MRSEC Personnel

Donna Hammer

MRSEC Associate Director &

Director of Education Outreach Programs

Email: dhammer@umd.edu

Originally hired in 1997 as the education outreach coordinator, Ms. Hammer instituted the successful service-based education outreach infrastructure, established new partnerships, wrote supplemental education outreach grants, and launched original education outreach programs. One of the most successful is the Student Science Conference, which has continued over a decade.

In 1999, she became the Center Coordinator, taking on the responsibilities of the administration for research, industrial outreach, and education outreach activities. She developed an effective management structure in which Center members are able to efficiently participate in MRSEC research, business meetings, and outreach activities, and track success in all mission areas. In 2000, Ms. Hammer took the leadership position of writing a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (GK-12) for which she was the Program Director. A year later, she was promoted to Assistant Director for the Center. In October 2003, Ms. Hammer received the Sibylle Sampson Award, which is given in recognition of an individual's outstanding accomplishments for the benefit of the Department of Physics.

In 2005, Ms. Hammer was promoted to MRSEC Associate Director and Director of Education Outreach Programs. Throughout her employment at the MRSEC she has continued to refine the MRSEC administrative infrastructure, give professional talks and mentor others on university and community relations, as well as science and engineering informal education.

Julie Callis

Program Management Specialist &

Information Technology Officer

Email: jcallis@umd.edu

Julie Callis has been with the MRSEC since 2000, when she was hired to design and maintain the MRSEC website. While still maintaining the website, she began working with MRSEC accounting, purchasing, and administration. In 2004, she took the position of Program Management Specialist. In 2005, she designed and led a Web Development and Design summer camp as part of the MRSEC Summer Programs. Julie is an alumnus of the University of Maryland with a BS in international business from the Robert H. Smith School of Business and a BA in German from the College of Arts and Humanities.

Alex Prasertchoung

Education Outreach Coordinator

Email: spraser@umd.edu

Alex Prasertchoung received a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Maryland in 2006. His research interest is in electronic materials, which includes thin films deposition, electrical characterization and testing, scaling and size effects. Alex has been involved in MRSEC education outreach activities since 1999. He has a passion for education, and is very interested in contributing his knowledge and expertise in materials science and engineering to K-12 education. In his previous involvement in MRSEC, he has given career talks in engineering to elementary and middle school students, and taught the spring electronics course and the electronics summer camp.

Erin Lukomska-Schlauch

Undergraduate Administrative Assistant

Email: elukomsk@umd.edu

Erin Lukomska-Schlauch started working at MRSEC in the summer of 2005 as a camp assistant. In the fall she began her freshmen semester here at the University of Maryland, seeking a Bachelor degree in General Biology. Wanting to be a teacher, Erin has worked as a camp instructor every summer since 2005. During the fall and spring semesters, she continues to work with MRSEC as an Administrative Assistant and helps out with various education outreach programs. Now in her third year at the University of Maryland, Erin is President of her Sorority, has a full course load of Life Science classes, and plans to attend the Five-Year Integrated Masters of Education Program.