Scientist Spotlight: SURA Senior Researcher Robert Lirette

As a SURA Senior Researcher in NIST’s Professional Research and Experience Program (PREP), Lirette measures the behavior of piezoelectric materials – which convert signals between mechanical pressure and electric currents – to support new advancements for things like better phones. At NIST, he is developing more accurate ways to measure these properties and expanding the scope of what can be measured.

From Music to Measurements
Lirette was initially drawn to physics by way of music. As a musician, Lirette wanted to understand how sound works, a desire that pulled him through a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and finally a doctoral degree in physics. In his PhD at the University of Mississippi, Lirette studied pure acoustics, investigating how acoustic forces – specifically ultrasonic forces – can manipulate and move fluids via “acoustic tweezers.” After finishing his PhD, Lirette continued his acoustics research at Ole Miss as a postdoc and professor. He pushed the bounds of his research beyond Earth’s gravitational pull, sending his “acoustic tweezer” experiment to the International Space Station, where moving fluids is a regular challenge thanks to microgravity.

In 2022, Lirette left the red clay of Oxford, Mississippi for the Rocky Mountain foothills of Boulder, Colorado. There, he joined the Guided Wave Electromagnetics Group at NIST, shifting his focus from measuring sound waves to electromagnetic waves – specifically microwaves.

Armed with his acoustic background, Lirette brought valuable expertise to a new direction at NIST exploring how ultrasound can be used to modulate microwaves, which presents potential new methods for spectroscopy in chemistry research. With the NIST team, Lirette has built devices to capture the nonlinear mixing of electric and acoustic waves and to measure ultrasound absorption at a low cost. In addition to advancing research techniques, Lirette’s group has partnered with industry players to measure piezoelectric constants like those in our cellphones to improve cellular technology. Through these research opportunities, Lirette has woven his expertise in acoustics into research on better and more efficient technologies.

NIST-PREP
While Lirette has worked with the electromagnetics group at NIST continuously since 2022, his titles have varied. Currently, Lirette works with NIST PREP as SURA Senior Researcher. NIST PREP connects researchers from universities with teams at NIST for a key purpose: strengthening and retaining diverse talent in the American scientific workforce, particularly “to support NIST’s mission in measurement science and standards research.” SURA supports NIST PREP as a sub awardee to George Washington University through its extensive network of universities. George Washington University, a SURA member institution, serves as the prime recipient of a cooperative agreement with NIST to support PREP and has contracted with SURA to more flexibly access scientists like Lirette for PREP appointments.

Although he only assumed the role of senior researcher with SURA earlier this year, Lirette initially came to NIST through PREP at University of Colorado Boulder. It was through a NIST PREP postdoc that he first joined the Guided Wave Electromagnetics Group in 2022. After a year, though, Lirette was awarded a National Academies’ National Research Council Research (NRC) Associateship at NIST, a competitive two-year postdoctoral program. This prestigious opportunity provided funding for Lirette to pursue his ongoing postdoctoral research into 2025. However, when his NRC contract came to an end earlier this year, Lirette had to find a way to maintain the momentum in his research group. Lirette thus re-joined NIST PREP as a senior researcher, this time through SURA and George Washington University’s partnership.

For Lirette, NIST PREP has offered a productive, effective partnership that leverages his expertise in a well-matched research group while persistently investing in his professional development. In an environment teeming with grad students, postdocs, and other senior scientists, Lirette is surrounded by ready learners and experts in his office wing. His mentor has guided him in transitions through projects and actively supports his career advancement, presenting avenues for upward growth. At the same time, Lirette invests back in trainees through research programs like NIST’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF).

Learn, Fail, Grow, Succeed
Through NIST PREP, Dr. Lirette continues his wide-ranging work improving technologies from cell phones to research tools. Working at NIST has provided an exciting “mixture of academia and industry” that Lirette loves. From open-ended projects meant to spark basic physics innovations to specific requests by industry partners, Lirette consistently develops new skills and supports the future of technological innovation.

Reflecting on his trajectory, Lirette stresses the support of mentors and colleagues in his success. He encourages trainees to find examples of success, such as previous grant recipients, and seek out their advice.

He also underscores the role of flexibility in his successes. To early-career researchers, Lirette says: “Be willing to pivot… and [be] open to learning something new, because not every job is going to have the same thing you worked on in your PhD.” Lirette’s pivots from music to pure acoustics to electric-acoustic mixing illustrate his commitment to his research interests through a flexible, open-minded approach. Moreover, Lirette notes that, along with these unexpected turns, research paths are typically riddled with failures. “Experimental physics is really all about minimizing failures, you know, and fixing things. Always fixing things.”

But he also cherishes the ebullient feeling when something works. For him, this was seeing a droplet move through acoustic force alone in his PhD. Or seeing electric and acoustic mixing the first time at NIST. Lirette jokes that these moments leave him feeling stunned: “When things just work, it’s like, wait what?”

As a SURA Senior Researcher, Lirette continues to learn, to fail, to grow, and, on the illuminating occasion, to succeed. When they come along, these successes constitute personal achievements for Lirette, excitement at the intersection of scientific curiosity and real-world applications. And for the nation, they constitute key advances in technology propelling research and innovation forward.

About SURA

Southeastern Universities Research Association is a consortium of fifty-seven member universities that fosters collaborations which enhance members’ capabilities of undertaking significant, transformative scientific research projects that no single institution can handle independently.

About NIST/PREP

SURA/GWU NIST PREP program provides laboratory experience and financial support to undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty.

Media Contact:
Anna Rader Groves
SURA Communications Specialist
Email: arader@sura.org.