Muneer Barnawi poses at the Materials Science Conference

"Successful people are not gifted, they just work hard and succeed on purpose." G.K. Nielson.

Muneer Barnawi is a second-year Master of Science student in Chemical Engineering at Youngstown State University. Muneer is working in the Material Science Laboratory under the advisement of Dr. Pedro Cortes. He has been given a chance to apply his knowledge and skills in the material science research lab, thanks to the Assured Digital Microelectronic Education and Training Ecosystem (ADMETE) Grant introduced to YSU. Muneer has been given the opportunity to excel in his research and investigation of Additive Manufacturing and the Metalizing of 3D printed parts via the electroplating processes. He also investigates the electroplating of 3D printed antennas fabricated using shape-memory polymer technology. Shape-memory polymer is a smart material that could deform in shape and recover to the original shape upon a particular stimulus such as thermal, electrical, or chemical. This research resulted in the production of sustainable and economically viable 3D-printed antennas. Muneer travelled to Columbus this past October to present his research at the 2021 International Material Science & Technology (MS&T) Conference in Columbus, OH. This opportunity allowed him to share his research with other organizations, institutions, professors, and students who have shown interest in the same field.

“This experience changed my view on research” Barnawi said about the 2021 MS&T experience. “The diversity in projects and interests displayed at this conference demonstrated the significance of all STEM fields and their importance to continuous scientific development. I am grateful to have been able to share my knowledge and research with others while gaining insight on other projects developing within in the STEM field.”

With the completion of the metallizing of 3D-printed antenna project, Muneer is now working on creating a method to 3D-print lithium batteries.