Kevin R. Talley

Kevin R. Talley is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications (2009 – 3.6) and a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering (2015 – 3.9), both from Boise State University, Idaho. He recently completed his PhD in Materials Science (2019 – 4.0) at Colorado School of Mines (CSM) under the leadership of Dr. Geoff Brennecka.

During the last decade, while pursuing these degrees, Kevin gained experience performing undergraduate research at Boise State with Dr. Rick Ubic and as a summer research intern at the National Institute of Standards and Technology with Dr. Winnie Wong-Ng. He also worked as a Surface Scientist at Micron Technologies and as a Process Engineering Intern at Applied Materials. He collected a few awards and scholarships during these years; of note was the CSM Materials Science department’s outstanding teaching assistant award. He authored (or coauthored) ten publications during his graduate work in addition to six in his undergraduate research pursuits. He began his participation in the American Ceramic Society by serving two terms as a PCSA delegate (2013-2014) and is currently a member of the Electronics Division.

His main research thrust is currently the search for new or improved piezoelectric and ferroelectric nitride ceramics; however, he is also working to advance thin-film nitride synthesis processes and to apply data tools to combinatorial experimentation. He lives in Colorado because he loves the mountains, where his free time is spent on a mountain bike, on skis, or in a kayak.