Tyndall’s Distinguished Visiting Fellow Programme – Professor Wallace’s Experience

We are pleased to share that Tyndall’s Distinguished Visiting Fellows Programme returned for its second year. The programme supports our strategic goals by connecting our research community with globally recognised research leaders as well as establishing new collaborations while strengthening and deepening our existing ones.

Tyndall researchers Dr Karim Cherkaoui andProf. Paul Hurley alongside Visiting Fellow Prof. Robert M. Wallace outside Tyndall National Institute in Cork city.
Dr Karim Cherkaoui, Principal Investigator in the Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices group, Tyndall Professor Paul Hurley, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices Research Group, Tyndall and Professor Robert M. Wallace, Visiting Fellow, Tyndall, Erik Jonsson Distinguished Chair and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, at The University of Texas.

This year we welcomed Professor Robert M. Wallace to Tyndall as Visiting Fellow. Prof. Wallace is an Erik Jonsson Distinguished Chair and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, at The University of Texas, Dallas. Professor Wallace is also a PI in GUIDE, a US-Ireland research project (funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF), Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, formerly Science Foundation Ireland and the Department for the Economy (DfE) in Northern Ireland). GUIDE has enabled the University of Texas at Dallas and the Tyndall National Institute, to collaborate in the field of semiconducting oxides.

During his visits to Tyndall, Professor Wallace has presented talks to the Tyndall community on the topics of ‘Characterization of Contacts on 2D Device Materials’ and the ‘Fundamentals of Photoelectron Spectroscopy’.

Student Adam Gruszecki and Dr Karim Cherkaoui in a Tyndall lab with Professor Robert M. Wallace during his visit
Professor Robert M. Wallace alongside Adam Gruszecki and Dr Karim Cherkaoui. Adam is a PhD student at UT Dallas funded by GUIDE and visited Tyndall during the summer, during which he performed electrical and optical characterisation of Ga2O3 devices.

Visiting Fellow Prof. Wallace with Prof. Paul Hurley in the lab at Tyndall

 

1. Please provide a short synopsis about your area of research:
My research specialises in the field of electronic materials and devices with an emphasis on their materials and electronic/electrical properties characterization.

2. What motivated you to participate in Tyndall’s Distinguished Fellows programme?
I have worked with the Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices group for over 20 years. Initially as an external proposal reviewer for Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, followed by serving as an external advisor on the FORME project. The talent and products produced by the researchers impressed me greatly and drove me to pursue research collaborations with Prof. Paul Hurley and his team. This eventually resulted in three US-Ireland research grant awards from the NSF, Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland and the DfE in Northern Ireland since 2009 (FOCUS, UNITE, GUIDE).

The Distinguished Visiting Fellow programme enables further close collaboration and opportunities for new research directions in chip technology between our institutions.

3. What lasting impression of Tyndall will you take away from your time with us?

The world-class talent, productivity, and extensive facilities at TNI will be my most lasting impression. I am honored and proud to be associated with the Institute!

Tyndall’s Distinguished Visiting Fellow Prof. mentoring student and researcher in a lab at Tyndall

 

Group photo with Tyndall Visiting Fellow Prof. Wallace in Tyndall lab
Adam Gruszecki, PhD student, UT Dallas,
Mark Kavanagh, Industrial Physics student MTU,
Dr Khushabu Patil, Postdoctoral Researcher, Tyndall,
Prof. Paul Hurley, Senior Research Scientist, Tyndall,
Dr Karim Cherkaoui, Principal, Tyndall,
Prof. Robert M. Wallace, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas.