Ivy Symposium 2024 Participants
Adriana Carola Salazar Coariti
adriana_carola_salazar@brown.edu
Alec McCall
Biomedical Engineering; 4th year
My name is Alec McCall and I am a 4th year PhD candidate at Brown University studying Biomedical Engineering with my specific research area being in developing antimicrobial biomaterials. I am an NSF graduate research fellow and work on the intersection of engineering, chemistry, and biology which is reflected in my two research projects that I have presented on at conferences. I anticipate on graduating in the spring of 2026 with an initial focus of going into medical device entrepreneurship, but open to other career options such as science policy and patent law.
alec_mccall@brown.edu
Alexandra Pagano
Environmental Engineering; 3rd year
My name is Alexandra Pagano and I study Environmental Engineering at Brown University. I have co-authored five peer-reviewed publications in fields including environmental chemistry and chemical biology. Prior to beginning my doctoral degree, I worked in both industry and academia developing mass spectrometry expertise for varied applications. Upon my anticipated graduation in 2027, I aim to pursue a career in scientific communication or policy at a government agency such as the EPA, focusing on improving remediation technologies for polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) or related contaminants of public health concern.
alexandra_pagano@brown.edu
Alexxa C. Cruz-Bonilla
Biomedical Engineering; 2nd year
Born and raised in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, I completed my B.S in Chemical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and currently am a second year Biomedical Engineering PhD Student at Brown University in the Wong lab. Prior to Brown, I conducted breast cancer research in undergraduate (placing 1st in the oral presentation at ERN 2023) and currently am a GEM Fellow, an IMSD Fellow, and intern under the NIC/NIH ECHO ELA program to eradicate cervical cancer in Latin America. I will be graduating by 2028 and aim to continue research in the cancer field as an NIH fellow or in a global health perspective under IARC, specifically focusing on the effects of health care, treatment availability, and current therapeutics in developing/minoritized populations.
alexxa_cruz-bonilla@brown.edu
Anoop Kiran
Fluids & Thermal Sciences; 3rd year
Anoop Kiran is a doctoral student in engineering at Brown University, supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. His research focuses on the aerodynamics and control of aerial robots, aiming to achieve formation coherence. Apart from research, Anoop has gained research experience at laboratories and industry, including Sandia National Labs, Draper, NASA JPL, and Boeing Research & Technology. He aspires to serve at a national laboratory in the future.
anoop_kiran@brown.edu
Basel White
basel_white@brown.edu
Carolina Gomez Casas
Biomedical Engineering; 3rd year
Carolina Gomez Casas is a third year biomedical engineering PhD candidate at Brown University. She is the recipient of the David and Susan Hibbitt Engineering Graduate Fellowship which supports younger researchers of high promise in their research field. Carolina is anticipated to graduate in May 2027 and is looking into pursuing a postdoctoral research position with a focus on drug delivery upon graduation.
carolina_gomez_casas@brown.edu
Charlotte Chen
Biomedical Engineering; 1st year
Charlotte Chen is a first-year PhD student at Brown University in the Biomedical Engineering program under Dr. Anita Shukla working on targeted anti-fungal liposomes for systemic infections. She is a 2024 NSF-GRF recipient with a strong background in materials science and engineering, with industry and research experience in the field. Charlotte is exploring career opportunities and interested in learning more about industry and academia paths.
charlotte_chen@brown.edu
Craig Klevan
Chemical & Environmental Engineering; 4th year
My name is Craig Klevan, and I am a fourth year PhD candidate in Chemical & Environmental Engineering at Brown University. My research spans many areas of study including understanding relationships between air pollution and cognitive decline, as well as evaluating nanoparticles candidates for enhanced oil recovery, but my primary focus is on understanding the properties, fate and transport, and development of remediation methods for a class of toxic chemical pollutants called PFAS. After I graduate I hope to find a career in either industry or with the government using my expertise to guide environmental policy.
craig_klevan@brown.edu
Dorothee Thiemann
Fluids & Thermal Sciences Engineering; 1st year
My name is Dorothee Thiemann, and I am a first-year PhD student in Fluids and Thermal Sciences Engineering at Brown University, focusing on the application of Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) to combustion problems. Prior to my doctoral studies, I spent two years working as a rocket propulsion engineer, where I gained valuable experimental and theoretical insights into supersonic reacting flow challenges. Upon completing my PhD, I aim to apply my acquired knowledge and contributions to advance the European space industry.
