Kaila Bertsch

Kaila is a postdoctoral researcher working in the Materials Science and Engineering Department in collaboration with the Grainger Institute for Engineering and Dr. Dan Thoma. Her research focuses on investigating mechanical properties and microstructure of additively manufactured metals for the UW 2020 initiative, as well as solidification processes, advanced manufacturing techniques, and alloy design. Kaila obtained her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in December 2017 under the tutelage of Dean Ian Robertson. Her previous research areas focused on utilizing microstructural analysis of metals across length scales, particularly electron microscopy, to study mechanical properties and hydrogen embrittlement, with a focus on grain boundaries, dislocation interactions, and the evolution of plastic deformation. She was awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship in 2013 and the NSF Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) scholarship in 2014 in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark at Risø. She graduated magna cum laude with her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University in May 2012.