About Me
A lifelong learner with a passion for solving problems using computers!
Hi! My name is Will Pisani. In my day job, I use supercomputers to design next-generation materials for force protection. In some of my spare time, I make music with computers. My go-to programming languages are Python and Julia, but I am also skilled in BASH and R. I have some experience with SQL, C++, FORTRAN, and MATLAB.
Experience
NEW! Research Chemist, Federal Employee, GS-12
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ERDC Environmental Laboratory
April 2024 - Current
- Secured $1.8 million over three years in internal basic research funding for two materials discovery projects
- Leading two AI-driven novel materials discovery projects over FY25-27 as co-PI
- Applied to, and was accepted into, a highly-competitive internal leadership development program for FY26
- Developed an automated approach for LAMMPS simulations of polymer composites on HPC systems
- Developed and submitted, as PI, a third-round proposal for $0.91 million in internal basic research funding focused on rainbow polymers capable of self-reporting structural health through spectral changes
- Led computational mechanics modeling, via molecular dynamics simulations, of PLA, PEEK, PA6, PETG nanocomposites, multilayered polymer composites, polyurethane aerogels, gallium-indium liquid metals, and lignocellulosic nanocomposites
- Published two papers (1, 2) on energy dissipation in polymers, three others in-progress on other topics
- Received a FY24 performance rating of "Level 5 Outstanding"
- Mentored three colleagues in the use of LAMMPS for materials modeling for defense applications
- Communicated research findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders in regular internal meetings and the academic public at national conferences
- Accelerated team research activities through the development of internal Julia, BASH, and Python code
ORISE Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Chemistry
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ERDC Environmental Laboratory
Nov. 2019 - April 2024
- Published five first-author papers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and co-authored five published papers with ERDC and Michigan Tech collaborators (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) that have been cited 96 times and read 9,100 times
- Wrote a Python package for 60% faster analysis of molecular dynamics stress-strain data
- Achieved a 60% faster workflow by writing internal tools in Python and Julia
- Accelerated analysis of simulation data by a factor of 1000 by developing an automated R code
- Collaborated with a small team on an internal GitLab-hosted Python module for computational chemistry
- Created a semi-automated protocol that uses Julia and Python to create new polymer molecules and pre- and post-reaction fix bond/react templates faster and easier
- Extended a Python class for reading and manipulating molecular topologies with new functionality including reading and writing compressed files
- Spearheaded the setup of several scientific codes for use by our research team on a new Navy supercomputer
- Secured a military workstation to the compliance spec required for connection to the ERDC network
- Worked on several different material systems: polymer aerogels; soil oxide - amino acid complexes; polymer composites with a variety of fillers including carbon nanotubes, graphene, glass beads, iron nanoparticles; nanolayers of hard/soft polymers
Research Assistant - Computational Materials Science
Michigan Technological University
Jan. 2015 - Oct. 2019
- Wrote thousands of lines of Python and R code to analyze gigabytes of data generated by atomic simulations run via high-performance computing clusters
- Mentored by Dr. Gregory M. Odegard, John O. Hallquist Endowed Chair in Computational Mechanics
- Published two first-author papers (1, 2) and one book (1)
- Co-wrote five papers cited 94 times
- Compiled scientific computing software regularly for use on Linux systems
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Michigan Technological University
Sept. 2018 - May 2019
- Delivered $85,000 of quality instruction to 90 students
- Teaching evaluations were in the 90th percentile resulting in two Outstanding Teaching Awards
Plant Design Intern
Michigan Technological University
May 2014 - Aug. 2014
- Redesigned a case study for the senior plant design course using the UniSim software
- Mentored by Dr. Tony N. Rogers, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering
Assistant Pool Director, Lifeguard, Water Safety Instructor, Checker
Charles E. Fairman Community Pool, Big Rapids, MI
Summer 2009 - 2012, 2014
- Instructed child, adult, and handicap swim lessons
- Trained new staff and supervised lifeguards/staff
- Was certified as a Lifeguard Instructor/First Aid/CPR/AED
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