dorothee_thiemann@brown.edu
Ells Mine Saint Paul
Biomedical Engineering; 1st year
I am Ells Mine M. Saint Paul, a first year PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at Brown University. My research is within the genomic and next generation sequencing field. I have had the opportunities of conducting research at various institutions such as: the Naval Research Laboratory, the The Naval Medical Research Unit San Antonio (NAMRU-SA). My training finishing date should be in 2028.
ells_mine_saint-paul@brown.edu
Jiahao Liu
Computational Mechanics; 1st year
jiahao_liu1@brown.edu
Julia Miller
Biomedical Engineering; 1st year
julia_r_miller@brown.edu
Litzy Guevara
Chemical & Environmental Engineering; 3rd year
Litzy Guevara is in her third year as a PhD student at Brown University in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering program. She is a Hibbitt fellow, and her work focuses on fate and transport of contaminants, specifically PFAS. Her anticipated graduation year is 2027 and hopes to pursue a position in industry or at a national lab continuing both experimental and computational work.
litzy_guevara@brown.edu
Manar Abdelatty
Computer Engineering; 3rd year
Manar Abdelatty is a third year PhD student in the computer engineering department at Brown University. She has a bachelor’s degree from Computer Engineering Department, The American University in Cairo (2020). Following her graduation, Abdelatty joined Efabless as an EDA Engineer where she worked on developing open-source ASIC. Her research interests include hardware design and electronic design automation. Her current research focuses on leveraging Large Language Models for accelerating hardware design workflows.
manar_abdelatty@brown.edu
Seth Caines
Environmental Engineering; 2nd year
My name is Seth Caines, I go to Brown University, I am studying Environmental Engineering, and my research focuses on the fate and transport and remediation of groundwater contaminants (specifically PFAS). Two academic accomplishments of mine include getting the opportunity to do a summer internship at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center through the GEM Fellowship, and being able to present my undergraduate research at the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors Conference in 2022.
seth_caines@brown.edu
Sonia Vohra
Chemical & Environmental Engineering; 2nd year
My name is Sonia Vohra and I am currently a 2nd year PhD student at Brown University in the department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering studying PFAS remediation and destruction technologies. Previously, I received my M.S. in Polymer Science & Engineering at The University of Chicago, spent two years at a Boston start-up researching mining waste remediation and revaluation, and have recently received the Dr. Paul F. Maeder PhD'1951 P'1970 Graduate Fellowship here at Brown. I will likely graduate in 2028, and am excited about all opportunities (namely academia, at the moment) to further explore the intersection of materials science and environmental remediation.
sonia_vohra@brown.edu
Stephan B. Arthur
Chemical Engineering; 3rd year
stephen_arthur@brown.edu
Vivek Oommen
Fluid & Thermal Sciences; 4th year
Hi, I’m Vivek Oommen, a fourth-year PhD student at Brown University’s School of Engineering in the Fluid and Thermal Sciences group, working with Prof. George Karniadakis. My research focuses on advancing scientific computing by leveraging machine learning and the latest developments in generative AI to address a broad spectrum of problems, from weather forecasting and turbulence modeling to designing materials with specific mechanical properties. So far, I have nine works either under review or published, including in npj Computational Materials. I expect to graduate in 2026 and plan to continue this work in a postdoctoral research position within a university or national lab.
vivek_oommen@brown.edu
Zhaowei Jiang
Biomedical Engineering; 5th year
Zhaowei (Zoey) Jiang is a 5th-year Ph.D. candidate in Biomedical Engineering at Brown University, specializing in stimuli-responsive nanoparticles for the treatment of bacterial biofilm infections. She has published a first-author review on bacterial adhesins and co-authored papers on bacterial resistance and adhesion mechanisms, with several forthcoming publications. Set to graduate in November 2024, Zoey is actively exploring job opportunities in both academia and industry, with a strong interest in advancing targeted delivery systems for immune modulation.
