Personnel at the High-Performance Materials Institute – Jin Gyu Park and Gerald Horne – have recently taken on new roles to ensure the growth of HPMI and further benefit the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.

In addition to his status as Research Faculty II, Dr. Jin Gyu Park has been named Assistant Director of HPMI. Currently, he is responsible for student training, use and maintenance of HPMI’s major analytical equipment, including maintaining advanced capabilities of dedicated analytical instruments, such as the new FIB/EBSD, FESEM/EDS, AFM, Micro-Raman spectroscopy, wide and small angle X-ray scattering, printed electronics using 3D aerosol jet printing, as well as high-temperature furnaces and electrical property characterizations. 

With the increase of demand from more users and a rapid increase of new additional major instrumentations, including the new desktop SEM, FIB/SEM and EMI and high-temp thermal analysis for users crossing the campuses, Dr. Park will play a more important role in technical and student training management, so Dr. Park has been promoted Assistant Director for HPMI to more effectively oversee and organize major training sessions for new instruments and coordinating with both internal and external user groups to utilize HPMI equipment.

Gerald (Jerry) Horne currently serves as the primary Scientific & Research technician at HPMI. He oversees the composite manufacturing, sample machining and manufacturing tools preparation to support the HPMI researchers. He also supports major research programs to setup major tests and manufacturing instrumentations. In addition, he provides composites and manufacturing training labs for multiple undergraduate and graduate classes.

With the recent acquisition of a new waterjet cutting center and to meet the high demands from major users crossing the campus, including NHMFL, ASC, CAPS, Master Craftsman Studios and engineering senior design students from multiple departments, Horn has taken on the role as the manager of the new waterjet cutting center. This additional responsibility will provide services to the users across the campus to meet our research and teaching needs.

“These key HPMI members have provided excellent service for HPMI, the College and the universities,” said HPMI director Richard Liang. “These people are often behind the scene, making my job and the work of all our faculty and staff far easier.”

“We are grateful for Jin Gyu and Gerald’s contributions to the success of research conducted at the HPMI facility,” said Laurel Fulkerson, FSU’s Interim VP for Research. “They are both very deserving of these promotions and we look forward to the continued growth of HPMI through the expansion of their roles.”