Interdisciplinary Materials Science

First year students will participate in a series of three research rotations. Each research rotation will last 10 weeks with the expectation that approximately 9 hours per week should be devoted to working with the research group. Since the semesters are almost 15 weeks in length, the second rotation would span the end of the fall and the beginning of the spring semesters. A report summarizing the research conducted during the rotation will be submitted upon completion of each 10-week rotation to the IMS director and shared with the faculty member who advised the research rotation. The report should be written as if the work were to be submitted to an appropriate conference related to the field of study.

Report Requirements

Format. The report should be 1 to 3 single-spaced pages in length (including figures and tables) formatted as: title, author list (you as first author along with any students that helped with your training and your advisors), author affiliations, date, and short abstract (~200 words). Use 11- or 12-point size in a Roman font.

Content. Typical sections include:

• Introduction --- What is the genesis of your topic and the purpose of the research? How will this research advance science and technology; what potential benefit could it have for society? What scientific question are you trying to answer? Place your work in the context of what has already been done. Include a few key literature references with a bibliography list at the end of the report.
• Methods and Theory --- Not all reports will include both methods and theory. What experimental or computational methods did you use? If you worked in two laboratories, clearly indicate what you did in each one. Describe the procedures, strengths and limitations of the techniques.
• Results and Discussion --- This section should summarize any experimental data or modeling results. Figures with captions should be described using text in this section. Contrary to typical article submissions, please provide clear attribution or delineation of work between you and your collaborators. What part of the work was performed by others in the research group?
• Conclusions, Acknowledgments and References --- The conclusions section should not be merely a restatement or summary of results. Instead, think about what claims you can make about your work that were not known before it was performed. How does your work change the way technology will be developed?

Style. Make sure the report tells a compelling story. Every good scientific article clearly explains in the introduction a scientific question to be answered in the article and places the question into context of what the community already knows. The methods or theory section then describes how the effort attempts to address the question posed in the introduction. Finally, the results and discussion provide the answer to your question with a logical development of ideas. Because every story is different, feel free to modify the structure of your report to best tell the story.

Preliminary Exam

To proceed with study for the M.S. or Ph.D. degree in the IMS program, a student must demonstrate proficiency in the fundamentals of materials science, proficiency in the corresponding fields involved in the candidate's dissertation research and demonstrate the potential for conducting high-quality original research by fulfilling the following two requirements.

1. Students must earn a grade of B or better in each of the four core courses taken. Students who fail to receive at least a B in any of the core courses will be required to repeat each course in which a B was not earned. If a student fails to receive a B (or better) in a course that is being repeated, that student will be terminated from the program. For purposes of repeating coursework, any course enrollment maintained by the student past the University-stated add/drop date for that semester will be considered an attempt. Exemptions for exceptional circumstances (e.g. unforeseen illness) will be considered by the IMS Director on a case by case basis.
2. Students must pass an exam administered by the Advisory Committee that consists of a) submission of an area paper to the Advisory Committee at least one week prior to the oral component, b) oral presentation in a program seminar format of the work contained in the paper, and c) defense of the work presented and examination. The format and extent of the area paper are at the discretion of the advisors, but the expectation is that the paper will describe original research efforts conducted so far and should be written as if the work were to be submitted for publication in a refereed journal or as a conference proceeding. The presentation should be between 15-20 minutes in length, provide an introductory slide highlighting what coursework the student has completed and timeline for completion of any core classes not taken to date. The presentation will be based on the research included in the area paper, but the examination is not limited to those fields of study or technology. Students should be prepared to address questions related to a) the core course work already completed, b) any other materials-related course work already completed, c) work conducted during research rotations, or d) research conducted in the student’s research group. The examination can encompass areas both directly and indirectly related to the paper.

The test should be administered after the student’s second academic semester and before the last day of classes of their third academic semester. Failure to sit for the exam before the end of their third semester will result in an automatic “U” for that semester. Extensions beyond the end of the third semester will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but in all cases must be completed prior to the start of the fourth semester. For students who have transferred from another graduate institution, scheduling of the exam will be established on an individual basis, but the test must be taken within 12 months of beginning studies at Vanderbilt. If a student fails any component of the exam, the Advisory Committee can grant the student a second chance at their discretion. If a second chance is granted, the second test, which will have the same format, must be retaken within 3 months. A second failure will result in termination from the Ph.D. program.

Qualifying Exam

The Qualifying Examination will be given in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School and administered by the Ph.D. committee. The exam will consist of a written dissertation proposal, an oral presentation of the proposal and defense of the proposal. The oral segment may include an examination of concepts both directly and indirectly related to the dissertation proposal. Students should complete the Qualifying Examination after 24 graduate hours and within 42 months of beginning graduate study in the IMS. The examination can be taken a maximum of two times. For students with any other prior graduate work, the timeline for Ph.D. qualifying exam can be established on an individual basis.

In the oral qualifying examination, the student should

• demonstrate competency with fundamentals in the areas that required remedial action as a result of the preliminary examination
• demonstrate in-depth knowledge of subject matter related to the dissertation project
• present a written proposal containing a reasonable research plan and some demonstration of original work in the area of the dissertation to the Ph.D. committee two weeks prior to the examination, inclusive of a proposed timeline for completion and defense of the dissertation research.

The formal request for appointment to the qualifying examination committee must be received by the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the date of the examination. Forms for this request are available in the program office.

Final Public Oral Examination

The final examination is a public oral defense of the student’s thesis presented before the Ph.D. committee and the public in accordance with the Graduate School requirements. The student must pass the oral and the dissertation must be approved by the committee. These two requirements do not have to be concurrent. The student can take the oral examination a maximum of two times. The dissertation is considered approved once it has been signed by all committee members.

In general, the final oral examination will be conducted in two parts. The first consists of a public presentation of the thesis followed by questions from the gallery. The second will be in the form of a question period attended by the Ph.D. committee and invited faculty only, which may include one faculty member external to Vanderbilt who is directly participating in the student's dissertation research. As indicated previously, any external members must be approved by the advisors and director prior to setting a date for the oral exam. While participation of faculty is preferred to take place in person, virtual attendance can be acceptable under some conditions. Approval for such conditions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the IMS director or if deemed necessary by the University leadership. It is anticipated that the five-member committee chosen for the Oral examination will be used for the final defense. If changes are made after the Oral exam, approval of all changes must be obtained from the IMS Director along with a brief statement concerning why the change(s) was (were) made.

The student shall submit, no later than two weeks before the end of the final exam period of the term in which the student expects to graduate, two approved copies of the thesis to the Graduate School office, one to the program office and one to each of the thesis advisors. Approval requires at least five signatures on the thesis title page of members of the Ph.D. committee. The candidate shall also furnish an abstract of the thesis, not to exceed 250 words in length, to the Graduate School office. Both hard and soft copies of the documents may be accepted depending on graduate school guidance and advisor preference. Signatures may be electronic.