Zhaowei_jiang@brown.edu
Adeya Watt
Biomedical Engineering; 3rd year
Adeya Wyatt is a third year PhD candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University studying single cell chemical genomics to better understand how cells react to treatments. She is a Presidential Fellow and Diversity Provost Fellow at Columbia, and third author on a paper currently under review. She is expected to graduate in 2027 and is interested in continuing research in either an industry or national laboratory position.
aw3507@columbia.edu
Andrea Clark-Sevilla
Computer Science; 3rd year
Andrea Clark-Sevilla is a third-year PhD student specializing in interpretable ML and causal inference at Columbia University. She has recently published her work exploring the mechanisms of preterm birth through an exploratory data analysis tool her group developed in
the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) and recently completed her fourth internship at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) where she worked on developing language models for medical transcription. Upon graduating in 2027, Andrea aspires to pursue postdoctoral research in the field of causal inference and AI methods to aid in healthcare policy and medical treatment decisions.
aoc2111@columbia.edu
Arthur Trusov
Computer Science; 1st year
My name is Arthur Trusov, attending Columbia Engineering's computer science department to focus my studies on machine learning. I have created a multi-million dollar business -- featured on Business Insider -- servicing art and consulting to the video game industry whose products wish to adapt towards an AI future, especially in the "metaverse" side of media. Upon completion of Columbia's resourceful program, I aim to work at AI startups in the United States of America with an influence of engineering ethics and servicing humanity through the power of machine learning.
ast2203@columbia.edu
Bianca Howard
b.howard@columbia.edu
Daniela Asifiwe Bushiri
Chemical Engineering; 4th year
Daniela Asifiwe Bushiri is a 4th-year Chemical Engineering PhD candidate at Columbia University, researching the development of electrocatalysts for renewable fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, with a focus on using seawater and farm runoff as sustainable sources. She is the first author of a publication in ACS Energy Materials, where she developed a catalyst to enhance seawater electrolysis. Daniela is also a Global Energy Fellow from the Center on Global Energy, which enabled her to work on a mini-grid project in rural DRC. Upon graduation, she aims to work in the energy industry, applying her expertise at the intersection of energy innovation, investment, and policy.
dab2258@columbia.edu
Donya Moghaddari
Mechanical Engineering; Bridge to PhD Scholar
My name is Donya Moghaddari, and I am a scholar in the Bridge to PhD program at Columbia University, where I engage in building energy research within the Department of Mechanical Engineering. I have previous experience in the field of biology at Georgia State University, where I examined cell death pathways by means of starvation of a parasitic species, as well as obtaining a certification program for Quality Assurance in the Life Science Industries from Pathway for Patient Health, which I completed to learn to ensure product safety and the research that drives my passion for quality assurance. At Columbia, I currently focus on developing justice-centered decarbonization strategies by integrating data science with energy modeling and as part of my academic journey, I have developed my research project on energy efficiency and urban sustainability. I anticipate on starting my PhD program upon completion of the Bridge to PhD program in 2026, hopefully to complete my PhD within the subsequent years, and I plan to pursue a career in industry in the area of Research and Development (R&D) as a PhD, which will allow me to participate in cutting-edge work as I am passionate about research and finding the best ways to ensure that the products introduced to the market are safe and beneficial for people to consume and to also apply my expertise to further explore the intersection of science and technology. I am fascinated by the processes that entail quality assurance, as well as exploring the intersection of science and technology.
dm4048@columbia.edu
Howard Nicholson
Biomedical Engineering; 4th year
Howard Nicholson III is a fourth-year biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University. His achievements include the NSF GFRP Fellowship, Blavatnik Fellowship, and Wade Scholarship and he currently serves as the DEI Chair for the Engineering Graduate Student Council. He recently published a paper discussing the effect of blood on synovial joint tissues. After graduating in May 2026, Howard aspires to combine his research and praxis to combat implicit and explicit biases, especially with respect to marginalized communities in the development of biotechnology. Additionally, Howard will continue his commitment to mentoring and advising and aims to improve Black engineering retention.
hjn2108@columbia.edu
Iram Kamdar
ik2594@columbia.edu
Joel Mugyengi
Earth & Environmental Engineering; 3rd year
My name is Joel Mugyenyi, and I am a third-year PhD student at Columbia University, specializing in Earth and Environmental Engineering with a focus on energy access. Over the past seven years, I have worked in the energy sector across low-income countries, contributing to the development of clean and sustainable energy solutions in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Nigeria. I anticipate graduating in 2026 and aim to continue my efforts in advancing energy access, either through postdoctoral research or a leadership role in the energy industry, focusing on empowering underserved communities with sustainable electricity solutions.
