David received his B.S. in Physics from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is a proud first-generation college student, an alumnus of Student Support Services, and a McNair Scholar. He joined Prof. Terrones’ group as a Ph.D. student in Materials Science & Engineering in Fall 2019. David is currently working on the synthesis and characterization of ultrathin, single crystal transition metal carbides/nitrides and transition metal dichalcogenides with a particular focus on defect/phase engineering. His research also involves the use of different imaging and analytical techniques in the scanning/transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) such as electron diffraction, dark-field TEM, annular dark-field (ADF) STEM, aberration corrected ADF-STEM, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to characterize the structure and chemical composition of two-dimensional materials and ultrathin films. In his spare time, David enjoys studying music, watching sports, and playing video games.