Dr. Robert E. A. Williams is the Assistant Director for Research and Development for the Center of Electron Microscopy and Analysis (CEMAS) at The Ohio State University.  A materials science and engineering graduate from Virginia Tech, Robert completed his M.S. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University. 

As Assistant Director of Development at CEMAS, Robert works to identify, create, and cultivate opportunities and establish strategic partnerships with academic, government, and industry partners. Robert advises the Director regarding the identification of development opportunities and the cultivation of partner relationships, and oversees the development of internal and external educational resources.

Robert also oversees the aberration corrected (S)TEMs and enjoys teaching the next generation of researchers in the theory and application of electron microscopy. 

Robert's research interests/projects are diversified between inorganic and organic materials and tied together by advanced materials characterization, focused mainly around high resolution electron microscopy. Robert is an expert in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dual beam focused ion beam (DB-FIB) microscopy.  He has extensive experience with three-dimensional serial sectioning, sample preparation and in-situ mechanical testing as well as electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) imaging. 

Robert is also an expert in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and has extensive experience with advanced characterization techniques such as electron dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).  His current research interests concentrate primarily on the development and application of advanced, nano-analytical electron microscopy characterization techniques for the study of structure, chemistry, and phase transformations in metallic systems, as well as electronic structure, chemistry and bonding states in oxide-based, spintronic materials.  Robert has co-authored 40+ peer-reviewed papers and given in excess of 30 professional presentations both invited and submitted.