News
Dr. Ashley Kaiser Receives UMass Amherst Outstanding Young Alumni Award - Chemical Engineering
April 2024
Dr. Ashley Kaiser, Senior Process Engineer at 6K Next, received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding professional and personal achievements and highlights the recipient's ambitions and potential to positively impact UMass, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the nation, and the world.
MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Hosts Dr. Kaiser for Alumni Speaker Series
October 2023
During the Fall 2023 semester at MIT, Dr. Ashley Kaiser gave a seminar to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering as part of the DMSE Alumni Speaker Series, organized by the Graduate Materials Council, where she held a Q&A with the students and discussed her materials science-focused industry experiences at 3M and 6K Inc.
Kaiser Presents Doctoral Research at 23rd International Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM23) in Belfast, Northern Ireland
August 2023
From July 30 - August 4, 2023, Dr. Ashley Kaiser traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland to attend the 23rd International Conference on Composite Materials, where she presented her final doctoral research on aligned carbon nanotube-polymer materials in a presentation titled "Processing, Morphology, and Mechanical Properties of High Volume Fraction Aligned Carbon Nanotube/Aerospace-Grade Epoxy Nanocomposites".
Dr. Ashley Kaiser Joins 6K Inc. (6K NEXT) as a Senior Process Engineer
June 2023
In June 2023, Dr. Ashley Kaiser joined the 6K NEXT Research and Development Team at 6K Inc., a performance materials manufacturing company, where she is leading the process and product development of advanced materials leveraging 6K's microwave plasma technology.
Project Scientist and 3M Collaboration: Fluorescent Minerals Demonstration with Dr. Ashley Kaiser
March 2023
As part of Project Scientist / 3M Superstars and Expeditions collaboration with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Dr. Ashley Kaiser, Senior Research Engineer at 3M, speaks to young female students about her educational career and work at 3M, followed by a hands-on demonstration of fluorescent minerals. "At Project Scientist, our success is measured by the increase in number of girls and women in STEM majors and careers. When school is closed for teachers, our STEM programs and expeditions have you covered for all girls ages 4 to 12! Have your girls join the Project Scientist team as we explore and learn from exciting local STEM companies and universities. Our popular Expedition program brings home the relevance of STEM to girls through getting a VIP behind-the-scenes look at companies and hearing from female STEM professionals. Hearing from female STEM majors gives girls the vision that they too can succeed in science, technology, engineering, and math."
Dr. Ashley Kaiser Wins CRPL Circle of Technical Excellence and Innovation (CTE&I) Individual Award for 2022
February 2023
Dr. Ashley Kaiser, Senior Research Engineer at 3M, was awarded the peer-nominated Circle of Technical Excellence and Innovation (CTE&I) Individual Award for 2022, recognizing her leadership and technical achievement in polymer recycling technologies and solventless adhesive development.
Project Scientist and 3M Collaboration: Science Expedition Demonstrations with Dr. Ashley Kaiser
June 2022
As part of Project Scientist / 3M Superstars and Expeditions collaboration with St. Paul Schools, Dr. Ashley Kaiser, Senior Research Engineer at 3M, speaks to young female students about her educational career and work at 3M, followed by a hands-on demonstration of the science of rocks and minerals. "At Project Scientist, our success is measured by the increase in number of girls and women in STEM majors and careers. When school is closed for teachers, our STEM programs and expeditions have you covered for all girls ages 4 to 12! Have your girls join the Project Scientist team as we explore and learn from exciting local STEM companies and universities. Our popular Expedition program brings home the relevance of STEM to girls through getting a VIP behind-the-scenes look at companies and hearing from female STEM professionals. Hearing from female STEM majors gives girls the vision that they too can succeed in science, technology, engineering, and math."
Society of Women Engineers: Lunch and Learn with Senior Research Engineer Ashley Kaiser
November 2021
Dr. Ashley Kaiser, Senior Research Engineer at 3M, speaks to college students in the University of Tulsa Society of Women Engineers about professional careers in science and engineering, industrial research and development, pursuing graduate studies, internships, and experiences as a woman in engineering.
Stronger than Steel - MIT Homepage Spotlight: Kaiser Talks about Next-Generation Advanced Composites for Space Travel and Beyond
June 2021
What's 10,000x thinner than a human hair but 100x stronger than steel? Ashley Kaiser, a graduating Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, talks about her work with necstlab and NASA to leverage carbon nanotubes in designing stronger, tougher, and lighter materials for future space vehicles and habitats.
