Materials Science & Engineering
Nathaniel Melisso
I study how metals melt and re-solidify at the scale of a few hundred atoms. My work sits where semiconductor thin films, materials characterization, and machine learning meet — currently as an MS candidate at Columbia University.
About
I'm a materials engineer working on partial melting and solidification in ultra-thin metal films — the regime where a film is hot enough to melt in places but not everywhere, and where the resulting microstructure decides whether a device works. I lead the atomic force microscopy side of that effort, comparing what the films actually do against what simulation says they should.
Before Columbia I earned a BS in Materials Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, with coursework and projects spanning electrochemistry, semiconductors, metallurgy, and composites. Along the way I've built machine-learning models to predict phase behavior in high-entropy alloys, simulated fouling dynamics for industrial bioreactors, reconstructed vehicle collisions for expert-witness work, and spent a summer in a Japanese shipyard learning to weld the hulls of ultra-large container vessels.
The thread running through all of it: I like problems where you have to understand the material and the process at the same time.
Research
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Partial Melting and Solidification of Metal Thin Films
Columbia University · Advised by Dr. James S. Im
- Investigating partial melting and solidification behavior in ultra-thin metal films.
- Leading AFM characterization of film morphology, comparing physical results against simulated test groups.
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Simulation of Tangential Flow Filtration
Cal Poly SLO · Advised by Dept. Chair Dr. Mohsen Kivy
- Led a three-person research team studying industrial applications of biofiltration.
- Spent 15+ hours per week simulating bioreactor fouling dynamics and computational fluid dynamics.
- Worked closely with Meissner Filtration, an industry leader in bioreactor components and filtration.
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ML Prediction of High-Entropy Alloy Properties
AI and Materials Simulation
- Built a PyTorch model to predict phase changes in high-entropy metal alloys (HEAs).
- Gathered experimental data and simulated thermodynamics to train on HEA composition and structure.
Experience
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Materials Engineering Intern
Imabari Shipbuilding · Japan
- Completed a program in naval materials engineering focused on ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs).
- Performed drydock tasks and skill-based training in welding, plasma cutting, and machining.
- Assisted at-sea testing of speed calibration, anchor operation, startup procedures, and other key metrics.
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Engineering Intern
DeltaV Biomechanics
- Assisted in mathematical modelling of biomechanical systems and collisions for expert-witness depositions.
- Led engineering projects in accident analysis, physical model prototyping, and surrogate scene recreation.
- Performed site and vehicle inspections in the field, alongside video and other technical analyses.
Education
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MS, Materials Science and Engineering
Columbia University
- Focus on semiconductor thin films and AI/ML.
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BS, Materials Engineering
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
- Focus on electrochemistry, semiconductors, metallurgy, and composite materials.
- Manufactured a lightweight vehicle chassis and aero package for Cal Poly Racing Formula SAE.
Skills & Instrumentation
Laboratory
Cleanroom experience — thin-film deposition, polishing, etching. Microscopy image analysis and material characterization. Metallurgy: case hardening, quenching, tempering.
Computational
AI/ML engineering, computational fluid dynamics, thermodynamic simulation.
Languages
English (native) · Japanese (intermediate)
Instruments
Contact
I'm completing my MS at Columbia and looking toward industry roles in semiconductor process, thin-film, and materials engineering. LinkedIn is the best way to reach me.
linkedin.com/in/nathanielmelisso
Outside the lab: restoring cars, hiking, film photography, cooking, and reading.