jm5352@columbia.edu
Joshua Crawford
Chemical Engineering; 2nd year
Joshua O. Crawford obtained his B.Sc. in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2023. During his undergraduate studies, Joshua performed research with the Zinn Combustion Lab Reacting Flow & Diagnostics Group, École Polytechnique’s Plasma Physics Laboratory, and Georgia Tech Research Institute Energy Sustainability Group investigating the application of non-equilibrium plasmas and electrochemical systems for energy and health. Now a PhD student in Prof. Juliana S.A. Carneiro’s group at Columbia University, Joshua seeks to investigate the impact of nanostructured catalyst design on redox reaction chemistry during carbon-based conversions towards improving sustainable chemical synthesis and advancing decarbonization solutions. In the future, Joshua hopes to pursue postdoctoral research in the field of catalysis prior to working in academia or a national lab.
joc2125@columbia.edu
Kay Igwe
Biomedical Engineering; 3rd year
Kelia Human
Biomedical Engineering; 5th year
My name is Kelia Human, and I am a 5th year PhD student at Columbia University studying biomedical engineering. My work focuses on developing diagnostic devices that decentralize diagnostic tests that require access to specialized equipment and lab space, increasing access and reducing the cost to lead to better healthcare interventions. I have received the TL1 trainee grant to support my work in this area. I anticipate graduating in December 2025 and plan to continue working in research either through work at a national lab or R&D in industry.
kah2258@columbia.edu
Neo Nyoni
Biomedical Engineering; 1st year
My name is Neo Nyoni, I am a first year Biomedical Engineering student at Columbia studying orthopedic tissue engineering. I am a current Blatavnik Presidential Fellow, as well as a previous GEM fellow with four different biotech internship experiences including at New England BioLabs. I anticipate graduating in 2029 with plans to stay in academia as a professor, as well as do outreach to promote diversity in engineering.
nen2122@columbia.edu
Olivia Powell
Biomedical Engineering; 5th year
Olivia Powell is a PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University. She is a member of the Morphogenesis and Developmental Biomechanics Lab led by Dr. Nandan Nerurkar, where she studies the molecular and biophysical cues that drive the formation of the early gut tube. She hopes to contribute to the field’s understanding of the developmental origins of gastrointestinal congenital disorders with her research. Olivia will graduate in May of 2025 and is seeking to transition into the field of pediatric genomics, where she can leverage next-generation sequencing technologies to understand the genetic basis of rare disease.
op2217@columbia.edu
Salma Elhassa
Biomedical Engineering; 1st year
Salma Elhassa is an MS/PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University. During her undergraduate studies, she co-authored a paper in Science Advances for her work in Eric Nestler’s lab at Icahn School of Medicine, where she investigated the neural mechanisms of stress resilience. She also co-authored a paper in Nature for her research on depression symptom severity during deep brain stimulation treatment at Baylor College of Medicine. Salma is currently exploring neural mechanisms underlying perceptual and cognitive flexibility, leveraging single-neuron recordings and computational methods. She aims to continue in academia, focusing on understanding how neural circuits interact and how these regions utilize computational algorithms, which may reveal compensatory mechanisms in brains affected by disorders.
se2646@columbia.edu
Sharifa Davis
Biomedical Engineering; 2nd year
Sharifa Davis is a second year graduate student pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University. She is a 2023 Genentech GEM Fellow, and a 2021 One Young World Scholar. As a published researcher in nanostructured lipid carrier drug delivery, Sharifa is interested in translational research. Her current research area of focus is on developing potential therapies for retinal diseases including gene-dependent and gene agnostic engineering approaches. Following graduation in 2028 Sharifa will pursue her aspirations of applying her knowledge of genome engineering to a career in biotechnology.
sad2208@columbia.edu
Vongaishe Mutatu
Mechanical Engineering; 2nd year
My name is Vongaishe Mutatu and I am a second year in the mechanical engineering department at Columbia University. I’ve recently been accepted to present my research at the EEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference. I anticipate graduating in May 2028 and post grad I plan to work for a world organization doing development research work focused on increasing energy access and developing better energy systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.
vem2129@columbia.edu
Ying Tong Yue
Chemical Engineering; 3rd year
My name is Ying Tong Yue, a third year PhD student in Chemical Engineering at Columbia University. My research focused on developing nucleotide based inhibitors for RNA virus polymerase using molecular engineering methods. My anticipated graduation year is 2027. I am planning on doing postdoctoral research after my graduation exploring how AI can help with the drug discovery process. After that I will look for a research position in the industry or national laboratories.
