Nathan T.

Nesbitt
140 Commonwealth Ave, Physics Department, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
(978) 273 - 2247 nathan.nesbitt@bc.edu
Education
Ph. D. in Physics Expected Summer 2017
Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA GPA 3.6/4.0
Dissertation title: Metal Nanostructures for Energy Conversion
Advisor: Michael J. Naughton
B.A. in Physics May 2011
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA GPA 3.8/4.0
Mathematical Sciences Minor
Electrical and Computer Engineering Minor
Summary: 2 peer-reviewed publications, 12 conference presentations,
1 patent application, ~$200,000 in federal grants
Research Experience
Graduate Research Assistant Fall 2012 - present
Physics Department, Boston College
Characterize the morphology of Au dendritic structures with scanning electron
microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM).
Use nanoimprint lithography (NIL) to pattern Nafion proton exchange membranes
(PEMs) to realize a novel CO2 reduction cell design patented by TU Delft and Shell, Inc.
Used NIL to develop a modification to anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) growth to
produces arrays of Al nanowires.
Studied optical properties of the Al nanowires with conventional optical microscopy and
near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM).
Developed Au dendritic structures via electrodeposition and collaborated with a biology
lab to test their efficacy in electrochemical bio-sensing.
Visiting Graduate Research Assistant Spring 2016
Chemical Engineering Department, TU Delft
Varied the morphology of Au dendritic structures and characterized their stability,
activity, and selectivity in catalyzing electrochemical CO2 reduction.
Developed the NIL process mentioned above to pattern Nafion PEMs.
Senior Thesis Project Fall 2010 - Spring 2011
Physics & Biochemistry Departments, WPI
Built a photoelectrochemical solar simulator to test dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs).
Characterized Au nanoparticle films via atomic force microscopy (AFM).
Undergraduate Research Assistant Summers 2008, 2009, 2011
Physics Department, WPI
Wired a three-axis translation stage with a sand-bed and a three-axis strain gauge to
measure the granular drag forces on simple geometries that I machined from Al.
Helped write Matlab programs for system control and data acquisition.
Publications
Published
Nathan T. Nesbitt, Juan M. Merlo, Aaron H. Rose, Yitzi M. Calm, Krzysztof Kempa,
Michael J. Burns, and Michael J. Naughton, Aluminum Nanowire Arrays via Directed
Assembly, Nano Letters 15, 7294 (2015)

Juan M. Merlo, Nathan T. Nesbitt, Yitzi M. Calm, Aaron H. Rose, Luke DImperio,
Chaobin Yang, Jeffrey R. Naughton, Michael J. Burns, Krzysztof Kempa& Michael J.
Naughton, Wireless communication system via nanoscale plasmonic antennas, Scientific
Reports 6, 31710 (2016)

Manuscript in Preparation
Nathan T. Nesbitt, Michael J. Naughton, A Review: Methods to Fabricate Vertically-
Oriented Metal Nanowire Arrays

Nathan T. Nesbitt, Ming Ma, Bartek J. Trzesniewski, Wilson A. Smith, Michael J.

Naughton, Au dendrite electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction

Professional Conferences (attended: 18, presented: 4, poster: 8)

Oral Presentations
Morphological Control of Au Dendrite Catalysts for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction,
Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, November 2016.
Al Nanowire Arrays For Plasmonic Devices, American Physical Society March
Meeting, San Antonio, TX, March 2015.
High Surface Area Dendrite Nanoelectrodes for Electrochemistry, American Physical
Society March Meeting, Denver, CO, March 2014.
Do the Math - The Role of Physicists in the Climate Movement, American Physical
Society March Meeting, Denver, CO, March 2014.

