Page 12 - 2022-2023 Impact Report

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ALUMNI
Advancing Materials Science In Denmark
Susan Cooper’s quest to analyze materials has taken her to the Danish Technological Institute, a research and technology organization with global clients. The Institute’s goal is to lower the barrier for industry to use state-of-the art technology. “It is wonderful to use the experience I gained in my PhD and postdoc to help our collaborators,” Cooper says.
Cooper earned her PhD in chemistry from the University of Oregon in 2018, the first ARCS Oregon scholar to complete a PhD
at UO. She moved to Denmark to take a postdoctoral position at the University of Copenhagen, where her research focused on determining the nanoscale structural changes of small inorganic nanocrystals.
At the Danish Technological Institute, Cooper leads the microanalysis and imaging group. The group’s latest innovation is an
invisible fluorine-free nanocoating intended to protect small objects worn on the body against moisture, saliva, and sweat.
Cooper explains the three focus areas of the microanalysis and imaging group:
“The first is characterization of materials used in research and development activities. We work to understand the microstructure of different materials. Microstructure is important, as it influences the material properties and function. One technique
we use is 3D imaging to look at the interior structure of materials without cutting up the sample."
Cooper says, “the second focus is analysis
of unknown materials, which is especially important in the production of food and pharmaceuticals where a mystery particle can halt production.”