Dr. Ashley Kaiser Graduates from MIT with Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering
June 2021
On June 4, 2021, Dr. Ashley Kaiser graduated with her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Commencement day was highlighted by the charge to graduates spoken by President L. Rafael Reif, who encouraged each new graduate to "hack the world - until you make the world a little more like MIT: More daring and more passionate. More rigorous, inventive and ambitious. More humble, more respectful, more generous, more kind. And because the people of MIT also like to fix things that are broken, as you strive to hack the world, please try to heal the world, too. Please help us respond to this ongoing global pandemic with wisdom, foresight, compassion and science."
Kaiser Speaks to High School Students about Materials Science and Engineering for STEAM/CVTE Career Awareness Week
February 2021
As part of Hopkinton High School's Virtual STEAM/CVTE Career Awareness Week, Ashley Kaiser spoke to high school students about careers in materials science and engineering, pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies after high school, and various pathways towards working in the STEAM-related fields.
MIT Engineers in necstlab Develop "Blackest Black" Material To Date
September 2019
MIT engineers in necstlab report that they have developed a material that is 10 times blacker than anything previously reported, capturing at least 99.995% of incoming light. The material is made from vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, or CNTs, just like an ultra-black fuzzy forest of tiny trees. The team grew these CNTs on a surface of chlorine-etched aluminum foil and also on a $2 million yellow diamond as an art piece, which was achieved in collaboration with artist Diemut Strebe and the MIT Center for Art, Science, and Technology. The CNT-covered diamond was exhibited at the New York Stock Exchange, titled "The Redemption of Vanity". Image: Diemut Strebe.
MIT Materials Research Laboratory Summer Scholar Isabel Albelo Joins necstlab for High Density Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composites Research
August 2019
Ten Summer Scholars, through the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program, worked in faculty labs this summer on several different research projects through the MIT Materials Research Laboratory. Summer Scholar Isabel Albelo, left, and MIT graduate student Ashley Kaiser, right, hold samples from their work on polymer nanocomposites, which are comprised of vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests grown via chemical vapor deposition, densified to high volume fractions, and then infiltrated with a polymer matrix in necstlab under the supervision of Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics Brian L. Wardle. Image, Denis Paiste, Materials Research Laboratory.
Kaiser Presents Doctoral Research at 22nd International Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM22) in Melbourne, Australia
August 2019
From August 11-16, 2019, Ashley Kaiser traveled to Melbourne, Australia to attend the 22nd International Conference on Composite Materials, where she presented her early doctoral research paper on dense aligned carbon nanotube-polymer materials in a presentation titled "Fabrication of Hierarchical Polymer Nanocomposites with Capillary-densified Aligned Carbon Nanotube Reinforcement".
Ph.D. Candidate Ashley Kaiser Featured in 2019 UMass Amherst Department of Chemical Engineering Newsletter
July 2019
In July 2019, Ashley Kaiser became a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, and her graduate research was featured in the 2019 Newsletter for the UMass Amherst Department of Chemical Engineering, where she received her B.S. degree in 2017.
Kaiser Graduates from MIT with Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering
June 2019
On June 7, 2019, Ashley Kaiser graduated with her Master of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, en route to her Ph.D. degree. Commencement day was highlighted by the charge to graduates spoken by President L. Rafael Reif, who encouraged each new graduate to "hack the world - until you make the world a little more like MIT: More daring and more passionate. More rigorous, inventive and ambitious. More humble, more respectful, more generous, more kind. And because the people of MIT also like to fix things that are broken, as you strive to hack the world, please try to heal the world, too."
New York Magazine Feature: Millions of Carbon Nanotubes Cluster to Express Chilling Message
October 2018
Featured post published by New York Magazine as part of The Cut and the online Science of Us series for a fun, scientific take on Halloween. "One dark and stormy night, Ph.D. student Ashley Kaiser was alone in the lab. [Some creative liberties have been taken.] The bats were swooping and the wind was howling. She was hard at work on her research on nanomaterials, specifically carbon nanotubes..."
Scene at MIT: Happy Halloween from Carbon Nanotubes - MIT Homepage Spotlight
October 2018
As part of her materials science and engineering research on nanomaterials, PhD student Ashley Kaiser recently grew millions of carbon nanotubes - each incredibly strong and only 1/10,000 the width of a human hair - and immersed them in a guiding liquid. Upon drying, the resulting nanotube "forest" created a recognizable spooky pattern seen by scanning electron microscopy, just in time for the upcoming Halloween festivities.
UK Chemistry & Industry Magazine Feature: "Nano Futures" of Carbon Nanotubes in Industry
September 2018
Ashley Kaiser's graduate research on the capillary densification of carbon nanotube arrays was featured in a recent article about the industry applications of carbon nanotubes, which was published in the UK Chemistry and Industry (C&I) Magazine by Victoria Hattersley. From monitoring our heart rate and generating renewable energy to enabling the cost-effective, efficient, and large-scale patterning of nanomaterials, a number of novel applications for carbon nanotubes have emerged in recent months, Hattersley reports.
