Tabbetha Dobbins is Associate Professor of Physics in a Louisiana State Board of Regents supported Joint Faculty Appointment Position (JFAP) between Louisiana Tech University, Institute for Micromanufacturing (IfM) (Ruston, LA) and Grambling State University (GSU), Dept. of Physics (Grambling, LA) (since July 2003).  In her present position, she teaches and performs research at both institutions on topics related to characterization of complex metal hydrides and self-assembly of ceramics for solid oxide fuel cells.  Her research program utilizes synchrotron x-ray characterization to elucidate transformation mechanisms in these systems.  As a National Research Council Post-doctoral fellow (until July 2003 at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)), her research focus was small-angle x-ray scattering and x-ray tomographic imaging of ceramic materials.  She worked on projects studying thermal barrier coatings and solid oxide fuel cells.  She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in the Division of Materials Research, Ceramics Program.  Her CAREER project is titled: “Enhancing Atomic Mobility and Desorption Kinetics in Metal Hydrides”.

 

Education

Ph.D. – Materials Science and Engineering: The Pennsylvania State University (May 2002)
M.S. – Materials Science and Engineering: The University of Pennsylvania (December 1995)
B.S. - Physics: Lincoln University - in Pennsylvania (May 1993)