Katherine Aidala

Katherine Aidala
Academic background
Education	B.S., Applied Physics and Psychology, 2001, Yale University M.A., Ph.D., Applied Physics, 2006, Harvard University
Thesis	Imaging magnetic focusing in a two-dimension electron gas (2006)
Academic work
Discipline	Physicists
Sub-discipline	Condensed matter physics, materials science, atomic force microscopy
Institutions	Mount Holyoke College

Katherine E. Aidala is an American physicist. She is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a professor of physics at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She studies the fundamental properties of materials and devices, providing insight that could lead to technological innovation.

Early life and education

Aidala obtained a B.S. in Applied Physics and Psychology from Yale University in 2001.^[1] At Yale, she was involved in the Rob Schoelkopf Lab, a quantum computing research lab with a focus on superconductors.^[2] She then received her M.A. in Applied Physics from Harvard University, followed by her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard in 2006.^[3] At Harvard, she was involved in building the He-3 cooled scanning probe microscope at the Robert Westervelt Group, eventually writing her dissertation based on her research with the group, titled "Imaging Magnetic Focusing in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas."^[4][5]

Career and research

Upon accepting a faculty position at Mount Holyoke College, Aidala received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers,^[6] and an National Science Foundation CAREER award for her work in nanophysics.^[7] She was also named a Cottrell Scholar of 2009 by the Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement.^[8] In an effort to make science more approachable, Aidala started a bi-monthly SciTech Cafe and Organismic and Evolutionary Biology cafes in 2013 where local scientists could casually discuss their fields.^[9] Additionally, she established the Fimbel Maker & Innovation Lab to encourage women to enter STEM disciplines.^[10]

During her tenure at Mount Holyoke College, Aidala's research has focused on charge transport in nanocrystal quantum dots. She uses scanning probe microscopy to improve the efficiency of nanostructures and the devices that employ them.

In October 2020, Aidala was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society "for her innovative development of scanning probe techniques to characterize soft materials, study disordered semiconductors, and apply azimuthal magnetic fields to magnetic nanostructured materials; for exceptional mentoring of undergraduate women in physics; and promoting public appreciation of science."^[11]

Awards

• 2009 - Cottrell Scholar Award for Science Advancement from Research Corporation^[12][13]
• 2010 - National Science Foundation CAREER Award^[14]
• 2010 - Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers^[6]

• 2015 - 40 under 40: Professors who Inspire^[13]

• 2016 - Meribeth E. Cameron Faculty Award for Scholarship^[15]

• 2020 - Prize for a Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Institution, American Physical Society (APS)^[16][17]
• 2020 - Fellow of the American Physical Society^[17][13]

References

1. "2020 Prize for a Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Institution Recipient".
2. "Former Undergraduate Students | Schoelkopf Lab". rsl.yale.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
3. "Obama Names Mount Holyoke Professor a Top Young Scientist". www.newswise.com. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
4. Aidala, Katherine (2006). Imaging Magnetic Focusing in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas.
5. "Westervelt Research Group". meso.seas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
6. "Dr. Katherine E. Aidala, 2011 PECASE Recipient". chm.pse.umass.edu. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
7. "Nanophysics work earns NSF Early Career Award". nanowerk.com. April 13, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
8. "Cottrell Scholars Sorted by Institution" (PDF). rescorp.org. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
9. Davis, Andrew (June 4, 2013). "'Science cafes' feed hunger for technical understanding". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
10. "Editorial: Makerspace; HCC collaboration; training nurses". Daily Hampshire Gazette. December 10, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
11. Sexton, Keely (October 1, 2020). "Katherine Aidala named 2020 APS Fellow". mtholyoke.edu. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
12. "Research Corporation", Wikipedia, 2023-10-26, retrieved 2024-09-06
13. Aidala, Katherine. "Katherine Aidala" (PDF).
14. "National Science Foundation", Wikipedia, 2024-09-06, retrieved 2024-09-06
15. Savoie, Keely (March 10, 2016). "Four MHC professors receive faculty awards". mtholyoke.edu. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
16. "Katherine Aidala of Mount Holyoke College Honored for Undergraduate Physics Teaching". wiareport.com. November 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
17. "American Physical Society", Wikipedia, 2024-09-01, retrieved 2024-09-06