Spotlight on Experiential Learning: Research

Nikolai Clark

Hi! My name is Nikolai, but my friends know me as Niko:) I completed my B.S. in chemistry and math minor at CSU Fullerton in the Fall of 2024, and I’m now pursuing my M.S. in chemistry with an inorganic concentration under Dr. Allyson Fry-Petit. I would love to explore what fields the chemistry industry has to offer whilst exploring my future in academia. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, singing karaoke, and cooking hearty meals. 

Learning Experience

My overall work in the Master’s program involves understanding systems and structural changes of materials under extreme conditions. In the Fry-Petit research lab, we focus a lot on structure-property relations of solid materials. During my undergrad, I focused on materials called oxygen transport membranes, with the specific formula LaFe1-yCoyO3-δ, and their ability to generate important fuels such as syngas (H2/CO) and pure oxygen through reduction and oxidation using an instrument called the GasBoard-3100. My Master’s research added on two other projects. One of them is determining the phases present during the synthesis of LK-99, the proposed room-temperature superconductor, and whether or not the phases present are actually superconducting. The second project explores the structures of the ceramic-ceramic membrane La0.9Sr0.1CoO3-δ–Ce0.8La0.2O2-δ through microscopy before and after reduction and oxidation processes for its catalytic ability to generate important fuels. These three projects have, and will continue to, progress my knowledge of many systems in solid state chemistry!

Reflection

My experience with research has greatly shaped the way I view science today. Since joining the Fry-Petit lab, I’ve learned how to synthesize solids and the many ways in which we can analyze those materials. I’ve learned that progress in research is not linear, and this lesson has been applicable to many things in my life! Additionally, I’ve presented research at four different conferences, conducted research at both the University of Maryland and UC Irvine, and will have attended the ACS conference in San Diego in March of 2025. I’ve nothing but gratitude for Dr. Fry-Petit and the opportunities she’s given me!

Additional Experiential Learning Experiences