yy2866@columbia.edu
Zhiyi Zhang
Data Science; 1st year
zz3274@columbia.edu
AdePeju Oshodi
Immunology; 2nd year
My name is AdePeju Oshodi. I’m in my second year of a PhD at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. My research interests are gut and B cell biology within the field of immunology. In the future I plan to continue in academic research that endeavors to provide solutions with clinical promise.
ao373@cornell.edu
Ayana Monroe
Information Science; 2nd year
Ayana Monroe is a 2nd Year Information Science student at Cornell University studying the techniques to create and values surrounding more transparent and trustworthy information ecosystems. She was awarded the National GEM Consortium PhD Fellowship, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and the Hopper-Dean / Bowers CIS Dean’s Excellence Fellowship. She intends to begin a career as an Industry Researcher after she graduates in 2028.
aam285@cornell.edu
Bradon Thymes
Computer Science; 3rd year
Bradon Thymes is a third year Computer Science PhD student at Cornell University, working on multimodal LLMs for video understanding. His accomplishments include being awarded the GEM Fellowship and the Hopper-Dean Fellowship. During the academic year, he has worked as a teaching assistant and as a research assistant on multiple published projects. Bradon's anticipated graduation year is in 2027 and his career goal is to join an industry lab.
bmt63@cornell.edu
Deepanjali Chowdhury
Materials Science & Engineering; 1st year
Deepanjali Chowdhury is a first-year PhD Student at Cornell University studying Materials Science and Engineering. Throughout her academic career, she has been awarded the Posse Foundation Full Tuition Scholarship as an undergraduate, had 3 primary-authored papers published, and various leadership positions through her involvement in Texas A&M University Eta Kappa Nu and Cornell University LATTICE (MSE Graduate Student Association). Her anticipated year of graduation is 2029 and she aims to find post-doctoral research, work on a startup, or go into industry.
dc997@cornell.edu
Dorothy Doughty
Materials Science & Engineering; 1st year
Dorothy Doughty is a first year Material Science PhD student at Cornell University. She received a physics degree from Rutgers University and was a researcher at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. She does research in thin film synthesis through molecular beam epitaxy with work in pyrochlore irritates and grew the first known successful growth of Holmium Iridate. She was honorable mention for NSF GRFP, winner of the Lawrence Livermore National Lab leadership award, and received the Henry Rutgers Award for outstanding thesis. Dorothy will continue to work in thin film synthesis over the next several years and hopes to seek a post doctoral research position after her time at Cornell.
ded93@cornell.edu
Eleana Cintron
Biomedical Engineering; 1st year
I am a first-year PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University with a strong interest in exploring the effects of biomaterials on cellular interactions. As a recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship, I have been fortunate to engage in diverse research experiences. From contributing to the largest histological database on the human vagus nerve to addressing environmental challenges like harmful algae blooms in Sandusky Bay, I have developed a passion for interdisciplinary research. My journey in academia is just beginning, and I aim to continue advancing knowledge through postdoctoral research and ultimately becoming a leader in the field of biomedical engineering
ec946@cornell.edu
Freda Appiagyei
Electrical & Computer Engineering; 2nd year
I am Freda Appiagyei, a PhD student at Cornell University specializing in Integrated Circuit (IC) design within the Electrical and Computer Engineering department. I am gaining experience through my research on designing tiny robots on chips, currently focusing on enabling their movement, which in the future will have numerous applications. I anticipate graduating in 2029 and aim to pursue a career in the semiconductor industry, where I hope to contribute to a major semiconductor company and mentor others by sharing my experiences.
fa324@cornell.edu
Gemmechu Hassena
Computer Science; 3rd year
My name is Gemmechu Hassena, and I am a 3rd-year Computer Science PhD student at Cornell University. Throughout my academic career, I have published two research papers, with one currently under review. I actively participate in community work and service, for which I have received from Cornell the 'Exemplary Service Award for Early Career Graduate Students' and the 'Bowers CIS Distinguished Leadership in Service Award.' I plan to graduate in 2027 and aim to enter the faculty job market as a tenure-track professor.
gmh72@cornell.edu
Kaylin Borders
Aerospace Engineering; 2nd year
My name is Kaylin Borders and I am a 2nd year PhD student at Cornell University studying thermal management for electric propulsion thrusters specifically Hall Effect Thrusters. I am an awardee of the GEM, NSF, and NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities fellowship award and have a conducted research at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After graduation in 2028, I plan to pursue a postdoctoral position at a national laboratory or NASA research center furthering the development of advanced space propulsion systems.
