Current Students
Cheolmin Ahn
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Diran Apelian
Research Focus: Advanced Thermal Management for Metal Molds.
B.S. in Marine Equipment Engineering from National Korea Maritime and Ocean University
M.S. in Material Engineering from National Korea Maritime and Ocean University
Kate Ainger
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Lorenzo Valdevit
Research Focus: Understanding the role of topological disorder in structural metamaterials, with emphasis on shell spinodal architected materials.
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Trieste
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Trieste
Amirhosein Azizi Amirabad
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Shen Dillon
Research Focus: Materials Characterization, Interface Science, and In-situ Microscopy.
B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering from IKIU, Iran
M.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Tehran, Iran
Robert Anton
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Iryna Zenyuk
Research Focus: Investigation of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells for transportation applications.
B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Virginia
Sakshi Bajpai
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Diran Apelian
Research Focus: Effect of Processing Phenomena and Kinetics on the Evolution of Microstructure in High Entropy Alloys.
B.T. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur
Marquez Balingit
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: William Bowman
Research Focus: Improving functional properties of thin film electrodes for energy storage applications such as supercapacitors. Interested in exploring how to integrate biomass-derived materials into energy storage devices to minimize carbon footprint.
B.S in Nanoengineering from University of California, San Diego
Calvin H. Belcher
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Diran Apelian
Research Focus: Processing and Synthesis of Magnetic Metal Alloys.
B.S. in Materials Science & Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Eshana J. Bethur
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Stacy Copp
Research Focus: Studying the structure-property relationship of DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters to understand how these materials can be tuned for various nanotechnology applications.
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Rutgers University
Jordan Brown
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Shen Dillon
Research Focus: Studying factors that enhance the deformation of materials interfaces.
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration focus in manufacturing from the Illustrious, Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University
Yu-Lun Chang
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: Elizabeth Lee
Research Focus:
B.S. in Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology from National Taipei University of Technology
Isabella Chu
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Lorenzo Valdevit
Research Focus: Synthesis of metal/ceramic composites with spinodal topology via bijel templated materials.
B.S. in Chemical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona
Tingwei Deng
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Jered Haun
Research Focus: Nano materials, biomedical and fluorescent diagnosis.
B.E. in Poly Materials and Engineering from South China University of Technology
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University
Chaojie Du
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Xiaoqing Pan
Research Focus: Atomic structure of the ferroelectric materials.
B.E. in Material Science and Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Matthew David (Matt) Foong
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Daniel Mumm
Research Focus: Investigating oxidation behavior of refractory metal alloys to inform the development of protective coatings for them.
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Alyse R. Gonthier
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisors: Ali Mohraz and Elliot Botvinick
Research Focus: Use of morphologically unique bijel-templated materials in subcutaneous biomedical devices and study the impact of those materials on cell response, physically and computationally.
B.S. in BioEngineering/Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Berkeley
Sierra-Elainna J. Gross
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Ali Mohraz
Research Focus: Energy storage technologies and the effects of morphology and chemistry on performance.
B.E. in Chemical Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Huiming Guo
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Thesis Advisor: William Bowman
Research Focus: Electrode/electrolyte interface mechanism of all solid-state batteries (ASSBs) with electrochemical analysis and advanced TEM technique.
B.E. in Materials Chemistry from Changzhou University
Francisco Guzman
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Xiaoqing Pan
Research Focus:
B.S. in Applied Physics from California State University, San Bernardino
Sang Yoon (David) Han
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor:
Research Focus:
B.S. in NanoEngineering from University of California, San Diego
Ethan J. Heffernan
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Shane Ardo
Research Focus: Designing porous materials to convert alternating electronic polarization into net ionic transport for water desalination.
B.A. in Physics from Occidental College
Hector Pascual Herrero
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Regina Ragan
Research Focus: Investigating new nanogap chemistries for biosensor applications.
B.S. in Engineering Physics from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Esther Hessong
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Timothy Rupert
Research Focus: Tailoring the internal structure of amorphous complexions.
B.S. in Chemistry from University of California, Berkeley
Meagan Elyce Hill
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Regina Ragan
Research Focus:
B.S. in Materials Science Engineering from University of California, Riverside
Raquel Fierro Jaime
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Diran Apelian
Research Focus: Ultrasonic treatment of molten metals for casting.
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Riverside
Muhyeon Jeong
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: SungWoo Nam
Research Focus: A study on Semiconductor Materials and Properties.
