Cameron Gorsak awarded Department of Defense fellowship

Cameron Gorsak, a Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering, has been awarded a 2023 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship. Gorsak is advised by Assistant Research Professor Hari Nair.

The DoD NDSEG Fellowship Program aims to “propel these talented individuals to the forefront of many discoveries and innovations relevant to the DoD, promote the growth of scientists/engineers within relevant DoD research disciplines, and support DoD science, engineering, and technology innovations now and in the future.”

“My research focuses on optimizing the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth of β-Ga2O3, an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor,” Gorsak explained. “MOCVD is the industry leading synthesis technique for compound semiconductor thin films, such as GaN for LEDs that have revolutionized solid state lighting. With this fellowship, I will be able to continue growing high crystalline quality material for our DoD collaborators who are exploring the possible use of β-Ga2O3 in high voltage power electronics and devices operating in extreme environments.”

“Being awarded an NDSEG fellowship is a recognition of Cameron’s strong work ethic and rapid progress he is making towards his Ph.D. degree. This award is well deserved, and I am not at all surprised that Cameron was selected for an award this year," said Prof. Nair. "This is also a testament of the importance of Cameron’s chosen area of study – synthesis of new semiconductors and electronic devices based on it – for national security applications."

The fellowship serves as a means of increasing the number of United States citizens trained in science and engineering disciplines of DoD relevance. This program is designed to encourage Baccalaureate recipients to enter Graduate school and ultimately gain Doctorates which align to the DoD services Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) in research and development.