The Advanced Photon Source
a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility

Marvin Cummings joins the team as postdoctoral researcher


Marvin Cummings at GettyMarvin L. Cummings Jr. joined the X-ray Science Division (XSD) at Argonne National Laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher in November 2012.After earning a Ph.D. from Rice University in December 2010, Marvin received a 1-year appointment at the Getty Conservation Institute as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow, where he studied the production technology of Attic red-figure and black-figure pottery produced during the 6th to 4th centuries B. C.As a member of the Microscopy group, Marvin will conduct advanced-research, related to the development of the synchrotron x-ray scanning tunneling microscope (SXSTM).Development of the SXSTM microscope may one day allow surface scientist to identify the chemical species and location of atoms at the surface with atomic-resolution.Marvin’s other research interests include molecule-molecule interactions at metallic surfaces, surface catalysis, and spin-polarized surface phenomena. In addition to his work on SXSTM, he will conduct x-ray fluorescence studies using the microscopes operated by the Microscopy group.