The Change of Heat
Ali Mustafa is an undergraduate student in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering. He already had a chemical engineering degree from the Technological University in Iraq when he applied for admission to obtain a second degree at Boise State University.
Ali was well prepared for a lucrative engineering career after obtaining his first bachelor of science degree in Iraq. He had done everything right, from maintaining good grades to getting work experience in the field. He thrived as a civilian contractor for the U.S. Air Force in Iraq for about six years. A relocation from Iraq to the United States revealed a hurdle Ali hadn’t anticipated. After moving, Ali discovered that most U.S. employers were reluctant to accept his degree from the Technological University in Iraq. This left the only option of non-engineering employment, which did not appeal to Ali. He always envisioned being an engineer so he started seeking an alternative method for reaching his goal. Ali realized that, in order to be an engineer in the U.S., he needed a degree that would be recognized by U.S. employers. Go back to school for another degree? The prospect would motivate many people to choose a different path, but Ali was not giving up on his dream.
Returning to school for a second degree meant Ali needed to choose the best major to supplement his already strong engineering background. He considered several engineering fields but was introduced to materials science and engineering through some of his first-year coursework. He also met with Dr. Amy Moll, a professor in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering who encouraged him to explore further.
To gain hands-on experience, Ali applied for an undergraduate research assistant position in the Magnetic Materials Research Group led by Boise State Distinguished Professor Peter Mullner. Ali collaborates with team members to grow and cast single crystals of magnetic shape memory alloys. “The hypothesis of our current research is that by increasing the thermal gradient to 200 K/mm through casting molten Ni-Mn-Ga into a heated crucible and onto a cooled seed crystal, the resulting single crystals will exhibit consistent homogeneity and repeatable functional properties. New materials like this could create less complex and more robust devices such as actuators, pumps, and linear positioning devices. The research team plans to present their work at the upcoming Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research.
Ali is making the most of his second degree experience. “Boise State is not only where I get my education, it is my second home,” Says Ali. “Being a returning student provides some challenges but being far away from my family and friends in Iraq is one of the most challenging things I have ever experienced. I’ve made new friends and am gaining some great life experiences. My research teammates have become members of my extended family. Together we celebrate personal events and make scientific achievements. My goals are to find a job in the field of material science and to never stop learning.”
Sometimes, even with planning, life can take you in a different direction. Ali proves that, with perseverance and creative problem solving, goals can be achieved. “There is no easy way to get an engineering degree,” Ali says. “Keep fighting for your goals and find a way to love what you are studying.”
Ali recently expanded on how science collided with his life at a Story Collider event in Boise Idaho. Listen to his inspirational story to learn more.
The Change of Heat
I used to work with the US Air Force in Iraq as a “Civilian contractor,” back from 2006 to 2012, I did some data analyzing and coordinating logistic support, my office was in an underground bunker, as I spent the most of my time facing my laptop, reading emails, and trying to fix a lot of screw-ups. One day I was running upstairs, holding my super-hot, microwaved lunch, so excited and determined not to waste any second of my precious lunch time. My time with a middle eastern Sun, the sun that would make you 100% sure that the global warming is not a hoax.
I didn’t care about how warm or dusty the weather was. It is my new trend of having lunch outside of my office or to be more accurate my underground bunker.
Despite the heat that was kicking out any sense of cold that I might store from my cold office, I enjoyed every freaking minute. Watching those soldiers struggling with their gears and their heavy armor, counting how many Blackhawks landed or taking off, while I was briefing two newcomers about their first mission in the red zone.
Suddenly the Sirens went off, it was so laud and disturbing.
– Incoming “someone shouted”
I tried to say, “who is coming??”, but I just put a really big bite of hot chicken tikka in my mouth, and I was trying to cool it down by opening my mouth widely to let it cool out.
– “How ith caamon??” – well that’s who I heard it!
– Mortars you moron, run run run!! “one of the soldiers shouted in my face”
I didn’t have time to think, I just ran towards no-where, because I couldn’t hear the mortars, but surely, I felt their buff in my chest, a lot of them, I didn’t know where to go or where to hide until I saw one of the birds not far away from me, I throw my self underneath it, crawled to the middle, making it as a shelter, I hugged my legs, like a baby, trying to shrink my neck to squeeze my head under the body armor.
I didn’t know the bird had a direct hit and it was already on fire. The heat was rapidly rising, melting every inch of the plastic and start to melt the metal.
I heard the metal cracking and deforming because of the heat, I turned my face to the ground and start digging the dirt using my fingertips, trying to make a hole to bury my head in it.
But I wasn’t fast enough to beat the heat rate, I unbuckled my body armor and hold it up trying to cover my head and using it as a heat shield, to protect myself from the melting metal that started dripping in small drops of red lava inches away from my head, while A painful thunder stroke my hand while I’m holding the armor, as one of the small drops hit my hand, I felt like I had been struck by a lightning.
I’ve been trained to control the pain mentally, and never show any emotions, so, I tried to escape the moment, by thinking about my lunch, and how the bugs and flies might ruin it for me, then everything starts to look blurry, I stopped feeling the pain in my hand.
I don’t remember when the medics, pulled me out from underneath that heap of melting hell.
But I remember very well when I opened my eyes and tried to answer the medic’s silly questions, I looked up to see my sun, but it was so dark! my sun was hidden by this thick smoke that was coming out from burning helicopter. I really didn’t feel happy when the medics pulled me out. I felt my life is going down the hill, I wasn’t sure if they pulled me or I’m still there. I couldn’t see my sun because of that Dark smoke for two years, I tried to quit my job and become a civilian again.
That’s why I moved to the US, trying to save myself from Baghdad’s dark smoke, to start a new life, where there are no sirens or “incomings”.
I thought I’ll be able to start a new life in Boise, but falling into low pay jobs and not recognizing my degree, made the dark smock even thicker, my everyday life was starting by fighting to pull myself out of my bed to go to my job that I hated, for 12 hrs. for 3 days and simply go back to bed after that, no weekends no fun. and study during the other 4 days.
But beep down I was so determined that I can make the future, keep fighting, it was so hard to wake up in the morning, but it was a war, and I had to win it. I had to find the power to flip my life again, for God sake I survived a mini holocaust with only a small scar on my hand.
I decided to do 2nd degree in engineering at Boise state, and during my 2nd semester at BSU I applied for a research assistant job, and while I was studying for my midterms at the library, I received an email from my PI, telling me that I’m accepted for the research assistant job. I ran outside the library and walked all the way across the street and started laughing and jumping like a kid, I was so happy.
My PI assigned me a new project of casting single crystals, where I have to melt metals alloys at 1200 C. The first time I did the experiment, while the material started to turn into a very bright yellow color thick liquid dripping into casting mold,
A flash back hit my brain when I saw the helicopter’s melted metal dripping inches away from my head, and suddenly the scar on my hand start to hurt me. I Panicked! And I shutoff the furnace immediately.
I forced myself to do more experiments, trying to prove myself, and to build my future. During the second and third trail, I literally start the furnace and jumped 20 feet away from it. the results were not good at all.
I kept stretching my limits, trying harder, asking the professors stupid questions to understand more the thermal ingredient of my material. Flipping every stone seeking answers. Two months later Bebik, “my research teammate” and I were doing XRD on latest ingot that we got from the experiment. And boom it’s a single crystal!! My eyes freeze at the XRD screen, YEEEEES I shouted, “Dude we got it” it was a great moment, full of happiness, and even tears.
I went back to eat my lunch outside my lab near the water fountain at the engineering building, and the dark smock is fading, and soon I’ll see my sun again.