Ginter named Goldwater Scholar

Ginter found himself drawn to the worlds of physics and computer science in high school when he studied quantum algorithms as part of a small research project at a local university.

“My high school had a large selection of advanced math and science courses that helped build my interest in science and math,” he said. “I was able to take courses that earned me college credit, which accelerated both of my undergraduate degrees.”

For the last three years, Ginter has worked with his mentor Subhasish Mandal, assistant professor in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Department of Physics and Astronomy, exploring how advanced computational methods can accelerate the discovery of new materials with desirable properties.

“An exciting recent trend in materials science is to build custom machine learning systems that augment the process of seeking new materials that fit a set of criteria,” he said. “Running the calculations that can tell us how a material will behave is expensive, so we can employ specialty AI to make reasonable guesses first, then verify them with full calculations.”

Ginter used his skills to build a machine learning-based approach that predicts solar efficiency directly from a material’s crystal structure, reducing analysis time from weeks to seconds. His first authored paper describing the work was submitted to Physical Review Materials and is available in preprint.

“I’m excited to be working at this frontier because we can use the technology to design materials very deliberately, something that has been mostly inaccessible until recently,” he said.

Ginter said his work has shaped how he sees the physical world, particularly the connection between microscopic structures and visible forms.

“When you look at a gem with some interesting geometric shape, you are actually indirectly observing the pattern of atoms within the crystal,” he said. “The large shapes you see are a direct result of the unique patterns in that specific material.”

He also said his work represents a shift toward more deliberate and efficient material design.

“The world is dominated by quantum computers, medical devices, etc., and understanding it better is the key to a new generation of exciting technology,” he said.

Ginter said he plans to pursue a doctorate in physics and, eventually, guide the next generation of physicists as a university professor with research focused on condensed matter physics.