During the first semester, all incoming students are required to attend the professional development seminar series. This is not a registered course. Students are expected to attend all professional development presentations, unless given an excused absence.

Topics include:

• The role of a graduate student
• Rotations 101
• Mindfulness & wellness
• Building self efficacy
• How to get the most out of TA-ing
• How to make a research poster
• Communication conflict
• Presentation Skillz
• What makes a successful graduate student
• Rotation reports and scientific writing
• How to read a scientific paper
• Work/Life balance

This information in this Graduate Student Handbook is intended to supplement and expand upon the regulations of the Vanderbilt Graduate School and the School of Engineering. However, specific research paths, expectations, and other requirements may be imposed by and are at the discretion of the research advisor. The acronym IMS (Interdisciplinary Materials Science) is used to identify the program and in the course catalog to identify courses specific to the program.

Huijin An

Thesis Advisor: Andrea Locke (Biomedical Engineering) & Sharon Weiss (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Research: Optical biosensors are powerful analytical instruments to measure biomolecular interactions in real-time, label free. My research is focused on synthesizing porous silicon-based sensor membranes that can be conjugated with diverse nanoparticles such as gold and functionalized by diverse molecules for sensing specific diseases, using different spectroscopic methods such as Raman spectroscopy or reflectance measurement. Ultimate goal of my research is designing an optical biosensor which can be used at the point of care. 
Undergraduate: Incheon National University, Nano Bioengineering

Kellen Arnold

Thesis Advisor: Sharon Weiss (Electrical and Computer Engineering) & Robert Reed (Electrical and Computer Engineering) & Richard Haglund (Physics & Astronomy)
Research: Several decades ago, fiber optics was adopted for long-distance communications, where fiber bundles were laid across the ocean floor sending light-speed, high bandwidth signals around the planet. Data demands across the world are ever increasing, which initiates a need to offer optical data processing for data centers and even co-packaged with computer chips. This is where my research comes in - I work in the field of silicon photonics, where we examine fundamental light-matter interactions and on-chip optical components. My work includes simulation, design, fabrication, and testing of nanoscale devices that will continue to meet our growing terrestrial and aerospace requirements for photonic integrated circuits.
Undergraduate: SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Nanoscale Engineering and Applied Mathematics

Bradly Baer

Thesis Advisor: Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)
Research: My current research is on phonons in superlattices of semiconductor materials.  Using Density Functional Theory (DFT), I am modeling the phonons in AlN/GaN superlattices to determine how the interfaces between the layers affect the phonons and thus the macroscopic properties of the material.  As nanofabrication techniques continue to improve, a better understanding of the phonon behavior in these layered materials can be used to guide the design and development of new materials with interesting thermal and optical properties.
Undergraduate: Point Loma Nazarene College, Chemistry
Masters: Vanderbilt University, Interdisciplinary Materials Science

Emma Bartelsen

Thesis Advisor: Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering)
Research: Greenhouse gases trap some of Earth’s outgoing energy, thus retaining heat in the atmosphere, and altering our planet’s climate and weather patterns. These changes have boundless repercussions that affect human health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife, and coastal areas. Since 1970, atmospheric methane has increased by 150%, carbon dioxide emissions have increased by over 90%, and nitrous oxide has increased by 24%. We are limited in our ability to reliably track and quantify these emissions as there are only 50 cooperative National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration air sampling sites around the world, collecting about 14,000 air samples annually. Therefore, I aim to design a low-footprint, multi-gas sensor mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle, capable of collecting accurate, stable, and temporally efficient measurements at higher acquisition rates, over more expansive areas. The design of this sensor will work towards providing the data necessary to make informed decisions to better our environment for future generations.
Undergraduate: University of Kansas, Mechanical Engineering

Jeb Buchner

First Year Student
Undergraduate: Auburn University, Materials Engineering 

Emily Byrum

First Year Student
Undergraduate: Arizona State University, Biophysics

Nicholas 'Cal' Craven

Thesis Advisors: Clare McCabe (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) Kane Jennings (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
Research: I work in the area of Molecular Dynamics Simulations. These simulations rely on statistical mechanics fundamentals to provide heuristic accuracy for complex chemical situations. While experimental techniques, such as in-situ microscopy, continue to significantly improve, simulations provide much clearer insight due to the collection of each atom's trajectory throughout a process. Furthermore, the scalability of these simulations allows for efficient screening of complex parameter space to focus in on a chemical subset of interest. My project looks at polymer thin film coatings and their stimulated responses to common solvents. This has applications within the field of smart sensors and coatings.
Undergraduate: Ohio State University, Chemical Engineering

Katja Diaz-Granados

Thesis Advisor: Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering)
Research: My primary interest is in studying ways in which the crystal symmetries of various naturally occurring materials can be harnessed to tailor thermal emission and near-field radiative heat transport. A unique class of materials are those with an extreme form of anisotropy that exhibit either a metallic or dielectric-like optical response depending on the crystal axis of interest. These hyperbolic materials offer an opportunity for the sub-diffractional confinement of light using an electromagnetic mode consisting of light coupled with lattice vibrations to form a volume confined hyperbolic phonon polariton. These hyperbolic phonon polaritons propagate at fixed angles that depend on the frequency, making them ideal candidates for research on directing radiative heat transfer across interfaces.
Undergraduate: Harvard-Radcliffe, Integrative Biology

Jeremy Espano

Thesis Advisor: Janet Macdonald (Chemistry)
Research: My research investigates the ways in which we can controllably synthesize different phases of metal chalcogenide nanoparticles. Nanoparticle phase is an important but overlooked aspect of nanoparticle design due to its heavy influence on the properties and applications of the synthesized nanoparticles. We manipulate precursor kinetics, decomposition mechanisms, solvent interactions, and temperature in order to observe its effects on bottom-up nanoparticle synthesis. By doing so we can observe and unravel interesting kinetic and thermodynamic trends. This information will help add on to the field and help expand on basic nanoparticle principles like LaMer’s nucleation theory and Ostwald’s rule of stages. Finally, by achieving phase control, we are one step closer in facilitating the emergence of next generation nanoparticle technologies in a wide variety of fields.
Undergraduate: Boston College, Chemistry

