The S&T Advanced Materials Characterization Core Facility (AMCC) is a centralized resource hub, offering broad access to state-of-the-art instrumentation and support for cutting-edge materials research and development at Missouri S&T, as well as for partner institutions and industries. In addition to providing cutting-edge equipment, AMCC brings together a team of research specialists committed to helping researchers maximize the capabilities of the advanced materials characterization tools available at S&T.
The core facility integrates more than $15 million worth of cutting-edge instrumentation previously housed in the Advanced Materials Characterization Laboratory, along with additional instruments from various S&T research centers. This aims to streamline access for both internal and external users seeking specific instruments for their research.
Instrumentation and Expertise
AMCC’s areas of instrumentation and expertise are continuously expanding and include:
- Scanning and transmission electron microscopy
- Electron Probe Microanalysis
- X-ray powder and thin-film diffraction
- 3D X-ray micro-computed tomography
- X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with integrated Raman
- X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy
- Atomic force microscopy
- Nanoindentation
- Glow discharge depth profilometry
- Thermogravimetry and spectrometry
Meet the Team

Dr. Monday U. Okoronkwo
Interim Director of AMCC & Associate Professor,
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
573-341-4349 | okoronkwom@mst.edu
210F Bertemeyer Hall/ 136 SJH Hall
Research group webpage: SusMatLab

Dr. Eric Bohannan
Director of Lab Operations
XRD/TGA Specialist
(573) 341-4534 | bohannan@mst.edu
G-6 Straumanis-James Hall

Patty Smith
Administrative Associate
AMCC and MRC
573-341-6265 | psmith@mst.edu
105 Straumanis-James Hall

Vacant Position
Senior Research Specialist
Electron Microscopy
573-341-—- | —-@mst.edu
B20A McNutt Hall

Dr. Ahmed Darwish
Senior Research Specialist
TEM and Microprobe
573-341-6467 | adarwish@mst.edu
B20A McNutt Hall


James Claypool
Senior Research Specialist
X-ray Micro CT, Profilometry, Nanoindentation, AFM, GD-OES
(573) 341-4358 | jbcgyf@mst.edu
225 Straumanis-James Hall

Brian Porter
Senior Electronics Technician
XPS and XRF
573-341-4395 | porterbj@mst.edu
G-4 Straumanis-James Hall

Fred Eickelmann
Research Engineering Tech II
Materials Research Center
(573) 341-4356 | eickelmann@mst.edu
G5 Straumanis-James Hall

Judy ‘Sissy’ Cox
Office Support Assistant III
AMCC and MRC
573-341-4352 | edgarj@mst.edu
101 Straumanis-James Hall
Advisory Board Members

Dr. Aditya Kumar
Associate Professor & Interim Director of MRC Materials Science and Engineering
573-341-6994 | kumarad@mst.edu
B49 McNutt Hall

Dr. Bill Fahrenholtz
Curators’ Distinguished Professor
Materials Science and Engineering
573-341-6343 | billf@mst.edu
130 Straumanis-James Hall

Dr. Hongyan Ma
Kummer Impact Professor, Francisco Benavides Scholar, Associate Professor, Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
(573) 341-6250 | mahon@mst.edu
323 Butler-Carlton Hall

Dr. Fatih Dogan
Professor & Director of CREE
Materials Science and Engineering
(573) 341-7130 | doganf@mst.edu
202 Engineering Research Lab

Dr. Haiming Wen
Associate Professor, & Associate Chair for Research
Materials Science and Engineering
(573) 341-6167 | wenha@mst.edu
B45 McNutt Hall

Dr. Manashi Nath
Professor, & Chair of Graduate Affairs Committee
Department of Chemistry
(573)341-7160 | nathm@mst.edu
331 Schrenk Hall

Dr. Daoru (Frank) Han
Associate Professor, and Faculty Fellow, OVCRI
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
(573) 341-4337 | handao@mst.edu
115 Rolla Building

Dr. Lana Alagha
Robert H. Quenon Associate Professor & Associate Chair for Research
Mining and Explosive Engineering
573-341-6287 | alaghal@mst.edu
228 McNutt Hall
Funding Source
The AMC Core Facility operation is enabled by Missouri S&T strategic funding. However, the AMCC Instruments were mostly purchased through major research instrumentation funds received from state and federal agencies, including NSF and DOE.