Alumnus presents thesis to top researchers from academia, government laboratories and industry at international conference

Photo credit: EIPBN

Javel Wilson presented his thesis at the 65th International Electron, Ion and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication (EIPBN) conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 1. Entitled “Simulation and Testing of Helium Ion Machined Nanochannels,” his paper focuses on a novel way of ‘directly writing’ or 3D printing enclosed nanochannels on surfaces potentially being leveraged in biomedical or thermal management applications. At age 23, Wilson was one of the youngest presenters at the conference. He was accompanied by his mentor Dr. Kate Klein, UDC Department of Mechanical Engineering chair and faculty member.

The EIPBN conference connects researchers from academia, government laboratories and industry from around the world who meet to present and discuss current trends and future directions in areas such as electron, ion, and photon lithography, imaging and analysis; atomically precise fabrication; nanofabrication process technologies; related emerging technologies; and their applications in a broad spectrum of fields.

An ongoing collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Wilson’s thesis involved working with Andras E. Vladar, a project leader in the Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division in the Physical Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Wilson recently accepted a job as a vehicle performance integration engineer on the powertrain-fuel economy team at Cummins, Inc. in Columbus, Indiana. Cummins designs, manufactures, sells and services diesel and alternative fuel engines, diesel and alternative-fueled electrical generators and related components and technology. It serves customers through a network of 500 company-owned and independent distributor facilities and nearly 8,000 dealers in more than 190 countries and territories.

Photo credit: Juvani Downer

Wilson earned his degrees in mechanical engineering from UDC—a bachelor’s (‘20), graduating summa cum laude and a master’s (‘22), earning a 3.9 GPA. As a student , he was also a graduate teaching assistant and tutor in the engineering department and a resident advisor for on-campus housing.

Using university resources to gain experience off campus, he participated in an internship at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition, he was an advanced manufacturing research intern on the material characterization team at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri. Wilson was also a research assistant in the Nano-Fabrication Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Wilson was a Thurgood Marshall Leadership Institute scholar and speaker from 2017-2019; chapter president of the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and AC Engineers from 2017-2019; as well as a scholar in the Georgia Institute of Technology Focus Program in 2019, an immersion program to prepare students for graduate school and opportunities in research, academia, government and business. He was also a member of the National Society of Black Engineers in 2021.

Wilson credits his mother and many others who encouraged him to excel.

“It took a village to get me where I am,” he said. “I stand on the shoulders of so many to be the person I am, including Dr. Kate Klein, who was instrumental in my early development and continues to be a mentor, as well as the financial support I received from UDC and help from the Office of Career Services.”