Matthew Galazzo

Thesis Advisor: David Cliffel (Chemistry)
Research: Photosystem I, one of the two major proteins responsible for photosynthesis in plants, can be integrated without loss of function into a variety of traditional electrode materials. Due to lack of orientation and kinetic limitations, its efficiency is greatly reduced, yielding currents in the nanoampere range and making it unsuitable for practical application. I fabricate microfluidic devices that make use of a higher surface area to volume ratio and control of flow conditions to improve electrochemical mediator conversion. Improved conversion has implications for Photosystem I in solar energy for small devices, potential redox flow battery membranes, or chemical synthesis.  
Undergraduate: California Polytechnic State University-Pomona, Chemical Engineering
Masters: Fisk University, Chemistry

Elizabeth Hays

First Year Student
Undergraduate: Murray State University, Biochemistry

Tao Hong

Thesis Advisor: Deyu Li (Mechanical Engineering)
Research: My research project focuses on integrating metasurface and microfluidics for multifunctional bioimaging and sensing. The conventional spectroscopy and microscopy techniques for cell-level biosensing and imaging relay on bulky and expensive components including beam splitters, filters, waveplates, prisms, and mirrors. The structure of conventional integrated optical system is not modularized to adapt new configuration and thus only limited to few combinable functions. Unlike conventional optical components, metasurface is structured by subwavelength-spaced planar phase shifters, which forms miniature interfaces for accurate wavefront manipulation of light. By taking the advantage of compatibility of metasurface and microfluidics, I am working on developing integrable modules with various cell-level optical biosensing and imaging functions. By combining modules with different functions, a comprehensive investigation of cellular species and processes on a miniature and inexpensive system will be beneficial for early cancer detection and disease recognition in underdeveloped areas.
Undergraduate: Cornell University, Materials Science and Engineering

Sajal Islam

Thesis Advisor: Ronald Schrimpf (Electrical and Computer Engineering) 
Research: In my research, I delve into the realm of device physics, specifically focusing on exploring single-event effects—a type of radiation impact—on wideband gap semiconductor devices. One critical aspect is the investigation of single-event burnout (SEB), a phenomenon that can lead to instant catastrophic failure in devices exposed to radiation environments, such as those encountered in space missions. My focus at Vanderbilt, under the guidance of Prof. Ron Schrimpf and with funding from the Air Force Center of Excellence, is on understanding the radiation response of Ga2O3. Collaboratively, I engage in projects with colleagues working on SiC (funded by NASA) and GaN, aiming to meet new-generation space standards and enhance radiation-hardening techniques. I've already published a co-authored and a first-authored paper, with several other papers currently under review. I've had the opportunity to present my findings through oral presentations at various conferences, including NSREC 2023, ROCS-CSMANTECH, DRC-2023, and the NASA Glenn Meeting.
Undergraduate: Primeasia University, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Masters: Missouri State University, Materials Science

Vikash Khokhar

First Year Student
Undergraduate: S.S. Jain Subodh PG College
Masters: Central University of Punjab, Quantum Mechanics

Elena Kovalik  

Thesis Advisor: Jason Valentine (Mechanical Engineering)
Research:  In the Valentine group we study metamaterials- nanostructured materials with engineered optical properties. Of particular interest are dynamic metamaterials, which can tune or switch their optical response with an external stimulus. My research exists at the intersection of nanophotonics and electrochemistry, focusing on electrochemically modulated dynamic metamaterials. My work uses electrochemical methods- such as intercalation or redox reactions- to tune metamaterials in the visible spectrum. These projects are being pursued for application in next-generation reflective displays.
Undergraduate: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Physics

Ryan Kowalski  

Thesis Advisor: Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering)
Research: My research focuses on investigating the local dielectric properties of single-photon emitting point defects in wide bandgap semiconductors (e.g. diamond nitrogen-vacancy center), which are an exceptionally promising physical platform for quantum information sciences. Using infrared scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) and nanoscale Fourier transform infrared (nano-FTIR), surface defects can be identified both spectrally and spatially with highly sub-diffractional resolution (<20 nm). Correlating the s-SNOM data with photoluminescence spectroscopy will provide a non-destructive and high-throughout characterization technique to determine the chemical structure of single-photon emitting point defects.
Undergraduate: University of Massachusetts - Amherst, Mechanical Engineering

Qiuyao Li

Thesis Advisor: De-en Jiang (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) 
Research: The escalating demand for batteries with high energy density, prolonged cycle life, and cost-efficiency, as required for applications ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles, underscores the critical need for alternatives to conventional lithium-ion batteries. To address this, my research employs density functional theory calculations to model and analyze the intricate interface interactions between electrolytes and electrodes. This approach allows us to investigate the underlying mechanisms, encompassing aspects of geometry, energetics, and electronic structure. Our goal is to elucidate the intercalation processes, providing valuable insights to support the development of innovative battery materials.
Undergraduate: Sichuan University, Physics
Masters: University of Science and Technology of China, Physics

Jack Loken

First Year Student
Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin, Madison - Mechanical Engineering

Mackey 'Trey" Long III

Thesis Advisor: Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering) 
Research: Maxwell Planck devised the original theory of thermal radiation from a perfect black body. This theory has held more many years, aiding in the development of a plethora of technologies and applications and to the beginnings of our understanding of the quantized energy levels in quantum mechanics. Nearly a century later, it was discovered that two bodies separated by sub-mircometer distances exist within each other's near-field electromagnetic regime and do not subscribe to the theory of Black Body Radiation as prescribed by Planck's Law of far-field radiation. My research is in the understanding of near-field radiative heat transfer across solid-state, nanoscale separations towards applications of improved thermophotovoltaic devices, heat-assisted magnetic recording, nanolithography, and advanced thermal management systems for more reliable integrated circuits and NEMS devices.
Undergraduate: Auburn University, Materials Science and Engineering

Mark Mc Veigh

Thesis Advisor: Leon Bellan (Mechanical Engineering) 
Research: Positron emission tomography (PET) is an incredibly powerful diagnostic procedure that holds the potential for clinicians to track virtually any biological process using specific radiotracers. There have been thousands of radiotracers developed but due to the high cost of synthesis, clinicians rely on only one radiotracer for over 95% of PET scans. I am working on developing a microfluidic synthesis platform that will reduce the cost of radiotracer production and employ a dose-on-demand methodology, allowing clinicians to choose the radiotracer that best suits the needs of the patient. The platform uses inexpensive microfluidic chips that contain multiple channels and chambers to execute all necessary synthesis steps. By optimizing the chip architecture and implementing automated fluidic handling, we are working towards being able to synthesize any radiotracer rapidly and inexpensively. 
Undergraduate: Northeastern University, Chemical Engineering
Masters: Northeastern University, Chemical Engineering

