Marlon Sims, a 2021 graduate of Coahoma Community College, has been selected to participate
in the Mississippi State University Research Experience for Undergraduates Program
in Optoelectronic Materials. The competitive summer program selects students to work
on a research project under the direction of a faculty mentor in Chemical Engineering
and Chemistry. The program will be held between June 1 and August 6.
According to the program description, research on optoelectronic materials is increasingly growing as this research will allow harvesting energy from light with different wavelengths. However, many challenges need to be overcome, including developing synthetic routes to obtain new materials, processing of these materials for real-life applications, and elucidating the theoretical underpinning that allows one to optimize the properties of these materials. Towards these goals, students will have the opportunity to work in the research projects related to the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials, self-assembly and mechanical properties of soft materials, molecular modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, computational quantum chemistry.
Joharrison Rockett, math instructor, has taught Sims during his entire time at Coahoma. When learning of Sim's acceptance, Rockett commented, "Marlon is a person that is full of joy and ambition. He's eager to learn new skills." Rockett commented.
"Marlon works well under pressure. When I became aware of this program, my first thought was of Marlon as an applicant," added Dr. Stacy J. Jones, chemistry and physics instructor. "Mr. Sims has demonstrated himself as a strong independent think in my courses. Those skills are perfect for summer research opportunities."
Students interested in applying to summer research opportunities should contact Dr. Stacy Jones, science instructor, by email at sjones@coahomacc.edu.