and
Track Racer 2000-2005.
• Collegiate Bicycle Road Racing, Mens A Category(UW), NCCA
2000-2002.
• Instructor for track bicycle racing classes at Marymoor
Velodrome, Redmond WA 2003-2005.
• Functional knowledge of the German language, though not
fluent. Wenn nur mein Deutsch doch besser w ̈are. Na ja.
• A love of amateur science and astronomy.