Owen Meilander

Thesis Advisor: Mona Ebrish (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Research:  To deal with the growing power demand, high efficiency power electronics are needed. While silicon devices are highly matured, in high power applications their intrinsic material properties lead to large devices with significant ant power losses. Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, such as gallium nitride (GaN), promise up to a 1000x increase in efficiency at high voltages, but material defects have limited the advancement of these devices. My research focuses on the identification of defects in GaN through the use of spectroscopic techniques and fabrication of GaN devices. My work will help to correlate these defects to device operation, resulting in more efficient and reliable devices.
Undergraduate: Westminster College, Physics & Mathematics

Madison Miller

Thesis Advisor: Dan Fleetwood (Electrical and Computer Engineering) 
Undergraduate: University of Florida, Materials Science and Engineering

Nichole Moehring  

Thesis Advisor: Piran Kidambi (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
Research: My research focuses on investigating the proton conductivity of two dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Pristine graphene and h-BN represent the fundamentally thinnest possible membranes, and are impermeable to gases as small as He but allow subatomic species, such protons, to pass through. After synthesizing these materials using chemical vapor deposition, I use electrochemical tests to investigate the transport of protons through these 2D lattices. Understanding the transport of protons through 2D crystals will enable applications in proton exchange membranes, isotope separations, and artificial photosynthesis.
Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin - Stout, Applied Science with Materials and Nanoscience Concentration

Kieran Nehil-Puleo

Thesis Advisors: Peter Cummings (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) & Zhongyue Yang (Chemistry)
Research: Combinatorial space of chemicals is vast; the set of molecules made of up to 17 atoms of C, N, O, and S totals at 166.4 billion. I work on intelligently exploring and characterizing the chemical space of soft matter materials using statistical machine learning methods and physical multi-scale simulations. My primary project involves the optimization of the properties of chimeric, protein-based biomaterials. Protein-based materials have many applications in the biomedical field due to their excellent mechanical and biocompatible properties. With a growing need for sustainability, protein-based materials may help phase out the widespread use of petroleum-based plastics.
Undergraduate: Michigan State University, Materials Science and Engineering & Statistics

Vivian Nwosu-Madueke

Thesis Advisor: Carlos Silvera Batista (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
Research: The manipulation and control of colloidal nanoparticles have become increasingly important in various fields, including materials science, biology, and medicine. This is attributed to the fact that colloidal materials display impressive features such as dynamic assembly and self-propulsion, which are promising for achieving advanced materials that mimic the versatility of natural systems. Electric fields have been widely used to tune the transport and interparticle interactions of colloidal materials, however combined electrical and chemical forces are not well understood. Studies have confirmed the hypothesis that crafting gradients of electroactive species through ac faradaic reactions leads to versatile long-range interactions under electrodiffusiophoresis (EDP). However, there is limited research on colloidal dynamics under simultaneous electrical potential and complex concentration gradients. Hence, the goal of my project is to understand the electrochemical taxis of nanoparticles. In addition, this project aims to demonstrate the use of EDP for precise control and manipulation of nanoparticles under complex pH patterns, generated using light-addressable electrodes. Leveraging the ability to effect long-range transport through EDP will advance fundamental knowledge in the field of AC electrokinetics and colloidal science, and will extend the capabilities of techniques to trap and analyze nanoscale objects for applications in separation, focusing, and trapping in lab-on-a-chip devices.
Undergraduate: University of Lagos, Chemistry

Johanna Pearson

First Year Student
Undergraduate: Case Western Reserve University, Neuroscience

Courtney Ragle

Thesis Advisors: Lauren Buchanan (Chemistry) & Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering)
Research: My work takes place within the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, where vibrational and phonon polaritons (quasi-particles melding together light and matter) flourish. These polariton systems show promise for understanding and manipulating molecular dynamics within organic materials and biologically relevant molecules, as well as exploring polariton assisted nanoscale energy transfer. I work to create cavity systems with decreasing mode volumes to enhance energy transfer and push into the ultra-strong coupling regime. The studies employ two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2DIR) and scattering near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) as the main instruments of exploration. Undergraduate: Fort Lewis College, Chemistry

Aditha Senarath

Thesis Advisors: Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering) & Ronald Schrimpf (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Research: Wide-bandgap semiconductors are gaining interest in high-power, high-temperature, and high-frequency applications due to their excellent electrical properties. Besides that, wide-bandgap materials such as b-Ga2O3 can be used in micro and nano-electronic devices to increase the device's radiation hardness. From outer space to airplane avionics to accelerators and nuclear power plants, radiation impacts in electronics are a severe concern for the performance and survivability of systems. My primary research focuses on characterizing and identifying radiation-induced defects in wide-bandgap semiconductor devices. Understanding the correlation between those defects and the electrical properties in micro and nano-devices is crucial because when the size of electronic devices shrinks and the device contains a few thousand atoms, a single defect can cause it to stop working. This project will help to develop future micro and nano-devices with high radiation hardness. 
Undergraduate: University of Peradeniya, Physics
Masters: Wright State University, Physics

Rahul Shah

Thesis Advisor: Jason Valentine (Mechanical Engineering)
Research: The modern world is driven by an insatiable demand for detailed information. From understanding the complex interplay of proteins in medical diagnosis, to identifying early onset of plant diseases for agriculture, spectral information is a game changer. This is my research. I aim to develop next-generation spectrometers with cutting-edge metasurfaces. My work includes theoretical modelling and simulations, to hands on fabrication and characterization, using the tools available to me through VINSE.
Undergraduate: Indian Institute of Science - Bangalore, Materials Science
Masters: Indian Institute of Science - Bangalore, Materials Science

Soren Smail

Thesis Advisor: Sharon Weiss (Electrical and Computer Engineering) 
Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati, Biochemistry

Haohong Song

Thesis Advisor: De-en Jiang (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) 
Research: My research focuses on computational materials chemistry, molecular dynamics simulations, atomic level modeling and catalyst systems. Recently, my primary research interest lies in the realm of computational catalysis, focusing on the intricate dynamics and underlying mechanisms of catalytic processes across various scales - from monoatomic to diatomic and polyatomic systems. By delving deep into these systems, I aim to unveil the fundamental principles governing catalytic efficiency and selectivity, thereby paving the way for the design of more effective and sustainable catalytic materials and processes.
Undergraduate: University of Science and Technology of China, Polymer Chemistry

Brayden Terry

Thesis Advisor: Al Strauss (Mechanical Engineering)
Research: The Vanderbilt University Welding Automation Lab (VUWAL) focuses on studying advanced joining processes with a focus on Friction Stir Welding and its derivative processes. As a solid-state joining process, friction stir welding allows for joining of materials that are not weldable by traditional liquid-state means as well as joining of dissimilar materials. Major applications of friction stir welding are found in the aerospace and automotive industries. My research focuses on the creation of metal matrix composites via friction stir processing, a derivative of FSW, and application of FSW to shape memory alloys. Metal matrix composites can provide improved material properties over base materials by including hard strengthening particles suspended in the host material. Shape memory alloys have been used in aerospace as actuators on both regular aircraft and spacecraft and are being explored for uses as vibration dampeners and smart wing technologies.
Undergraduate: Colorado School of Mines, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Maxwell Ugwu