Poster Presentations
Aluminum Nanowire Arrays via Directed Assembly,
TU Delft PowerWeb Conference, Delft, The Netherlands, June 2016.
PhotoVoltaic Technical Conference, Marseille, France, May 2016.
Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, November 2015.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Hands-On Photovoltaic Experience
(HOPE), Golden, CO, July 2015.
Colorado School of Mines International School for Materials for Energy and
Sustainability IV, Golden, CO, July 2015.
1st Joint NanoWorcester/AVS-New England Spring Meeting, Worcester, MA, April
2015. (Received cash prize from poster competition).
Climate Change & Social Justice: Why We Should Care,
American Physical Society March Meeting, San Antonio, TX, March 2015.
Optimization of Organic Solar Cells through Application of Nanotechnology,
NanoWorcester Symposium, Worcester, MA, February 2011.
Non-Presentation Conference Attendance
Netherlands Catalysis and Chemistry Conference (NCCC), Noordwijkerhout, The
Netherlands, March 2016.
MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, November 2014.
MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, December 2013.
COMSOL Conference on Multiphysics Simulation, Boston, MA, October 2013.
APS March Meeting on Condensed Matter Physics, Baltimore, MD, March 2013.
COMSOL Conference on Multiphysics Simulation, Boston, MA, October 2012.
APS March Meeting on Condensed Matter Physics, Boston, MA, February 2012.
ASME-ATI-UIT Conference on Thermal and Environmental Issues in Energy Systems,
Sorrento, Italy, May 2010.