kvb28@cornell.edu
Lydia Calderon-Aceituno
Aerospace Engineering; 2nd year
Lydia Calderon-Aceituno is a 2nd year PhD student studying swarm robotics in the Collective Embodied Intelligence Lab at Cornell University. This year, Lydia was awarded a GEM fellowship sponsored by MIT Lincoln Lab. She anticipates to graduate in 2028 and continue on to a research position in an industry or national lab.
lic27@cornell.edu
Nhan Tran
Computer Science; 3rd year
I'm Nhan (Ñan) Tran, a third-year Computer Science Ph.D. student at Cornell, currently researching Augmented Reality and Human-Computer Interaction. I recently published a paper titled "Personal Time-Lapse," which I will present at UIST 2024. I also have a project under review for CHI 2025. I plan to graduate in 2027 and am open to opportunities in both academia and industry.
nt322@cornell.edu
Talisi Meyer
Material Science & Engineering; 5th year
tm647@cornell.edu
Ada Yildirim
Electrical & Computer Engineering; 1st year
Ada Yıldırım is currently pursuing her PhD studies at Dartmouth College, Thayer School of Engineering working on diverse applications of machine learning and reinforcement learning. She worked at Boston University’s STIR Lab with Prof. Vivek Goyal and Bogazici University’s BOUNtenna Lab with Assoc. Prof. Sema Dumanli Oktar during her undergraduate studies. She is interested in applying her knowledge to research and development efforts in related industrial fields after her expected graduation in 2029.
ada.yildirim.th@dartmouth.edu
Aida Aghaeizadeh Kamakoli
Engineering Science; 2nd year
My name is Aida Aghaeizadeh Kamakoli, and I am a PhD student in the Energy Engineering Program at Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College. Our lab focuses on biofuel production from non-edible plant residues, and my work involves understanding the interaction between microbial co-cultures and improving carbon recovery efficiency, which contributes to the field of sustainable energy. I anticipate graduating in 2027 and aim to pursue postdoctoral research and a career in academia, where I hope to apply my expertise in renewable energy technologies.
aida.aghaeizadeh.kamakoli.th@dartmouth.edu
Allaire Doussan
Biomedical & Electrical Engineering; 5th year
My name is Allaire Doussan, I am a PhD student at Dartmouth studying biomedical engineering with a focus on medical device hardware development. I am a fellow of the PhD Innovation program and have assisted two Dartmouth start up companies with hardware development for medical devices, additionally I have received a citation for going above and beyond as a teaching assistant for Fourier Transforms. I currently have 3 published papers focusing on the use of Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) for surgical margin assessment in robotic assisted radical prostatectomies and for pulmonary function monitoring in neuromuscular diseases. I am anticipating graduating in the spring of 2025 and am open to working in academia or industry as long as the work fits my interests at the alignment of electrical and biomedical engineering.
allaire.f.doussan.th@dartmouth.edu
Amritha Anup
Biomedical Engineering; 2nd year
aa.th@dartmouth.edu
Bishal Dev Sharma
Biological & Chemical Engineering; 5th year
bishal.d.sharma.th@dartmouth.edu
Bruno Henrique
Artificial Intelligence; 3rd year
My name is Bruno Henrique, 3rd year PhD candidate at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. I am a Fulbright scholar researching Artificial Intelligence, with previous publications in the intersection of Finance and Machine Learning. I aim to graduate by 2026 and become a researcher in industry, tech or financial institutions.
bruno.miranda.henrique.th@dartmouth.edu
Ene M. Igomu
Materials Science & Engineering; 2nd year
My name is Ene Michelle Igomu, and I am a second-year PhD student at Dartmouth College, focusing on hydrogen research and the development of 3D-printed Electrocatalysts for catalytic applications. In my research, I've gained extensive experience in electrochemical analysis and catalyst synthesis, process optimization, and contributed to advancing 3D-printed carbon lattices for catalytic applications, all of which demonstrate my ability to drive innovation in hydrogen research.