B.E. in Chemical Engineering from Kyunghee University
Samantha Kwan
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: Ali Mohraz
Research Focus: Use of bijel-templated materials in the body as a way to mitigate the foreign body response to biomedical implants.
B.S. in Bioengineering/Materials Science & Engineering from University of California, Berkeley
Daisy Kamp
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Elizabeth M. Y. Lee
Research Focus: Computational materials science, chemical reactions and dynamics of polymer-metal interfaces.
B.S. in Materials Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Geemin Kim
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Matt Law
Research Focus: Designing quantum dot superlattice structure through surface chemistry and structure analysis.
B.E. in Chemical Engineering from Inha University, Incheon
M.S. in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering from Inha University, Incheon
Hauna Krekemeyer
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Jered Haun
Research Focus: Develop a comprehensive breast cancer diagnostic imaging library utilizing nanotech probes and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM).
B.S. in Nano Engineering from University of California, San Diego
Jihyun Lee
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: SungWoo Nam
Research Focus: Designing mechanically coupled properties in low-dimensional materials for sensor devices.
B.S. in Polymer Science and Engineering from Pusan National University
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Pusan National University
Edward Li
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Timothy Rupert
Research Focus: Structure and mechanics of linear complexions.
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Pennsylvania State University
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Pennsylvania State University
Yanhe Li
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: Huolin Xin
Research Focus: Lithium-ion battery.
B.S. in Physics from University of California, Irvine
M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University
Zhaoxu Li
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Kumar Wickramasinghe
Research Focus: In situ detection and measurement of biomolecules using photo-induced force microscopy.
Bachelor of Medicine from Chongqing Medical University
I-Hsin Lin
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Stacy Copp
Research Focus: Discovery and development of near-infrared DNA-stabilized silver clusters for bioimaging.
B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Taipei Medical University
Panyiming Liu
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Alon Gorodetsky
Research Focus: Bioinspired large-area thermoregulatory and camouflage composites.
B.E. in Polymer Materials and Engineering from East China University of Science and Technology
B.S. in Materials Physics from University of Science and Technology of China
Yi Liu
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Timothy Rupert
Research Focus: Structure and mechanics of linear complexions.
B.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Jinan
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, San Diego
Xiner (Lucy) Lu
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Kai He
Research Focus: Studying structural and chemical evolution of metallic nanoparticles using in situ transmission electron microscopy.
B.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from Southern University of Science and Technology
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Clemson University
Kentaro Fujimoto Lunn
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Diran Apelian
Research Focus: Investigation into castable high strength and high conductivity aluminum alloys.
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona
M.S. in Materials Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona
Elliot Makhani
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Jered Haun
Research Focus: I am interested in nanoparticle adhesion dynamics simulation research. By tweaking a verifiable set of parameters including but not limited to antibody type, size and shape of nanoparticles, variable bond strength using molecular shock absorbers, and internalization rate into cells, Active Multifunctional Nanoparticles (AMNs) become superselective drug carrier and diagnostic agents unique to each disease.
B.S. in Applied Physics from University of California, Santa Cruz
Sebastian Andrew Marroquin
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Regina Ragan
Research Focus: Designing biosensors for measuring bacterial stress response to toxins and viruses in water.
B.S. in Chemistry - Material Science from California State University, Long Beach
Naomy Marrufo
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Allon Hochbaum
Research Focus: Electronic properties of conductive protein nanowires.
B.S. in Physics from California State University, Long Beach
Jenny Martinez
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: William Bowman
Research Focus:
B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona
Peter M. Mastracco
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Stacy Copp
Research Focus: Use of Machine Learning for the Predictive Design of Materials.
B.S. in Physics from SUNY at Binghamton
Kathleen Matsumoto-Elliott
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor:
Research Focus:
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Seyed Tohid Rajael Moosavy
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Kai He
Research Focus: In situ TEM for quantum materials.
B.S.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from Arizona State University
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Arizona State University
Ivette Minettzi Morales
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: William Bowman
Research Focus: Developing functional and effective clean energy materials for large scale applications.
B.S. in Material Science Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Justin T. Mulvey
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Joe Patterson
Research Focus:
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Davis
Andrew Nguyen
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: David Kisailus
Research Focus: Design of fiber-reinforced polymer composites using bio-inspired helicoidal architectures.
