Marceline Myers, featured ILCS liquid crystal artist, February 2023

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Marceline Myers is a current Physics Undergrad at Kent State University specializing in research physics. Her primary areas of study are computational and theoretical physics. Last summer (2022) she participated in an Optical Physics lab REU funded by the NSF at Kent State University where she worked under Dr. Marianne Prévôt and Dr. Torsten Hegmann. Their lab at the Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute is researching Chiral Luminophores for the generation of the next polarized optical devices.

She is an unconventional student (30+) returning to Academia from the workforce (Xray qualified pipe welder for 5+ years). Her biggest motivation to join Kent State University was to engage in a limitless opportunity to continue to learn and grow within a field that never ceases to amaze me. Her current goals are to pursue graduate studies, earn a PhD in Physics and work in Academia. She has two cats she adores that are budding physicists as well, and in her spare time she collects radioactive ceramic-ware/glass antiques!

Contact e-mail: bmyers50(at)kent.edu

Orcid ID: 0000-0003-1479-8837
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The image is a microphotograph taken under UV light of a Bent Core Liquid Crystal doped with a highly emissive achiral dye called Clustomesogen. The mixture is contained in a Quartz cell with 10 μm spacers and was fast cooled from an isotropic phase. To Marceline Myers' surprise, at a 100μm view through the ocular, she found not only the beautiful red phosphorescence from the Clustomesogen but a little love too!
Jury comment: Once again POM shows how liquid crystals combine science and artistic aspects, so the picture is highly colorful and attractive from an aesthetic and artistic point of view.