As a master’s student, I am currently working in the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) in the Ferroelectrics group spearheaded by Dr. John Teacher. In my research group, we are attempting to design microwave-active materials to facilitate the procurement of a low-powered miniaturized solid-state antenna. I am personally interested in what role highly polarizable ions in the prototypical Perovskite-type crystal structures can play in tunable microwave antennas. Barium Strontium Titanium Oxide (BSTO) in tandem with non-electrical oxides has recently been used in phase array antennas. The addition of non-electrical oxides, for example, magnesium oxide (MgO), has improved the tunability and adjustable electrical properties of the BSTO over wider ranges, as well as improved the impedance matching of the antenna/air interface. Empirical studies suggest that doping BSTO with MgO lowers the impedance by lowering the permittivity of the composite, in turn lowering the insertion losses over appreciable ranges of microwave frequencies. With the aid of the materials science graduate fellowship, I would like to develop this technology and apply it to the miniaturization of solid-state lowpowered antennas in my Ph.D. graduate study. In my previous work experience at the Space and Naval Warfare System Centers San Diego (SSC-SD), I worked side by side with engineers to design innovative communication devices for the Navy. In particular, requirements relating to interoperability, transmission security, and multifunctionality were approached in several ways as teams brainstormed concepts. Based on this experience, my interest in telecommunications and data transmission, coupled with my background in engineering, will provide me with the tools necessary to address tomorrow’s communications issues. Mythic University is a strong research institution with talented faculty and state-of-the-art facilities. My familiarity with Mythic University’s faculty and facilities allows me to avoid many of the pitfalls commonly associated with getting a Ph.D. My current lab and the Department of Electrical Engineering have several professors who have overlapping interests, with graduate students often using equipment in both labs freely. This is exactly the type of environment where I can easily merge the two disciplines. In the long run, I want to be as versed in electrical engineering as I am in materials science so that I can contribute to a research and manufacturing facility in the areas of communication and related fields. This desire comes with precedence: I can remember junior year attending one of my first major courses taught by my current mentor, where he suggested that a ceramist should also be versed in electrical engineering in order to be effective. The seeds planted then are now ready to bloom.