Two College of Engineering Alumni Win Highly Competitive National Defense Fellowships
June 2018
Two recent UMass Amherst College of Engineering and Commonwealth Honors College alumni, Ashley Kaiser (B.S., ChE, '17) and Sanghoon Lee (B.S., EE, '17), have been awarded 2018 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships. Kaiser and Lee have just finished their first year as graduate students pursuing their Ph.D. degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Georgia Institute of Technology, respectively.
Seven from MIT named National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellows
April 2018
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Office of Naval Research have awarded 2018 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships to two graduate students in Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics Brian L. Wardle's necstlab - Ashley L. Kaiser and Frederick Daso - as well as five other MIT graduate students. They are among 69 fellows nationwide offered the highly competitive award. (Feature articles by MIT News and the MIT Materials Research Laboratory)
Getting to the heart of carbon nanotube clusters: MIT News Feature
February 2018
In their recent Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics paper, MIT researchers Ashley Kaiser and Itai Stein report new process-structure scaling relations to create predictable patterns from unpredictable carbon nanotubes. Their systematic method can predict the two-dimensional patterns that carbon nanotube arrays form after they are packed together, or densified, by evaporating liquid drops from their surface. With a primary focus on nanofiber structures, this work aims to enhance predictive design and manufacturing capabilities for nanomaterials and related microstructures. (Also featured by the MIT Materials Research Laboratory)
Kaiser et al. Featured on Front Cover of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
February 2018
Kaiser's lead author paper on the process-morphology scaling relations of nanofibers was selected to appear on the front cover of the February 14, 2018 print edition of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, coinciding with Valentine's Day. Her colorized cover image shows vertically aligned carbon nanotubes forming a heart pattern as a result of their self-assembly during capillary-mediated densification.
Glassy carbon, now with less heat: MIT News Feature
September 2017
Carbon nanotubes lower the transformation temperature of glassy carbon, possibly aiding manufacturers, MIT researchers report. Research performed by MIT graduate student (and 2016 MPC-CMSE Summer Scholar) Ashley Kaiser and postdoc Itai Stein was recently published in their Journal of Materials Science paper, showing that a small fraction of carbon nanotubes added to phenol-formaldehyde resin lowers the nanocomposite processing temperature needed to achieve the best combination of hardness and low density by 200 degrees Celsius.
ChE Major Ashley Kaiser Honored as Rising Researcher at UMass Amherst
April 2017
Chemical Engineering (ChE) senior Ashley Kaiser is one of six UMass undergrads whose research accomplishments have been deemed "inspiring and notable" enough for the students to be honored with the Rising Researcher award in Research Next, the online magazine at UMass Amherst. The Rising Researcher award, sponsored by the Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Research and Engagement, recognizes exceptional UMass Amherst undergraduate students who excel in research, scholarship, or creative activity.
Rising Researcher Award: A Bright Future for Six Undergraduates
April 2017
UMass Amherst provides undergraduate students with many opportunities to conduct research with impact. Six seniors whose research accomplishments are inspiring and notable were honored this spring with the Rising Researcher award, sponsored by Research Next at UMass Amherst.
Five College of Engineering Students Win Important UMass Amherst Alumni Association Honors
March 2016
Four College of Engineering students won William F. Field Alumni Scholar Awards, which were established in 1976 to recognize and honor third-year students for their academic achievements at UMass Amherst. The winners were juniors Timothy Adams of ECE, Lauren Gonynor of CEE, Ashley Kaiser of the Chemical Engineering Department, and Rune Percy of the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department. Adams, Kaiser, and Percy are also in the Commonwealth Honors College, and Kaiser was recently profiled on the College of Engineering website.
ChE Undergrad Ashley Kaiser Is Master of All Trades and Jack of None
February 2016
Ashley Kaiser, a junior undergraduate student from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, has packed a lot of varied accomplishment into her years as a major in the Chemical Engineering Department. She's a member of the Commonwealth Honors College with a cumulative GPA of 3.97/4.00 and has made the Dean's List from 2013 through 2015. In addition, she's a member of the UMass student chapters of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Tau Beta Pi, and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and she spent the summer of 2015 completing an R&D internship at the 3M Corporate Research Process Laboratory in St. Paul, Minnesota.
UMass Amherst Materials Research Society Conference Video - Optimal Design: Interdisciplinary Teamwork from Synthesis to Production
November 2014
The College of Engineering at UMass Amherst offers a new paradigm in materials research and education. It brings in students with strong backgrounds in science and engineering and trains them to work in multidisciplinary teams. Ashley Kaiser, a first-year chemical engineering student, is already pursuing interdisciplinary graphene research with Professor Christos Dimitrakopoulos. At the brink of important new discoveries and developments, UMass Amherst's researchers, educators, and students prove the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.