University of Tennessee
Computational Materials Research Group


EURēCA Awards Ceremony
Knoxville, TN, May 2, 2022



EURēCA is the Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement, an annual poster event and competition at the University of Tennessee.


Two posters associated with the Keffer research group received awards. Michael Broud (left), a sophomore in the UTK Materials Science & Engineering department, won an Award of Merit for his poster titled, "Investigation of Preferential CO2 Binding and Lignin-derived Carbon Quantum Dots Through Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Two members of a team of four MSE juniors, Matthew Valderrama and Max Camp (right) were present at the awards ceremony for their team's poster, titled, "Restoration of Musical Organs: Analysis of Rubber Cloth and Other Historical Materials". More information on the organ poster is provided below.


First place in the Tickle College of Engineering Research category went to a team of four MSE juniors, including Matthew Valderrama, Max Camp, Charlotte Buchanan and Chris Webb, who investigated the materials science behind the restoration of a 1907 musical organ.


The team created a six-minute video documentary of their organ restoration experience.

Subsequent recognition for this project:

More photos on the Keffer research group site.