My name is Franklin E. Anariba and I was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I obtained a Bachelors of Arts in chemistry from Rutgers University - New Brunswick, New Jersey, in January of 1999. I came to The Ohio State University in the summer of 1999. I obtained my Master of Science in the Spring of 2002 and am currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemistry working towards the culmination of my dissertation. My current work is directed primarily at understanding electron transport in carbon based molecular junctions. A molecular junction is basically the sandwiching of a molecule, or an array of molecules, preferably in parallel, between two electrodes. In particular, I sandwich monolayer of molecules varying in structure and ranging in lengths from 0.6 to 1.7 nanometers thick between a carbon substrate electrode and a titanium top contact. The results have been so far both encouraging and exciting. It can be concluded from the experimental analysis that, indeed, by changing molecular structure electron flow is affected. The results demonstrate the suitability of molecules for potential use in molecular circuitry.

Broadly speaking, my current topic of research focus on molecular electronics. Most of you are familiar with current devices such as television sets, disc and DVD players, and mobile phones. They all contain a common component: field-effect transistors (FETs), which are also heralded as the basic unit of current powerful desktops and compact laptops, which dominate today’s daily business and professional activities. Most of today’s microelectronic devices are based on silicon technology, which became a major player in the 1970s mainly due to its intrinsic semiconductor properties, wide availability, and cheap production costs.

In order for current microelectronics to become more powerful and efficient, nanoscale (< 100 nm) dimensions are required. 1-nanometer scale is 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. However, there are limitations associated with simply nanoscaling current silicon-based components. As a result, many resources have been put forward in an effort to develop molecular devices, where the smallest unit is the size of a molecule or about 1-2 nm. To date, a wide range of molecular electronic junctions have been fabricated. Electronic devices based on molecular technology are expected to be commercially available within a 5-year period.

Carolina Reyes

I am from Ecuador where I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering. In Fall of 2003, I graduated from the Master’s program of one of the best Food Science and Nutrition programs in the nation, here at Ohio State.

In my Master’s project, I used two different applications of image analysis to analyze foods. The first study analyzed thermal conductivity used in processes, such as baking, drying or freezing, that involve heat. A model that accurately predicted thermal conductivity for porous foods, such as the breads or muffins used in the study, did not exist. A statistical program provided an equation that predicts thermal conductivity. Already existing models were modified to include information regarding food structure not accounted for by previous models. The second image analysis application focused on the development of a method to determine coating evenness. Coating evenness is a very important aspect of potato chips because consumers prefer to eat chips with an even coating. Potato chips are usually coated with flavored seasonings; the evenness of such coatings is determined by a panel that looks at each chip. In the food industry, this is a time consuming and unpractical process, for such a reason, an instrumental method that determines a product’s coating evenness is very useful. The methods developed in my studies assess evenness measurement in a simple way.

I will start looking for a job in Texas, and will be leaving many friends in the OSU Latino community with whom I shared many memories. Meanwhile, I am enjoying my time after almost two years of doing experiments, writing and being part of the graduate school.

The ingredients are mixed in large batches!

The cans are sealed BEFORE cooking!