Kaila Bertsch
About Kaila Bertsch
Kaila Bertsch is a Staff Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, specializing in high-entropy alloys and mesoscale analysis of deformation structures. She holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has expertise in digital image correlation and electron microscopy techniques.
Work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Kaila Bertsch currently serves as a Staff Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a position she has held since 2022. Prior to this role, she worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the same institution from 2019 to 2022. Her work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory focuses on high-entropy alloys (HEAs) and the mesoscale analysis of deformation structures. This research contributes to advancements in materials science and engineering.
Education and Expertise
Kaila Bertsch earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Materials Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied from 2012 to 2017. She also holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University, graduating magna cum laude in May 2012. Her expertise includes digital image correlation (DIC), tomographic reconstructions, and advanced electron microscopy techniques such as diffraction-contrast electron tomography and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM).
Background
Kaila Bertsch began her academic journey at Texas A&M University, where she completed her undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering from 2008 to 2012. During her time at Texas A&M, she also worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory. Following her undergraduate education, she transitioned to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she served as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Ian Robertson Research Group for five years.
Achievements
In 2013, Kaila Bertsch was awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, recognizing her contributions and potential in the field of materials science. Her research interests include hydrogen embrittlement and hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity (HELP), areas that are critical for understanding material behavior under various conditions. Additionally, she gained practical experience as an Engineering Intern at Arizona Public Service (APS) for three months in 2011.