First Year Student
Undergraduate: University of Nigeria

Matthew Vasuta

Thesis Advisors: Kane Jennings (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) & Shihong Lin (Civil Engineering)
Research: Distillation has dominated the separation of organic mixtures for decades despite its high thermal energy requirement. In an effort to reduce this impact, I work on synthesizing polymer thin films that act as distillation substitutes by separating water from a polar organic at cooler temperatures. The synthesis method we employ in my lab is unique as it uses a catalyst-laden substrate to spin coat and polymerize the film at the same time, allowing us to create films in minutes with very minimal solvent. This versatility makes it so a variety of different films with various functionalities can be quickly synthesized for water-polar organic separation, each with exciting compositional, wetting, environmental, and separating properties.
Undergraduate: University of Tennessee - Knoxville, Chemical Engineering

Harrison Walker

Thesis Advisors: Sokrates Pantelides (Physics) & Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering)
Undergraduate: Auburn University, Materials Science and Engineering
Research: Electron energy loss spectroscopy in the monochromated transmission electron microscope provides both incredible spatial and energy resolution, allowing for detailed studies of low energy excitations in materials, such as phonons. Employing this experimental technique, my research delves into the study of phonons in superlattices, offering insights into phonon-mediated heat transport and topological phenomena. To provide complementary theory, I also utilize density functional theory and molecular dynamics to train machine learning force fields capable of predicting the potential energy surface of material systems. From the predicted potential energy surface, the phonon dispersion can be calculated and compared with experimental measurements. By bridging experimental observations with cutting-edge theoretical models, I aim to elucidate mechanisms that can influence the performance and efficiency of future electronic and thermoelectric devices.

Christopher Whittington

Thesis Advisor: Sharon Weiss (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Research: In the face of escalating data demands, electronic components alone struggle to meet society's growing data transmission needs. To overcome this challenge, we turn to the power of light – by harnessing photons, we have the potential to achieve astonishingly rapid data transmission speeds, exceeding a terabyte per second. My research is dedicated to crafting nanoscale photonic components using silicon and silicon nitride. These components find applications in optical filters, switches, and the promising realm of photonic-based quantum computing. 
Undergraduate: Clark University, Physics

Alexis Yates

Thesis Advisors: Ethan Lippmann (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) & Angela Jefferson (Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center)
Research: The impact of neurovascular health on abnormal brain aging and cognitive impairment has been recognized as a major contributor to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. My research is focused on the hemodynamic contributions to VCID. In particular, I am examining brain endothelial cell (BEC) mechanobiology through the response of BECs to elevated shear stress and altered extracellular matrix environments. I utilize biomaterials and stem cell culture techniques to fabricate bioengineered vascular models, constructed from a biomimetic hydrogel which has been shown to support neural cell growth and maturation. My work consists of designing and fabricating bioreactors, cell culture (primarily iPS-derived endothelial cells), hydrogel synthesis, and the atomic force microscopy to characterize material properties.
Undergraduate: Biola University, Biochemistry

Our interdisciplinary approach allows students to interface and collaborate with faculty from engineering, physics, chemistry and medicine.  As a result, our graduates are highly marketable and have gone on to successful careers at a diverse range of institutions. 42% of our gradautes have gone to work in industry (Johnson & Johnson, Dow, DuPont, Exxon and Biotech start-ups) 35% have stayed in academia and 23% work in the government (FDA, NIH, US Patent Office).

The following represent some companies, universities and national laboratories where our graduates have gone to work.

• Access Laser Company
• Advanced Micro Sensors
• Alcor Petrolab
• Amgen
• Apple
• Applied Diamond, Inc.
• Atiba Software
• Auburn University
• Brookhaven National Laboratory
• Colorado School of Mines
• Cook Medical
• Crane Micro-Optics Solutions
• Crossbar Inc.
• Cumberland Pharmaceuticals 
• EarthSense, Inc (co-founded by IMS alumni)
• General Motors
• Google
• Graftech
• Harvard-MIT Health Science and Technology
• Hyundai Kia America Technical Center, Inc
• IBM
• Intel
• Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Micron Technology
• MIT Lincoln Laboratory
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder 
• Nike
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• PPG Industries 
• Redstone Arsenal
• Samsung
• Schrodinger
• SiNode Systems
• SkyNano (co-founded by IMS alumni)
• Sofregen Medical (co-founded by IMS alumni)
• SpaceX
• sp3 nanotech LLC (founded by IMS alumni)
• Stanford University
• Thermo Fisher Scientific
• United States Agency for International Development 
• United States Department of Defense
• United States Department of Energy
• University of Southampton, Untied Kingdom
• Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research
• West Virginia University
• Western Digital

Open Source Software for transparent, Reproducible, Usable by Others, and Extensible High-Throughput Molecular Similations

Madeleine Fort, Ph.D. March 2023
under the direction of Janet Macdonald (Chemistry) 

Enhanced Plasmonic Upconversion in Coupled Metal-Semiconductor Nanoparticle Films

Nathan Spear, Ph.D. February 2023
under the direction of Janet Macdonald (Chemistry) & Richard Haglund (Physics)

Gaining Nanophotonic Control through Crystalline Anisotropy

Joseph Matson, Ph.D. January 2023
under the direction of Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering) 

Investigating Solid Electrolytes and Catalysts for Electrochemcial Ammonia Synthesis

Nicholas Hortance, Ph.D. July 2022
under the direction of David Cliffel (Chemistry) 

Laser-induced single-event effects, total-ionizing-dose effects, and low-frequency noise in advanced FinFETs

Kan Li, Ph.D. June 2022
under the direction of Ronald Schrimpf (Electrical Engineering) 

Open Source Software for transparent, Reproducible, Usable by Others, and Extensible High-Throughput Molecular Similations

Justin Gilmer, Ph.D. May 2022
under the direction of Clare McCabe (Chemical Engineering) & Peter Cummings (Chemical Engineering)

Novel Biohybrid Photovoltaics for Expeditionary Energy

John Michael Williams II, Ph.D. May 2022
under the direction of David Cliffel (Chemistry) & Kane Jennings (Chemical Engineering)

Electron Transfer at Biologically Modified Electrodes 

Kody Wolfe, Ph.D. August 2021
under the direction of David Cliffel (Chemistry) & Kane Jennings (Chemical Engineering)

