My Life and Goals from a Materials Perspective

Milton JonesMassachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Business

Application for Admission9/17/2013

Upbringing: Living with no Electricity

Soft Glass Light Bulb

Tungsten Filament

Aluminum Screw Based

My grandmother helped raise me in the low income Anacostia neighborhood in Washington, D.C. My grandmother helped her extended family migrate from South Carolina to D.C. for better opportunities. As her family grew in size, electricity consumption grew. To save electricity costs, my grandmother eliminated the electrical lighting and resorted to using candles to light her home. I saw firsthand how the lack of affordable electricity inhibits economic growth. Therefore, my experience living in a candle-lit home has inspired me to dedicate my work to improving affordable energy for all communities through innovative materials and business models

My First Love: Materials – Michigan NASA Sharp Plus Program 2001

Ref:http://web.eecs.umich.edu/~rhaque/papers/An%20integrated%20microfluidic%20device%20for%20influenza%20and%20other%20genetic%20analyses.pdf

Integrated Microfluidic Device developed at University of Michigan Materials Components: Silicon and Glass Substrate, Chromium and Gold coatings on Glass; Titanium and Platinum coatings on Silicon; Hydroflouric Acid Etched Channels and Chambers

I first fell in love with materials science as a high school junior when I conducted summer research at the University of Michigan as part of the NASA Sharp Plus Program. At Michigan, I worked in the mechanical engineering department and helped develop a microfluidic device that performs DNA operations at the micro-scale onto a single chip. This chip allows researchers to conduct time-efficient DNA research at a low cost. It is through this experience that I recognized how critical novel materials are in developing ground-breaking innovations.

Materials Science Innovations – Columbia University 2003

In plane rotation of crystal lattice of Cu single crystal under wedge indentation

Ref:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022509606001657

During the summer of 2003, I conducted mechanical engineering research at Columbia University, studying the effects that wedge indentations had on the rotation of a single crystal lattice. I gained a further appreciation for the unique mechanical properties of metals

Materials Science Innovations – GE Healthcare 2006

Ref: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7084404.html

General Electric (GE) Healthcare Patent for Computed Tomography (CT) Detector (cross section); 86 – reflector and adhesion layer composed of epoxy that allows x-rays to pass through and reflect light that is collected in order to generate medical images.

In the summer 2006, I experienced my first job in industry, working as an engineer for GE Healthcare’s CT division. At GE, I constructed carbon based pigment epoxies in order to improve the light transmission properties of the reflector layer and enhance image quality during CT scanning. This experience inspired me to utilize my materials science expertise to impact industrial organizations

Materials Science Innovations – UW-Madison 2007

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11661-011-0905-7

Aluminum Based Nancomposite (Matrix: Al7Si0.3Mg0.5Cu; filler: Al2O3 nanoparticles); SEM image showing CuAl interfaces

I went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007 in order to pursue my masters in materials science. My graduate research involved developing lightweight, high strength metal based nanocomposites through ultrasonics and studying alloy interfaces in order to understand property enhancements. Through imaging and data analysis, I proved that the modification of the shape of the CuAl phase is a root cause for the nanocomposite’s improved strength and ductility. This research strengthened my knowledge of materials principles and analysis

Leadership and Materials Science– Toughstripe Quality 2013

Brady Corporation’s most successful new product: Toughstripe Floor Marking Tape Materials Construction: Polyester Overlaminate, UV curable tape coloring ink, Polyester Substrate, Rubber Adhesive

As an engineer at Brady Corporation, I led a cross functional project team (R&D, operations, marketing, sales) in order to enhance the manufacturing quality of Toughstripe tape through lab research, manufacturing trials, customer visits, costs analysis and internal stakeholder report-outs. Through these actions, the team was able to drive revenue growth of the Toughstripe product line, valued at $4.2 M in annual sales. This project gave me valuable project leadership experience and helped me recognize the importance of influencing others and building relationships in order to drive change in an organization

My Second Love: Sustainability – My Mother’s Garden

Petals

Sepals

Stem

After the age of 5, my mother solely raised my brother and I in a small home in Fairmount Heights, MD. My mother took great pride in her rose garden planted in her front yard. She worked tirelessly to make sure that the rose garden was beautiful and well-taken care of. However, because of the raised pollution in the atmosphere, my mother struggled to maintain the garden’s beauty in the harmful environment. Witnessing my mother’s pain in keeping the roses upright and blooming within a polluted atmosphere sparked my interest in sustainability. I am driven to utilize my talents and skills in order to serve the natural world

Sustainability Impacts – Brady Sustainable Customers Council 2013

Reform sorbents – spill cleaning products made from all natural cellulose and recycled newspaper; performance: 50% more absorbency than polypropylene sorbents

My interest in deliver environmentally friendly solutions drove me to lead Brady Corporation’s Sustainable Customers Council, a cross-department team that defined metrics and piloted designs in order to integrate environmental principles and considerations within the new product development process. The council successfully launched eco-friendly materials innovations, such as reform sorbents (shown) and bio-plastic labels, that met customers needs while reducing Brady’s carbon footprint.

My Goal: Affordable Clean Energy for All

Nanocoatings to improve light absorbency efficiency

Wind turbine sensors to enhance wind intelligence and efficiency

My goals are to combine my materials expertise and manufacturing leadership experience with business principles gained through a MBA in order to solve the greatest challenge of the 21st century: delivering large-scale affordable clean energy for all communities. Generating innovative materials technologies and new business models will accelerate the clean energy industry and drive energy solutions that can “power the world”