Madelyn Payne is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at the University of California, Berkeley. Originally from Southern California, she earned a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at MIT in 2019, where she conducted research on shape-memory materials. Madelyn decided to pursue her doctoral degree on structural alloys at UC Berkeley after working as a process automation engineer at Allegheny Technologies (ATI). Her research focuses on using electron microscopy to understand how multi-principal element alloys deform. She conducts nanomechanical tests inside advanced electron microscopes. Overall, her research helps engineers understand how various mechanisms work together to produce mechanical properties such as fracture toughness, sustained ductility, and tensile strength. Understanding these properties ensures safety and efficiency of structural components in applications such as jet turbines.
While at Berkeley, Madelyn’s work has been supported by the College of Engineering/Department of Materials Science and Engineering Fellowship and National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship. She keeps connected with the greater graduate student community through her roles as the MSE Graduate Assembly delegate and department lead for the Anti-Racist Reading Groups. Off campus, she enjoys social dancing and practicing Judo.