Summary

Experience

Senior Materials Engineer|Ford Motor Company

Dearborn, MIJun 2021Present

• Led a team in qualifying new lightweight aluminum alloys for EV battery enclosures, reducing vehicle weight by 15% and improving range by 8%.
• Spearheaded failure analysis investigations for critical powertrain components, identifying root causes in 95% of cases and implementing corrective actions that cut warranty claims by 12%.

Materials Engineer|GE Aviation

Cincinnati, OHJun 2019May 2021

• Conducted extensive metallographic and mechanical property characterization of nickel-based superalloys for high-temperature jet engine components, improving fatigue life predictability by 15%.
• Collaborated on a project to evaluate additive manufacturing processes for turbine blades, achieving a 10% reduction in material waste and a 5% increase in production efficiency.

Projects

Development of High-Performance Polymer Composites for Automotive Applications

Jan 2022Aug 2023

• Led a cross-functional team to research and develop novel polymer composite formulations for lightweight automotive components, reducing material density by 25%.

Advanced Characterization of Additively Manufactured Components

Mar 2020May 2021

• Performed comprehensive microstructural and mechanical characterization of aerospace components produced via Selective Laser Melting (SLM).

Corrosion Mitigation Strategy for Industrial Piping Systems

Aug 2019Feb 2020

• Analyzed failure mechanisms in existing industrial piping, identifying pitting corrosion as the primary cause of premature component failure.
• Researched and recommended alternative high-performance alloys and protective coatings, projected to extend component lifespan by 50%.
• Developed a detailed implementation plan, including material specifications and quality control procedures, leading to a potential 18% reduction in maintenance costs.

Education

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor|M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering

Ann Arbor, MISep 2017May 2019

• Specialized in advanced metallic alloys and composite materials.
• Thesis: 'Enhanced Fatigue Resistance in Additively Manufactured Nickel-based Superalloys'.
• Achieved a GPA of 3.9/4.0.

Michigan State University|B.S. in Materials Engineering

East Lansing, MISep 2013May 2017

• Graduated Magna Cum Laude with a focus on polymer science and metallurgy.
• Dean's List recipient for all semesters.
• Recipient of the Materials Engineering Departmental Scholarship (2015-2017).

Publications

Enhanced Fatigue Resistance in Additively Manufactured Nickel-based Superalloys via Microstructure Optimization

Apr 2019I. Santos, R. Chen, M. Lee

Characterization of Lightweight Aluminum Alloys for Electric Vehicle Applications

Jan 2023I. Santos, J. Davies

Failure Analysis of Turbine Blade Coating Systems: A Case Study

Jul 2021S. Gupta, I. Santos

Skills

Materials Science

MetallurgyPolymer ScienceCompositesCeramicsCorrosion SciencePhase Transformations

Testing & Characterization

SEM/TEMXRDEDXMechanical Testing (Tensile, Fatigue, Impact)Hardness TestingNDT (Ultrasonics, Eddy Current)Thermal Analysis (DSC, TGA)

Software & Analysis

JMPMinitabSolidWorksABAQUS (FEA basics)MATLABPython (Pandas, NumPy)

Manufacturing Processes

Additive Manufacturing (SLM, FDM)CastingForgingWeldingHeat TreatmentMachiningPolymer Processing

Quality & Compliance

ASTM StandardsISO 9001AS9100Root Cause AnalysisFMEAStatistical Process Control (SPC)