[Jose Mendoza-Cortes]

1) My research focus;
is on the development of theoretical and computational techniques for Quantum Simulations, Machine Learning, and Multiscale simulations to study energy, processes, and materials, especially structural, electronic, transport, and optical properties, low-dimensional systems, and nanostructures.

2) Why I enjoy mentoring;
I love the interactions, and how is a two-way street. Sometimes my experience helps, but sometimes I get to learn something new, or have a conversation with someone who is as passionate about the same topic as myself.

3) My professional values.
I am a theoretical condensed matter physicist and material scientist, that specializes in computational – physics/materials science/chemistry/engineering, and many-body theory. In other words, I study methods for solving the Schrödinger’s or Dirac’s equation, machine learning equations, among others. These methods include development of computational algorithms and their mathematical properties.

[Jose Mendoza-Cortes]

1) My research focus;
is on the development of theoretical and computational techniques for Quantum Simulations, Machine Learning, and Multiscale simulations to study energy, processes, and materials, especially structural, electronic, transport, and optical properties, low-dimensional systems, and nanostructures.

2) Why I enjoy mentoring;

I was part of the APS national committee on diversity and inclusion (9 persons), which developed
the Bridge program. This is now expanded into the Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN),
which is made of 30 societies (including ACS, MRS, APS), corporations, and national laboratories,
funded with a 5-year $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation. This created one of
the most influential programs in post-graduate education for minorities in the USA. This program
has helped to enroll a total of 246 PhD students comprised of minorities throughout the country
enrolled in 31 PhD programs in Chemistry. From these students, ∼1/3 are women, ∼1/3 are
African-Americans, ∼2/3 are Hispanics/Latinx and several are indigenous students.

I have focused on computational training for underrepresented
students in STEM fields to enhance diversity and inclusion. The goal is to increase the
exposure and expertise of students for the growing needs of industry, national labs, and academia.
The Mendoza lab has hosted 31 trainee-students, from which at least 80% are considered from
underrepresented minorities in STEM fields. From the former undergraduate researchers, 5 are
currently in graduate programs in a STEM field, 11 in industry, and 1 created her own company.
An undergraduate, K. L. Lucht co-authored 3 papers with me; a first author published paper with
only two authors [Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2015] and other 2 second author papers [Journal
of Chemical Physics, 2018 and Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2018]. A minority female undergraduate
published a paper and now is in graduate school [Macromolecules, 2018]. Undergraduate
Alex A. Aduenko co-authored a seminal paper on sorption theory [ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces,
2018]. Another female undergraduate, Stephanie Marxsen published a pre-print/ArXiV that
is in the process of submission to a Journal on Quantum Chemistry. More recently, Dr. Mendoza
has been working with two undergraduates on using machine learning for chemistry and mathematics,
and the pre-print is being deposited on ArXiV. I have also directed 3 undergraduate theses
for minority students [Leon Gonzalez, 2015; Stephanie Marxsen, 2018; and Jose Castro, 2020].Research Experiences for Teachers. I have hosted two middle school teachers from Florida State
University School and Swift Creek Middle School through the Research Experiences for Teachers
(RET) at Maglab. I will continue doing this through different programs because the teacher go back
to their classrooms and teach more students the tools some basic tools we used in the lab through
many years, thus it is a compound effect.

3) My professional values.
Honesty, transparency, rigorous scientific thinking, and debate.

 

 

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