Semiclassical Simulations of Hot Electronics in Gate-All-Around Silicon MOSFETS

Mahmud Reaz, Ph.D. July 2021
under the direction of Ron Schrimpf (Electrical Engineering)

Identification of Physical Mechanisms of Radiation Effects in 3D NAND Solid-State Memories using Monte Carlo Analysis

Matthew Breeding, Ph.D. July 2021
under the direction of Robert Reed (Electrical Engineering)

Porous Silicon Optical Biosensors Towards Point-of-Care Applications

Tengfei Cao, Ph.D. May 2021
under the direction of Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering)

Realizing Directional, Narrowband Thermal Emission through Control of Spectral Dispersion and Strong Coupling

Joshua Ryan Nolen, Ph.D. May 2021
under the direction of Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering)

Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Functional Polymer Films

Liudmyla Prozorovska, Ph.D. May 2021
under the direction of Kane Jennings (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

Porous Silicon Optical Biosensors Towards Point-of-care Applications

Tengfei Cao, Ph.D. May 2021
under the direction of Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering)

Acoustic Softening and Acoustic Stiffening: Modifications of Thermal Conductivity from Altered Dispersion Relations in Si and ZnO Nanostructures

Matthew Gerboth, Ph.D. October 2020
under the direction of  Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)

The Role of Surface Recombination in Single Event Phenomena

Andrew Tonigan, Ph.D. September 2020
under the direction of  Ron Schrimpf (Electrical Engineering)

Advancing the Fundamental Understanding of Active Layer Formation for Developing High-Performance Nanofiltration Membrane

Yuanzhe Liang Ph.D. October 2020
under the direction of Shihong Lin (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Multilayer Flat Optics

You Zhou Ph.D. July 2020
under the direction of Jason Valentine (Mechanical Engineering)

Realizing Directional, Narrowband Thermal Emission through Control of Spectral Dispersion and Strong Coupling

Joshua Ryan Nolen, Ph.D. May 2020
under the direction of Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering)

A Sustainable Approach to Engineering Electrode Materials and Additives for Energy Storage Systems

Kathleen Moyer, Ph.D. November 2019
under the direction of  Cary Pint (Mechanical Engineering)

Automated Optimization of Pseudopotentials for Faster and more Accure Plane Wave Density Functional Theory Calculations in Materials

Casey Brock, Ph.D. May 2019
under the direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)

Unraveling the Interplay between Structure and Photophysics in Colloidal Quantum Dot Nanostructures

Kemar Reid, Ph.D. May 2019
under the direction of Sandra Rosenthal (Chemistry) & Richard Haglund (Physics)  

Sustainable Manufacturing of Carbon Nanomaterials for Energy Storage Applications

Anna Douglas, Ph.D. May 2019
under the direction of Cary Pint (Mechanical Engineering) & Rizia Bardhan (Chemical Engineering)  

Illuminating Molecular Mechanisms of Serotonin Transporter Regulation with Quantum Dot Single Particle Tracking

Danielle Bailey, Ph.D. January 2019
under the direction of Sandra Rosenthal (Chemistry) & Qi Zhang (Pharmacology)

Nanomaterial-based Approaches to the Study of Membrane Signaling

Kristina Kitko, Ph.D. December 2018
under the direction of Qi Zhang (Pharmacology)  

Mechano-Electrochemistry for Advanced Energy Storage and Harvesting Devices

Nitin Muralidharan, Ph.D. June 2018
under the direction of Cary Pint (Mechanical Engineering) & Douglas Adams (Civil Engineering)  

Hybrid Silicon-Vanadium Dioxide Photonic Devices for Optical Modulation

Kevin Miller, Ph.D. May 2018
under the direction of Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering) 

Engineering High Capacity Alternative Ion Battery Electrodes Through Mechanistic Insight

Keith Share, Ph.D. May 2018
under the direction of Cary Pint (Mechanical Engineering) & Rizia Bardhan (Chemical Engineering)

The Influences of Strain Rate on Mechanical Properties and Deformation Mechanisms in High-Mn and Medium-Mn TWIP-TRIP 

Jake Benzing, Ph.D. May 2018
under the direction of James Wittig (Electrical Engineering) 

Ultraviolet Band-Edge Emission from Zinc Oxide Nanostructures

Claire Marvinney, Ph.D. May 2018
under the direction of Richard Haglund (Physics) & Sandra Rosenthal (Chemistry)

Engineering Porous Silicon Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery of Peptide Nucleic Acid Therapeutics

Kelsey Beavers, Ph.D. May 2017
under the direction of Craig Duvall (Biomedical Engineering) & Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering)

Engineering Porous Silicon Photonic Structures towards Fast and Reliable Optical Biosensing

Yiliang Zhao, Ph.D. May 2017
under the direction of Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering) & Paul Laibinis (Chemical Engineering)

The Phase Dependent Optoelectronic Properties of Ternary I-III-VI2 Semiconductor Nanocrystals and Their Synthesis

Alice Leach, Ph.D. May 2017
under the direction of Janet Macdonald (Chemistry) & Richard Haglund (Physics)

The Evolution of Surface Symmetry in Femtosecond Laser-Induced Transient States of Matter

Joy Garnett, Ph.D. May 2017
under the direction of Norman Tolk (Physics) & Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering)

Challenging Conventional Approaches to Energy Storage: Direct Integration of Energy Storage into Solar Cells, the Use of Scrap Metals to Build Batteries, and the Development of Multifunctional Structural Energy Storage Composites

Andrew Westover, Ph.D. December 2016
under the direction of Cary Pint (Mechanical Engineering) 

Controlling Nanomaterial Assembly to Improve Material Performance in Energy

Landon Oakes, Ph.D. December 2016
under the direction of Cary Pint (Mechanical Engineering) & Rizia Bardhan (Chemical Engineering)

Zinc Oxide Nanowire Gamma-Ray Detector with High Spatiotemporal Resolution

Daniel Mayo, Ph.D. December 2016
under the direction of Richard Haglund (Physics) & Richard Mu (Fisk)

Novel TSPO Ligands to Facilitate Rapid Tracer Discovery and as Precision Imaging Diagnostics of Cancer

Jun Li, Ph.D. August 2016
under the direction of Charles Manning (Imaging Sciences) & Scott Guelcher (Chemical Engineering)

Physics and Processing of Vanadium Dioxide for Optical Devices

Robert Marvel, Ph.D. May 2016
under the direction of Richard Haglund (Physics) & Jason Valentine (Mechanical Engineering)

Physical Mechanisms Affecting Hot Carrier-Induced Degradation in Gallium Nitride HEMTs

Shubhajit Mukherjee, Ph.D. December 2015
under the direction of Ronald Schrimpf (Electrical Engineering) & Sokrates Pantelides (Physics)

