• Student misconceptions, developing undergraduate research to enhance educational experiences

Education

• Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA Ph.D, Materials Science and Engineering, Minor: Mechanics of Materials, 2005.
• Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO Bachelor of Science, Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, Minor: Public Affairs, 2001.

Professional Experience

• Washington State University; School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Pullman, WA Undergraduate Research Professor, 2005 - Present
  Research interests in mechanical properties, crack initiation and growth mechanisms, modeling fatigue and fracture, superalloys, ferrous metallurgy. Co-organizer of NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates Program at WSU.
• Stephen Antolovich, Moscow, ID Consultant, 2004 - 2004
  Investigated failure in transportation components through interferometer and profilometer experiments.
• Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA Teaching Assistant, 2001 - 2004
• Ashok Saxena, Atlanta, GA Consultant, 2002 - 2003
  Contributed to an AFRL report pertaining to high temperature crack growth parameters such as K and C* and their application to nickel-base superalloys.
• CSM Department of Materials Science, Golden, CO Undergraduate Research Assistant, 1998 - 2001

Awards

• President's Fellowship - Georgia Institute of Technology, 2001 - 2005.
• Outstanding Teaching Assistant - Georgia Tech Materials Science and Engineering Department, 2005.
• Benjamin Fairless Scholarship - Iron and Steel Society, 2000 - 2001.
• Thomas Philipose Senior of the Year Award - McBride Honors Program, Colorado School of Mines, 2001.
• Silver Medal Award - Colorado Engineering Council, 2001.
• Faculty Award - Colorado School of Mines Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, 2001.

Teaching

• Materials Structure-Properties Lecture/Laboratory
• Materials Characterization Lecture/Laboratory
• Materials Engineering Senior Thesis

Selected Publications and Book Sections

• Al-Shalfan, W., Speer, J.G., Findley, K.O., Matlock, D.K., "Effect of Annealing Time on Solute Carbon in Ultra-Low Carbon Ti-V and Ti-Nb Steels." Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 2006, Vol. 37A, Issue 1, pp. 207-216.
• Findley, K.O., Saxena, A., "Low Cycle Fatigue in Rene 88DT at 6500C: Crack Nucleation Mechanisms and Modeling." 2006. Accepted for publication at Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A.
• Findley, K.O., Koh, S.W., Saxena, A., "J-Integral Expressions for Semi-elliptical Cracks in Round Bars." 2006. To be published in 9th International Fatigue Congress proceedings

Current Projects

• Research Experience for Undergraduates NSF Summer Program – “Characterization of Advanced Materials”:
  Co-organizer of summer program that gives undergraduates from across the nation opportunities to learn advanced characterization techniques here at WSU.

• Dislocation Induced Cleavage Cracking in FCC Alloys:
  Investigating dislocation interactions and the possibility of inducing cleavage cracks in FCC and BCC alloys due to specific dislocation reactions. 
• Fabrication of Metallic Glass Wool Using a Lead Wool Processing Method:
  Investigating the possibility of manufacturing metallic glass wool using a unique process that is currently devoted to lead wool production. 
• Small Diameter Lead Fibers for Micro-Sized Batteries:
  Researching methods to utilize lead fibers with very small diameters to produce micro-scale batteries or batteries with increased capacitance.
• Carbide Morphology and Mechanical Properties in Ni-base Superalloys:
  Advising a undergraduate researchers participating who are investigating composition, morphology, and mechanical properties of carbide precipitates in Ni-base superalloys.  Mechanical testing will be conducted using nanoindentation experiments.
• Effect of Microstructure on Intermediate Temperature Fatigue Crack Growth in Superalloys:
  Advising undergraduate researchers who are investigating the effect of microstructure on fatigue crack growth in Ni-base superalloys. 
• Hydride Formation in Zircaloy-4:
  Advising undergraduate researchers who are investigating the microstructural influence of hydride formation in the nuclear fuel cladding material, Zircaloy-4.
• FeMET Curriculum Development Program:
  Utilizing an undergraduate research assistant to develop materials to enhance the ferrous metallurgy curriculum at WSU.
• Addressing Student Misconceptions in Core Engineering Classes:
  Developing learning modules to enhance the teaching of difficult core engineering principles in statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials.