Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Dr. Kaila Bertsch is a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory whose research focuses on understanding the relationships between microstructure and properties in metals, particularly additively manufactured (AM) metals, as well as environmental degradation. She is interested in combining characterization techniques, particularly using electron microscopy, in new ways to advance our fundamental knowledge and better control materials response in e.g. rapid solidification, alloy design, hydrogen embrittlement, and deformation mechanics. Dr. Bertsch earned her PhD in materials science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2017, continuing on to a postdoc position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison through 2019. She is passionate about diversity and mentorship in STEM fields and US academic culture.