Monolayer MoS2 and MoS2 / Quantum Dots Hybrids: Novel Optoelectronic Materials

Dhiraj Prasai, Ph.D. May 2015
under the direction of Kirill Bolotin (Physics) & Jason Valentine (Mechanical Engineering)

Mie Resonance Based All-Dielectric Metamaterials at Optical Frequencies

Parikshit Moitra, Ph.D. May 2015
under the direction of Jason Valentine (Mechanical Engineering) & Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering)

Resonant All-Dielectric Optical Metamaterials

Yuanmu Yang, Ph.D. May 2015
under the direction of Jason Valentine (Mechanical Engineering) & Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering)

Linear and Nonlinear Optical Study of Multilayer Ferro Electric Polymer Systems

Jennifer Jones, Ph.D. May 2015
under the direction of Norman Tolk (Physics) & Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering)

Systematic Investigation of Defect-Mediated Photoluminescence through Radiation Induced Displacement Damage

Sarah Gollub, Ph.D. May 2015
under the direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering) & Bridget Rogers (Chemical Engineering)

Material, Optical and Electro-Optical Characterization of Si and Si-based Devices under the Influence of High Energy Radiation

Shweta Bhandaru, Ph.D. May 2015
under the direction of Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering)

Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics and Optical Properties of GaAs and GaAs-based Heterostructures

Stephanie Gilbert, Ph.D. December 2014
under the direction of Norman Tolk (Physics) & Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering)

PET Imaging Diagnostics of Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Precision Cancer Medicine

Matthew Hight, Ph.D. December 2014
under the direction of Charles Manning (Radiology & Radiological Sciences)

Folate-targeted Proteolytic Nanobeacons: Towards Selective, Imaged Delivery in Solid Tumors

Ian McFadden, Ph.D. December 2014
under the direction of Oliver McIntyre (Radiology & Radiological Sciences) & Todd Giorgio (Biomedical Engineering)

Development and Thermal Properties of Nanotube Polymer Composites

Enrique Jackson, Ph.D. December 2014
under the direction of Paul Laibinis (Chemical Engineering)

The Influence of Manganese Content, Temperature, and Stacking-Fault Energy on the Microstructural and Strain-Hardening Evolution of High-Manganese Transformation and Twinning-Induced Plasticity Steels

Dean Pierce, Ph.D. May 2014
under the direction of James Wittig (Electrical Engineering)

Effect of Electron and Phonon Excitation on the Optical Properties of Indirect Gap Semiconductors

Justin Gregory, Ph.D. May 2013
under the direction of Norman Tolk (Physics) & Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering)

Hybrid Phase-Changing Nanostructures: From Reconfigurable Plasmonic Devices to Ultrafast Dynamics

Kannatassen Appavoo, Ph.D. December 2012
under the direction of Richard Haglund (Physics)

In situ DNA synthesis in Porous Silicon for Biosensing Applications

Jenifer Lawrie, Ph.D. December 2012
under the direction of Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering)

Heterogeneously Alloyed Semiconductor Nanocrystals with Induced Chemical Composition Gradients

Melissa Harrison, Ph.D. December 2012
under the direction of Sandra Rosenthal (Chemistry) & Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering)

Quantum Simulation of Nanoscale Transport in Direct Energy Conversion Materials: From Thermal-Field Emitters to Thermoelectronics

Terence Musho, Ph.D. May 2012
under the direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)

Influence of Phonon Modes on the Thermal Conductivity of Single-wall, Double-wall, and Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes

Ebonee Walker, Ph.D. May 2012
under the direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)

Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Films: Fabrication Techniques and Applications

John Rigueur, Ph.D. May 2012
under the direction of Timothy Hanusa (Chemistry) and David Ernst (Physics)

Ultra-small Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Optical and Magnetic Properties, Oriented Attachment, and Film Assembly

Weidong He, Ph.D. May 2012
under the direction of James Dickerson (Physics) 

TEM Study of Nanostructured Cold Cathode Diamond Field Emitter Tips 

Travis Wade, Ph.D. December 2011
under the direction of Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering) & Norman Tolk (Physics)

Nanodiamond Macroelectrodes and Ultramicroelectrode Arrays for Bio-Analyte" Detection

Supil Raina, Ph.D. December 2011
under the direction of Weng Kang (Electrical Engineering) & Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering)

Plasmon-Exciton Coupling Dynamics in Metal ZnO Nanostructures

Benjamin Lawrie, Ph.D. August 2011
under the direction of Richard Haglund (Physics)

Multiple-Hole Defects: Optimizing Detection of Surface Perturbations in Photonic Crystal Cavities

Chris Kang, Ph.D. August 2011
under the direction of Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering)

Phosphor Thermometry Using Rare-Earth Doped Materials

Rachael Hansel, Ph.D. August 2010
under the direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering) & Charles Lukehart (Chemistry)

Fluids and Polymer Composites Comprising Detonation Nanodiamond

Blake Branson, Ph.D. May 2010
under the direction of Charles Lukehart (Chemistry) & Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering)

Nanoparticles as the sole building blocks of macroscopic solids

Saad Hasan, Ph.D. May 2010
under the direction of James Dickerson (Physics) & Sandra Rosenthal (Chemistry)

Ultra-small Rare-earth Nanocrystals: Development, Film Assembly, Optical and Dielectric Studies

Sameer Mahajan, Ph.D. May 2010
under the direction of James Dickerson (Physics)

A Phosphor-based light emitting diode using white-light cadmium selenide nanocrystals

Jonathan Gosnell, Ph.D. May 2010
under the direction of Sharon Weiss (Electrical Engineering) & Sandra Rosenthal (Chemistry)

Measuring point defects in semiconductors using coherent acoustic phonon spectroscopy

Andrew Steigerwald, Ph.D. August 2010
under the direction of Norman Tolk (Physics)

Hemozoin: A Case of Heme Crystal Engineering

Anh Hoang, Ph.D. August 2010
under the direction of David Wright (Chemistry) and David Cliffel (Chemistry)

Photosystem I-Based Systems for Photoelectrochemical Energy Conversion

Peter Ciesielski, Ph.D. August 2010
under the direction of Kane Jennings (Chemical Engineering) & David Cliffel (Chemistry)

Permittivity-engineered Transparent Conducting Tin Oxide Thin Films: Deposition to Photovoltaic Applications

James Burst, Ph.D. August 2010
under the direction of Bridget Rogers (Chemical Engineering)

Mix and Match Nanodendrons for Detection and Treatment of Breast Cancer Metastases

Randy Scherer, Ph.D. May 2010
under the direction of Lynn Matrisian (Cancer Biology)

Field Emitters and Supercapacitors Based on Carbon Nanotube Films

Siyu Wei, Ph.D. December 2009
under the direction of Weng Kang (Electrical Engineering)

