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Draft:Paul Miceli

Paul F. Miceli
Paul F. Miceli
Paul F. Miceli, University of Missouri
Alma materUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (BS 1982, MS 1983, PhD 1987)
Known forX-ray and neutron scattering studies of surfaces and thin films
AwardsWilliam T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence (2006)
Scientific career
FieldsCondensed matter physics
InstitutionsUniversity of Missouri
Bell Communications Research
ThesisHydrogen in niobium–tantalum superlattices (1987)
Doctoral advisorHartmut Zabel

Paul F. Miceli is an American physicist and academic who serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri. He is known for experimental studies of thin films, surfaces, and superconducting materials using X-ray and neutron scattering.[1] His work and facility leadership have been covered by independent outlets, including a DOE newsletter on the launch of the MUCAT beamline at the Advanced Photon Source and Argonne’s APS Science Highlights on quantum size effects in thin-film growth.[2][3]

Early life and education

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Miceli earned a B.S. in Engineering Physics in 1982, an M.S. in Physics in 1983, and a Ph.D. in Physics in 1987 from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.[4] His doctoral dissertation, Hydrogen in niobium–tantalum superlattices (1987), was supervised by Hartmut Zabel and is cataloged in the IDEALS repository.[5]

Career

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After completing his Ph.D., Miceli was a Member of Technical Staff at Bell Communications Research from 1987 to 1992, working on neutron-scattering studies of high-temperature superconductors.[6] He joined the University of Missouri faculty in 1992 and later became department chair.[7]

Miceli is associated with the Midwest Universities Collaborative Access Team at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. A U.S. Department of Energy feature reported the launch of the MUCAT undulator beamline after a decade-long collaboration among eight universities, noting the installation of a surface-science chamber by University of Missouri researchers for surface studies.[8] His department leadership role at Missouri coincides with national coverage of the university’s research reactor and isotope production efforts.[9][10]

Research

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Miceli’s group investigates surfaces, thin films, and nanoscale materials using in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering and neutron techniques. APS Science Highlights selected his team’s work on quantum size effects in nanocrystalline island growth for inclusion in its 2006 report, noting deviations from classical coarsening theory at the nanoscale.[11] He has also reported scaling behavior during epitaxial crystal growth where surface diffusion across step edges governs kinetic roughening, and used X-ray diffuse scattering to study surface morphology together with misfit dislocations at buried interfaces.[12]

In superconductivity, his team has used spin-polarized neutron reflectivity to detect magnetic vortices in parallel-field geometries, revealing surface-induced anisotropy and field-driven vortex reorientation in weak-pinning films and multilayers.[13]

Outreach

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Miceli has engaged in public science communication through MU’s Saturday Morning Science series. Independent coverage by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology featured his demonstration of temperature-dependent electrical conductivity using liquid nitrogen during a superconductivity talk.[14]

Awards and honors

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  • William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence (2006).[15]
  • Alumni Faculty Fellow Award (2014).[16]
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References

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  1. ^ "Paul F. Miceli – Faculty Profile". University of Missouri Department of Physics and Astronomy. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  2. ^ "At last — The Light Fantastic!". DOE Pulse. No. 60. U.S. Department of Energy. 24 July 2000. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  3. ^ APS Science 2006 Highlights: How Quantum Size Effects Regulate Nanocrystalline Islands (Report). Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. 2006.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "Paul Miceli". William T. Kemper Fellowships. University of Missouri. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  5. ^ Miceli, Paul Frank (1987). "Hydrogen in niobium–tantalum superlattices". IDEALS. University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. hdl:2142/25455. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Paul F. Miceli – Faculty Profile". University of Missouri Department of Physics and Astronomy. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Faculty". University of Missouri Department of Physics and Astronomy. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  8. ^ "At last — The Light Fantastic!". DOE Pulse. No. 60. U.S. Department of Energy. 24 July 2000. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  9. ^ "U of Missouri Forges Ahead With Ambitious Nuclear Project". Inside Higher Ed. 21 August 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  10. ^ "Mizzou announces contract signing for NextGen MURR project". Nuclear Newswire. American Nuclear Society. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  11. ^ APS Science 2006 Highlights: How Quantum Size Effects Regulate Nanocrystalline Islands (Report). Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. 2006.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Paul F. Miceli – Faculty Profile". University of Missouri Department of Physics and Astronomy. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Paul F. Miceli – Faculty Profile". University of Missouri Department of Physics and Astronomy. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  14. ^ Kroll, Melody (August 2012). "Saturday Morning Science shows that science is for everyone" (PDF). ASBMB Today. pp. 32–33. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  15. ^ "Paul Miceli". William T. Kemper Fellowships. University of Missouri. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  16. ^ "Physics Newsletter 2015" (PDF). Department of Physics and Astronomy. University of Missouri. Retrieved 10 November 2025.