I expect to graduate in 2028 and hope to work in the Energy industry's Research & Development sector, where I can use my expertise in catalyst development to drive innovation in sustainable energy solutions. My objective is to contribute to cutting-edge research that leads to real, impactful advances in hydrogen technology and other emerging fields.
ene.m.igomu.th@dartmouth.edu
Emma Graham
emma.graham.th@dartmouth.edu
Isaiah Richardson
Biological & Chemical Engineering; 2nd year
My name is Isaiah Richardson. I am a second year PhD student in the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth concentrating in Biological and Chemical Engineering. My research is broadly focused on performing metabolic engineering in anaerobic thermophilic bacteria for the production of biofuels from cellulosic biomass. Within the first year of my PhD, my research aimed at quantifying acetaldehyde production in Clostridium thermocellum led to the inclusion of my work in an article published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry titled, "The role of AdhE on ethanol tolerance and production in Clostridium thermocellum." Following my graduation from Dartmouth in 2028, I plan to pursue postdoctoral research focused on plant metabolic pathway discovery and translation into model microbes for the production of plant natural products from sugars in a sustainable and scalable manner.
isaiah.d.richardson.th@dartmouth.edu
Juan S. Salcedo-Gallo
Quantum Engineering; 2nd year
Hey! I'm Juan S. Salcedo-Gallo, I'm a PhD Student at Dartmouth, where we are studying and developing quantum information science and technologies in our lab!
f006nvc@dartmouth.edu
Lilly Yang
Operations Research; 4th year
Lilly Yang is a Ph.D. candidate in Operations Research at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. Her research focuses on optimal sustainable network designs, particularly in the areas of energy transitions in fragile states aligned with UN decarbonization goals and food waste management for climate mitigation. She expects to graduate in June 2024 and is exploring both industry positions and postdoctoral opportunities to continue her work in the field of Operations Research.
lilly.yang.th@dartmouth.edu
Madeline Hoey
Chemical Engineering; 5th year
Madeline Hoey is a PhD candidate with a focus on Energy Engineering at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. Following the completion of a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Rochester in 2019, she worked at the University of Copenhagen to study electron sources for lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) for biomass degradation, funded by a Fulbright Research grant. Her current work focuses on microbial cellulose utilization using a cotreatment with consolidated bioprocessing regime for bioethanol production. This work has led to two collaborative papers: “Scale Sensitivity of Ethanol Production via Consolidated Bioprocessing with Consideration of Feedstock Cost” and “Soil Application of High-Lignin Fermentation Byproduct to Increase the Sustainability of Liquid Biofuel Production from Crop Residues.” After graduation (projected 2025), she intends to work at the intersection of science and policy, with the goal of contributing to federal policymaking related to renewable energy.
madeline.j.hoey.th@dartmouth.edu
Mateusz Nowak
Engineering; 1st year
My name is Mateusz Nowak a current PhD Engineering student at Dartmouth College, focusing on Machine Learning. As part of my research, I have collaborated with many companies in the industry (Samsung, Disney and Huawei). I have two papers on efficient machine learning in computer vision and differentiable rendering in the review. As for my future goals, I want to follow my academic career and do a post-doc at a university in the US.
mateusz.m.nowak.th@dartmouth.edu
Sadaf Tabatabaei
Biomedical Engineering; 2nd year
My name is Sadafossadat Tabatabaei an international 2nd year PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Dartmouth College. I got my master's in Isfahan University of Technology were I wrote a paper on brain tumor classification with deep learning, and during my first year of PhD, I participated on Dartmouth Digital health care accelerator and won $50,000 with my team. I anticipate to build my own start-up after graduation to implement my idea with the help of research that I am participating in my lab during PhD.
sadafossadat.tabatabaei.th@dartmouth.edu
Varsha Shukla
Engineering; 3rd year
Varsha Shukla is a PhD candidate at Dartmouth College, specializing in computer science with a focus on large language model evaluation and standardization. She has collaborated with IEEE to develop standards for LLM evaluation and has published research on optimizing LLM performance. Anticipated to graduate in 2025, Varsha aims to continue her work in the AI industry, contributing to cutting-edge advancements in natural language processing.
varsha.shukla.th@dartmouth.edu
Xiangbei Liu
Mechanical Engineering; 3rd year
I am a third-year PhD candidate at Dartmouth College, specializing in mechanical and materials engineering. My research has led to the publication of a first-author paper on the generation of zero Poisson's ratio metamaterials using highly unbalanced datasets. I anticipate completing my PhD in 2026 and am eager to pursue a career in the industry post-graduation.