Professional Service
Council Member Oct 2014 - present
Massachusetts Envirothon
Work on development and alumni relations for the programs longterm wellbeing.
Transitioned the website to Wordpress for improved capabilities and ease of use.
Act as liaison between the council and activist non-profits.
Judged student community-advocacy projects at the state competition in May 2015.
Delivered talks at the UMass Envirothon Workshop in 2015 on Getting Out of Fossil
Fuels - Building a Grassroots Movement and Political Power of Individuals: Shaping
Energy Policy in MA.
Co-Founder Nov 2012 - present
Climate Justice @ Boston College
Co-founded a group of undergrad & grad students, alumni, staff, and faculty at Boston
College to urge Boston College to divest its endowment from fossil fuel companies.
Created the organization website and trained students to manage it.
Organized a successful open letter from BC students to Secretary of State John Kerry,
requesting that he address climate change in his commencement address during the 2015
graduation ceremony.
Gave a talk in 2014 for the groups Climate Silence Speaker Series on economic and
human health impacts of climate change, titled Social Impacts of Climate Change.
Science Advocate Fall 2009 - present
Massachusetts and New York
Invited talk A Path Towards Renewable Energy Ubiquity
Nov. 2016, The Log Lunch Lecture Series, Williams College
Invited talk The Promise of Renewable Technology & Cheap Energy
Feb. 2015, Global Divestment Day, Massachusetts State House
Workshop Climate Change, The Environment, Renewable Energy, and How to Become
a Research Scientist
Dec. 2014, 6th Grade Earth Science Class, Diamond Middle School, Lexington, MA
May 2014, 9th Grade Biology Class, Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY
 May 2015, Science Classes, Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY
May 2016, Science Classes, Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY
Physics Department Representative Fall 2014 - Spring 2015
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Student Government, Boston College
Elected to represent physics graduate students in the GSAS student government.
Distributed information to the physics student body on issues pertaining to student life,
such as social events and changes to the health insurance policy.
Graduate Fellowship Information Session Fall 2013 - Spring 2015
Physics Department, Boston College
Organized twice annual information sessions on applying to US fellowship programs
and graduate school for undergraduate and graduate students in science, covering
information provided on my website: nathannesbitt.wordpress.com.
President Fall 2009 - Spring 2011
Treasurer Fall 2008 - Spring 2009
Society of Physics Students, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Organized weekly meetings for students to experience physics in a hands-on manner.
Organized department outings to build relationships between students and faculty.
State Campaign Coordinator Fall 2010 - Spring 2011
Worcester Regional Coordinator Spring 2010
WPI Coordinator Fall 2009
The Leadership Campaign, Students for a Just and Stable Future
Founded a chapter of Students for a Just and Stable Future (SJSF) at Worcester Polytechnic
Institute, working on The Leadership Campaign, which filed and lobbied for a bill mandating
100% clean electricity in MA by 2020.
Organized a regional network of college campuses in Worcester.
Coordinated a regional team of students to network with local community organizations,
communicate with media, advise campus leaders, and host a rally, march, and sleep-out in
Worcester for students from across Massachusetts.
Community Advisor Fall 2009
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Orientation leader for a floor of about 20 freshmen.
Organized regular social events to build community amongst the dormitory floor.
Volunteer Fall 2007
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, WPI
Assisted with the design and construction of two million-volt Tesla coils for an evening
event of fun electricity and magnetism demonstrations.
Professional Experience
Intern Summer 2010
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1 Energy and Climate Unit
Promoted the energy star program and its energy tracking tools to data centers and food
manufacturers in New England.
Organized a round-table between National Grid, EPA, and twenty data center facility
managers about the Energy Star program and energy efficiency best practices.
Intern Spring 2009
Global Project Program, WPI
Travelled to New Zealand to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a WPI project center
in the capital, Wellington. Assessed potential project sponsors, accommodations, cost, and
student interest. The center was officially opened in 2012.
Awards
Graduate:
NanoWorcester / AVS - New England Poster Prize 2015
Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Award 2012
Undergraduate:
WPI Presidential Scholar 1st Place WPI Sustainability Poster
WPI Charles O. Thompson Scholar Competition
Bonnie & David Heebner Scholarship Provosts Major Qualifying Project Award
WPI Salisbury Prize Award Graduated with Honors
Grants
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (2013-2016: $132,000)
NSF Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) Grant (2015-2016: $13,000)
Travel and Registration Grant for the International School for Materials for Energy and
Sustainability at Colorado School of Mines (2015: $1,100)
American Physical Society (APS) Group on Energy Research and Applications Workshop
Travel Grant (2015: $500)
APS Group on Energy Research and Applications Workshop Travel Grant (2014: $300)
Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research (2010-2011: $500)
EPA Greater Research Opportunities Fellowship (2009-2011: $48,900)
Technical Skills
Photolithography & ebeam-lithography. Microscopy with AFM, SEM, TEM.
Thin-film physical vapor deposition. Machining.
Electrochemical deposition and Programming/Modeling in Julia,
characterization. COMSOL, Matlab, Latex.
Electrical circuit design.
Patent Applications
Aluminum nanowire arrays and methods of preparation and use thereof.
Provisional application filed March 2015. Converted to utility application March 2016.
Application Number: 62127533
Teaching and Mentoring Experience
Teaching Assistant
Contemporary Electronics Lab Spring 2017
Physics Department, Boston College
Taught lab and held office hours for one class of about 5 students.
Introductory Physics Recitation: Mechanics Fall 2016
Physics Department, Boston College
Taught recitation, wrote and graded weekly quizzes, graded homework and exams, and
held weekly office hours for three sections of about 25 students.
Contemporary Electronics Lab Fall 2013
Physics Department, Boston College
Taught lab and held office hours for one class of about 25 students.
Introductory Physics Lab: Electricity and Magnetism Spring 2012
Physics Department, Boston College
Taught lab, graded lab reports, and held office hours for two sections of about 15
students.
Introductory Physics Lab: Mechanics Fall 2011
Physics Department, Boston College
Taught lab, graded lab reports, and held office hours for two sections of about 15
students.
Teacher
Electronics Summer 2009
College Academy Youth Summer Camp, Maynard, MA
Taught device physics and circuit design to three classes of 15 students, ages 10-16.
Peer Learning Assistant
Ordinary Differential Equations Fall 2008 - Spring 2009
Mathematical Sciences Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Taught recitations and graded homework for two sections of about 20 students.