Research

My work is driven by an interest in metallurgy and the behavior of aerospace structures under varying conditions. I specialize in advanced materials & manufacturing, and design, to enhance reliability and safety. 

Interests: Materials & Structures, Engineering Machine Design, and Advanced Manufacturing.

Projects

Hot Roll-Wrapping Parameter Study (Carbon Fiber/Nylon Composites) — Center for Advanced Technology, RPI (2025)

Process experiments to improve repeatability and bond quality in thermoplastic composite roll-wrapping.

What I did:

• Designed and ran controlled experiments to identify roll-wrapping process parameters.

• Evaluated tackiness/bonding behavior across temperature and process settings.

• Documented results to guide repeatable future trials and process refinement.

Low-Velocity Impact Modeling in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (Siemens NX) — Intelligent Structural Systems Lab, RPI (2023–2024)

Finite element simulation of impact damage with attention to delamination initiation and growth.

What I did:

• Modeled low-velocity impact response in aerospace-grade carbon fiber laminates using FEM (Siemens NX).

• Focused on predicting delamination initiation and growth mechanisms.

• Presented results at RPI’s Graduate Research Symposium (poster).

Manufacturing Plan: Polypropylene Cylinder Liner — Thermoforming + Welding (2025)

End-to-end manufacturing plan for a smooth-ID PP liner compatible with downstream composite overwinding. 

What I did:

• Built the full manufacturing plan (process flow, inspection/handling considerations).

• Compared route options and selected a thermoforming-based approach for scalability and prototyping speed.

• Evaluated seam-joining strategies (overlap vs butt) and recommended a welding method to protect the smooth interior surface.

Thermoset Composite Recycling: Compaction of End-of-Life Aircraft Plastics — Aerospace Structures & Materials Laboratory (ASML), WPI (2023)

I worked on making “non-recyclable” aerospace thermosets more manufacturable and circular by experimentally evaluating compaction-based approaches.

What I did:

• Led research on compacting thermosetting plastics from end-of-life aircraft materials to explore more recyclable/reusable form factors.

• Investigated how processing conditions influence consolidation quality and repeatability (strength, integrity, and handling).

• Documented methods and results to support future scale-up and manufacturability discussions for circular aerospace materials.

News

10th Annual Graduate Research Symposium

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | April 11, 2025 

I had the honor of presenting my work at the 10th Annual Graduate Research Symposium hosted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her poster, "Finite Element Analysis of Low-Velocity Impact Damage in Carbon Fiber Composites Using Siemens NX," was featured during the Poster Presentation and Networking Reception held in the CBIS Atriums.

My work focuses on modeling and simulating impact-induced delamination in aerospace-grade composite materials. Through finite element methods, I'm investigating the structural response of carbon fiber laminates under low-velocity impact, contributing to broader efforts in damage prediction and structural health monitoring in aerospace systems.

The symposium showcased innovative research from across disciplines, and Elizabeth was grateful for the opportunity to share my findings and engage in insightful conversations with fellow researchers, faculty, and industry guests.