Hala Farghaly
Houston,United States
Summary
Materials engineer with 5+ years of academic in electroactive polymers, dielectric materials, and soft robotics. Skilled in advanced characterization techniques (SAXS, EIS, DLS, SEM) with demonstrated success in developing dielectric polymers for energy storage and flexible dielectrophoretic actuators (patent in progress). Proven record of leadership in interdisciplinary teams, award-winning presentations, and international research collaborations.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Houston
Houston, TX
01.2023 - Current
- Lead soft robotics research team in Materials selection, design and fabrication of actuators.
- Conduct advanced characterization: dielectric spectroscopy (EIS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), SAXS, and SEM.
- Investigate polymer-grafted nanoparticles to enhance dielectric performance.
Summer school
Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering (NIST)
Washington, District of Columbia
07.2023 - 07.2023
- Awarded Best Presentation Award.
- Completed intensive training on neutron scattering methods and applications.
Materials engineer- R&D
Frey and Winkler
Karlsruhe-Germany
02.2022 - 03.2022
- Led project aimed at finding viable substitutes for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in eyeglass pad applications.
- Identified transparent, eco-friendly materials similar to PVC.
- Assessed compatibility of selected materials with existing manufacturing processes.
Research assistant
Fraunhofer- Institute of Production Technology
Aachen, Germany
09.2018 - 06.2019
- Conducted ring-on-ring bending assessments and stress relaxation evaluations on chalcogenide glass.
- Assisted in design of experimental methods for glass mechanics studies.
Internship Student
Grillo Zinc oxide GmbH
Goslar, Germany
04.2018 - 06.2018
- Performed quality control and trace element analysis of zinc oxide powders.
- Measured hardness and particle properties to support industrial applications.
Education
PhD - Materials engineering
University of Houston
04-2026
Masters of Materials Science and Engineering -
Technical University of Clausthal- TUC
03.2020
Bachelor of Science - Materials Engineering
Technical University of Clausthal- TUC
10.2017
Bachelor of Science - Materials Engineering
Ain Shams University
10.2017
Skills
- Small-angle Scattering (SAXS)
- Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
- Dynamic light scattering (DLS)
- Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
- Origin
Affiliations
Student ambassador, American Physical Society (APS)
USA
Jan 2024 - Jul 2024
- Represented American Physical Society at educational events and outreach programs.
- Engaged with students to promote physics education and resources provided by APS
Accomplishments
- Outstanding Presentation Award — Texas Section APS (TSAPS), 2025
- Best Presentation Award — NIST Neutron Scattering Summer School, 2023
- Patent (in progress) — Flexible Dielectrophoretic Actuators driven by out-of-plane electrodes
Languages
Arabic
Native/ Bilingual
English
Full Professional
German
Limited
Personal Information
Timeline
Summer school
Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering (NIST)
07.2023 - 07.2023
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Houston
01.2023 - Current
Materials engineer- R&D
Frey and Winkler
02.2022 - 03.2022
Research assistant
Fraunhofer- Institute of Production Technology
09.2018 - 06.2019
Internship Student
Grillo Zinc oxide GmbH
04.2018 - 06.2018
PhD - Materials engineering
University of Houston
Masters of Materials Science and Engineering -
Technical University of Clausthal- TUC
Bachelor of Science - Materials Engineering
Technical University of Clausthal- TUC
Bachelor of Science - Materials Engineering
Ain Shams University