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Peter Nguyen
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor:
Research Focus:
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Riverside
Adrian Francisco Duran Ornelas
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: David Kisailus
Research Focus: Interfacial ultrastructural designs in tough biological composites.
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Ethan Peng
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: Alon Gorodetsky
Research Focus: Scale-up synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for organic electronic applications.
B.S. in Chemistry from University of California, Irvine
Roberto Rivera
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: David Kisailus
Research Focus: My research focus is on utilizing electrospun nanowires to provide metal/ metal oxide nanoparticle growth within a carbon matrix for high-capacity anodes in lithium-ion batteries.
B.S. in Chemistry from University of California, Santa Cruz
Kaili Rong
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor:
Research Focus:
B.S. in Materials Chemistry from Taiyuan University of Technology
Anna Gonzalez Rosell
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Stacy Copp
Research Focus: Structure and photophysical properties of DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters.
B.S. in Chemistry from Universitat Ramon Llull
Ezra Sarmiento
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: David Kisailus
Research Focus: Biomineralization in early stage chiton teeth; uncovering the precursors and pathways that lead to various microstructures and phases found in fully mature teeth.
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Anthea Segger
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Stacy Copp
Research Focus: Structure-property relationship of DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters and their applications for efficient energy transfer.
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Sirisak Singsen
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Elizabeth M. Y. Lee
Research Focus: Engineering the formation of quantum qubit spin in defect semiconductor: a computational modeling.
B.S. in Physics from Khon Kaen University, Thailand
M.S. in Physics from Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand
Shrivatsav Shankar
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Diran Apelian
Research Focus: Researching novel composition ranges for Al alloys that prioritize increased amounts of secondary materials to cast an alloy that meets the performance metrics of primary Al alloys.
B.S. in Material Science & Engineering from University of California, Riverside
Joni Spencer
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Elizabeth Lee
Research Focus: Theoretical investigation into water-splitting reactions at IrO2 surface interfaces and Li+ ion transport in polymer-ceramic solid-state electrolytes.
B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematical Sciences from Florida International University
Shikai Sun
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: Iryna Zenyuk
Research Focus:
B.S. in Chemistry from University of California, Irvine
Chao Hsuan (Joseph) Sung
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: David Kisailus
Research Focus:
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Sydney To
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Elizabeth Lee
Research Focus: Nitrogen Vacancy Center in Diamond.
B.S. in Chemical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona
Zhaokun Wang
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Xiaoqing Pan
Research Focus: High entropy solid electrolytes.
B.E. in Microelectronics Science and Engineering from Southern University of Science and Technology
Zifeng Wang
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: Xizheng Wang
Research Focus:
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Jinan
Jenna L. Wardini
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: William Bowman
Research Focus: Correlating structure and electrical behavior in electroceramics with in situ transmission electron microscopy.
B.S. in Physics from Oregon State University
M.S. in Chemistry from University of Oregon
Jack G. Webster
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: Diran Apelian
Research Focus: High thermal and electrical conductivity aluminum alloy development.
B.S. in Chemical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona
Tia Wilson
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Shen Dillon
Research Focus: Controlling the self-assembly of nanoparticles inside amphiphilic block-copolymer colloids for the purpose of creating materials that exhibit new optical properties.
B.S. in Polymer Science and Engineering from University of Southern Mississippi
Bin Xing
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisors: Penghui Cao and William Bowman
Research Focus: Understanding the role of defects in governing the functional and mechanical properties of materials.
B.E. in Nuclear Engineering & Technology from Wuhan University
ShengQuan Xuan
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: William Bowman
Research Focus: Fuel cell, battery, or any sustainable energy technology using various instruments.
B.S. in Material Science and Engineering from University of California, Irvine
Munho Yang
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Shane Ardo
Research Focus: Fabrication and characterization of ion-conducting polymeric materials for bipolar membranes and oceanic carbon capture.
B.S in Industrial Chemistry from Pukyong National University
M.S in Industrial Chemistry from Pukyong National University
Eric Yoshida
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Advisor: Kai He
Research Focus: Understanding interfaces of solid-state electrolytes using electron microscopy.
B.S. in Chemistry from University of California, Santa Barbara
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California, Santa Barbara
Aotian Zhang
Degree Objective: M.S.
Advisor: Xizheng Wang
Research Focus: Efficient H2 production by photocatalytic water splitting under UV over nanosheet TiO2 and Interface Modification of Solid-state Lithium-sulfur Batteries.
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Hubei University