Claire E. Porter, PhD in Materials Science

Dr. Claire Porter is a materials scientist specializing in thermoelectrics, defect engineering, and renewable energy technologies. She recently defended her dissertation on thermoelectric materials and received a doctoral degree in Materials Science from the Colorado School of Mines. During her PhD she focused on optimizing carrier concentrations in Hg₂GeTe₄, achieving a zT of 0.4 at 200°C. She led investigations into doping effects on electronic mobility in SnTe, using Nernst coefficient measurements to probe electron scattering mechanisms. She also designed a custom apparatus to measure the Nernst effect, contributing to a deeper understanding of thermoelectric transport. Currently, she is pursuing postdoctoral research opportunities to continue her research efforts in renewable energy materials. Her work integrates advanced measurement techniques with data-driven approaches to accelerate the development of sustainable energy materials. When she’s not in the lab, Claire enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, backpacking, and anything that gets her outside.