Electro-osmotic Pumping and Ionic Conductance Measurements in Porous Membranes

Saumitra Vajandar, Ph.D. December 2009
under the direction of Deyu Li (Mechanical Engineering)

Surface and bulk defects in CZT

Stephen Babalola, Ph.D. December 2009
under the direction of Leonard Feldman (Physics)

Molecular Recognition based Agglomeration of Quantum Dot

Chinmay Soman, Ph.D. December 2008
under the direction of Todd Giorgio (Biomedical Engineering)

Model Polyimide Films: Synthesis, Characterization, and Deposition by Resonant Infrared Laser Ablation

Nicole Dygert, Ph.D. December 2008
under the direction of Richard Haglund (Physics)

Radiation Induced Charge Trapping Studies of Advanced Si and SiC based MOS Devices

Sriram Dixit, Ph.D. May 2008
under the direction of Leonard Feldman (Physics)

Electronic Properties and Reliability of the  SiO2 / SiC Interface

John Rozen, Ph.D. May 2008
under the direction of Leonard Feldman (Physics)

Charge and Energy Transfer Dynamics in Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Ensembles

Jared Crochet, Ph.D. December 2007
under the direction of Tobias Hertel (Physics)

Coupled Quantum - Scattering Modeling of Thermoelectric Performance of Nanostructured Materials Using the Non-Equilibrium Green's Function Method

Anuruddha Bulusu, Ph.D. August 2007
under direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering

Charge Trapping Properties of Alternative High-K Dielectrics in MOS Devices

Xing Zhou, Ph.D. December 2006
under direction of Daniel Fleetwood (Electrical Engineering)

Nitrogen and Hydrogen Induced Trap Passivation at the SiO₂/4H-SiC Interface

Sarit Dhar, Ph.D. May 2005
under direction of Leonard Feldman (Physics)

Proton Irradiation Effects on Gallium Nitride-Based Devices

Aditya Karmarkar, Ph.D. December 2005
under direction of Ronald Schrimpf (Electrical Engineering)

Rapid Solidification of Undercooled Nickel and Nickel-Based Alloys

Paul Algoso, Ph.D. May 2004
under direction of Robert Bayuzick (Chemical Engineering)

IMS M.S. Alumni

Directing Heat in Low Symmetry Polaritonic Materials

Katja Diaz-Granados, M.S. December 2022 
under direction of Josh Caldwell (Mechanical Engineering) 

Multispectral Deep Learning Material Classification for Thermal Imaging 

Noah Holliger, M.S. December 2022
under direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering) 

Composition Effects on Transport Properties in Hybrid Electrolytes

Brice Harkey, M.S. December 2018 
under direction of Kelsey Hatzell (Mechanical Engineering) & Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)

The theory and application of bipolar transistors as displacement damage sensors

Andrew Tonigan, M.S. May 2017 (currently enrolled in Ph.D. Program)
under direction of Ronald Schrimpf (Electrical Engineering) & Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)

Phototunable Mechanical Properties of Azobenzene-Containing Hydrogels

Bradly Baer, M.S. August 2016
under direction of Leon Bellan (Mechanical Engineering)

Mapping the Electromagnetic Near Field of Gold Nanoparticles in Poly(methyl) Methacrylate

Kristin Engerer, M.S. December 2016
under direction of Richard Haglund (Physics)

Highly efficient infrared photodetectors based on plasmonic metamaterials and vanadium dioxide

Kyle Zufelt, M.S. December 2014
under direction of Jason Valentine (Mechanical Engineering)

Maxwell Fisheye Lens As A Waveguide Crossing For Integrated Photonics

Joy Garnett, M.S. August 2013; Ph.D. May 2017
under direction of Norman Tolk (Physics) & Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering)

Fabrication and Characterization of Diamond Thin Films as Nanocarbon Transistor Substrates

Jason Greaving, M.S. August 2013
under direction of Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering)

Bright White Light Emission of Ultrasmall Nanocrystals for Use in Solid State Lighting

Sarah-Ann Harrell, M.S. May 2013
under direction of Sandra Rosenthal (Chemistry)

Photosystem I From Higher Plants Enhances Electrode Performance

Darlene Gunther, M.S. May 2013
under direction of Kane Jennings (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering)

Synthesis and characterizations of europium chalcogenide and tellurium nanocrystals

Weidong He, M.S. December 2010, Ph.D. May 2012
under direction of James Dickerson (Physics)

Aberration-corrected atomic number contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy of nanocrystals and nanomaterial-based systems for use in next-generation photovoltaic devices

Tony Watt, M.S. August 2008 
under direction of Sandra Rosenthal (Chemistry)

Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of FePt/MgO Multilayered Thin Films

Yang Fu, M.S. December 2006
under direction of James Wittig (Electrical Engineering)

Electro-thermal simulation studies of single-event burnout in power diodes

Sameer Mahajan, M.S. May 2006; Ph.D. May 2010
under direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)

Properties of Nanocrystalline Vanadium Dioxide

John Rozen, M.S. December 2005; Ph.D. May 2008 
under direction of Leonard Feldman (Physics)

Fabrication and Electrochemical Analysis of Nanodiamond Microprobe

Shubham Basu, M.S. August 2005 
under direction of Weng Kang (Electrical Engineering)

Preparative Centrifugation of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes: Towards Separation of Nanotubes by Density

Nitin Chaturvedi, M.S. August 2005
under direction of James Wittig (Electrical Engineering)  

Title

Carrie Gauchet, M.S. 2005
under direction of James Wittig (Electrical Engineering)

Second Harmonic Generation Study of Simox SOI Structures

Liangliang Zhou, M.S. 2005 
under direction of Norman Tolk (Physics)

Study of Boundary Scattering Effects on MOSFET Parameters

Aniruddha Marathe, M.S. May 2004
under direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)

Lattice-Boltzmann Method and Sub-Continuum Heat Generation Effects

Parag Vasekar, M.S. May 2004 
under direction of Greg Walker (Mechanical Engineering)

Fabrication and Field Emission Characterization of Micropatterned Polycrystalline Diamond Edge Emitter Arrays

Rohit Takalkar, M.S. May 2003
under direction of Jim Davidson (Electrical Engineering)

Evaluation of Microturbine Recuperator Materials and Oxidation Behavior of Alloy HR230

Rosa Trejo, M.S. December 2003
under direction of Louyu Roy Xu (Civil Engineering)

Study of Native Oxide Etching, Kinetics of Native Oxide Growth and Surface Termination in p-Type Si (100) Substrates

Vivek Pawar, M.S. December 2002
under direction of Bridget Rogers (Chemical Engineering)