Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, University of Kentucky, 2023
  • B.S., Material Science and Engineering, Purdue University, 2019
Professional Affiliations
  • The Minerals, Metals, & Materials Society (TMS)
  • Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST)

Dr. Stubbers specializes in investigation of complex relationships between processing, microstructure, and properties and their effect on material performance, safety, and reliability. She applies her expertise in high-temperature metallurgy, advanced materials characterization, and mechanics of materials to determine root causes of material degradation, damage, and failure across service environments involving elevated temperatures, complex thermal histories, mechanical loading, and microstructural transformation.

Her technical expertise includes microstructure development and deformation in metals and ceramics. She has extensive hands-on experience with Gleeble thermal mechanical simulation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Additionally, she has used focused ion beams (FIB/PFIB) for sample preparation and analyzed material structures with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). She has experience designing and optimizing parts for additive manufacturing platforms, including laser powder bed fusion and electron beam systems. Her work frequently involves evaluating microstructural evolution during processing and service, identifying features associated with embrittlement, cracking, and performance limitations, and correlating microstructural observations with mechanical behavior.

Drawing on experience spanning academic research, national laboratories, and applied engineering environments, Dr. Stubbers provides technical analysis in several industries, including energy, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. Her work supports efforts to improve materials development, process optimization, and lifetime material performance.

In her graduate research, Dr. Stubbers investigated hot cracking in HSLA steels during continuous casting, identifying contributing metallurgical and processing factors affecting crack formation and propagation. More recently, she has contributed to the evaluation of catalyst materials for satellite propulsion systems and the characterization of ultra-high-temperature ceramics for aerospace and defense applications. She also completed research internships at Los Alamos National Laboratory and NASA Glenn Research Center, where she supported materials characterization and performance evaluations of NiTi shape memory alloys and U — Nb alloys.