xiangbei.liu.th@dartmouth.edu
Xinyue (Robin) Zou
Energy Engineering; 3rd year
My name is Robin Zou and I’m a third year Energy Engineering PhD candidate at Dartmouth Thayer Engineering School working with Prof. Erin Mayfield. My work focuses on modeling the decarbonization process of the U.S. iron and steel sector; in addition to the on-campus research project, I also worked on a Department of Energy funded direct air capture project with industry this summer. I am expecting to graduate in 2027 and hope to work in the industry as a research scientist. I hope my research can help people to make better decisions on decarbonization projects or related topics.
xinyue.zou.th@dartmouth.edu
Ya Tang
Materials Science & Engineering; 2nd year
Ya Tang is a PhD student at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. His research focuses on 3D printing, multifunctional materials design, and the design, modeling, and fabrication of high-performance thermoelectric and piezoelectric materials and devices. He has published six papers in this field and is expected to graduate in three years.
Ya.Tang.TH@Dartmouth.edu
Yanqiao Li
Electrical Engineering; 6th year
Yanqiao Li is a PhD candidate in electrical engineering at Dartmouth College. He is working in integrated circuits for low-power, high-voltage applications. He has 8 publications in top conferences and journals with 2 pending patents. Yanqiao is the recipient of 2023 IEEE COMPEL best paper award and travel grants from 2023 IEEE COMPEL, 2023 IEEE ECCE and NSF national I-Corps program. He will graduate in the winter of 2025 and he is working on a start-up commercializing his research to enrich human-machine interaction with the sense of touch.
Yanqiao.Li.TH@dartmouth.edu
Andrea Biju
Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering; 1st year
I am Andrea Elizabeth Biju, a G1 PhD student in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering at the John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. I am interested in autonomic neuromodulation therapies, as well as mathematical modeling of biological systems. I have previously published a paper on the 'Dynamics of Minimal Networks of Limit Cycle Oscillators' in the journal Nonlinear Dynamics, where I present a general model of an oscillatory network to understand the effect of interactions on the overall system behavior. During my PhD, I wish to bring new perspectives to the development of neuroprosthesis by improving our theoretical understanding of human physiology. Going ahead, I wish to enter academia in my home country, India.
aandreabiju@g.harvard.edu
Andrea Tang
Biophysics; 1st year
yixingtang@fas.harvard.edu
Clara Xie
Material Science & Mechanical Engineering/Computational Science & Engineering; 3rd year
Hi, my name is Clare Yijia Xie, and I am currently pursuing a PhD in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering, with a secondary field in Computational Science and Engineering, at Harvard University. Before joining Harvard, I worked as a research engineer at the Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC) in Singapore, where I focused on catalysis and material screening. I am supported by the National Science Scholarship (BS-PhD) from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). I anticipate graduating in 2027 and hope to work as a research scientist at the intersection of academia and industry.
Elena Vasquez
Applied Physics; 2nd year
Hello, my name is Elena Vasquez and I am pursuing my PhD in Applied Physics, through doing research in engineering new optical methods for imaging in medicine. I am one of Harvard’s Prize Fellowship recipients, as well as was awarded the Association of Physicists in Medicine Fellowships when attending UC Berkeley for my undergraduate studies, both of which demonstrate my capabilities to provide diverse thought in my chosen field. I plan to graduate in 2028, with the hopes of going into the medical technology or biotechnology industry to continue to create better suited imaging technologies particularly for women’s diseases.
elenavasquez@g.harvard.edu
Esther Brown
Computer Science; 3rd year
estherbrown@g.harvard.edu
Eva Langenbrunner
Mechanical Engineering; Postbaccalaureate
elangenbrunner@g.harvard.edu
Jennifer Shum
Mechanical Engineering; 7th year
Jennifer Shum studies mechanical engineering at Harvard University, where she builds small insect-scale robots in the Harvard Microrobotics Lab. As an NDSEG fellow she has explored compliant electroadhesive design for microrobotic climbing, with recent publication in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L). She plans to graduate at the end of 2024 and is seeking industry and national lab research positions to bring engineering to life in the world around us.
jennifershum@g.harvard.edu
Jun-yeob Moon
Materials Science; 3rd year
jmoon@g.harvard.edu
Kamar Reda
kreda@fas.harvard.edu
Karen Li
Robotics; 1st year
karenli@g.harvard.edu
Katie Barajas
Applied Physics; 1st year
kbarajas@g.harvard.edu
Ninad Jadhav
Robotics; 7th year
njadhav@g.harvard.edu
Patrick Puma
Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering; 1st year
ppuma@g.harvard.edu
Saba Zerefa
Electrical Engineering; 1st year
Saba Zerefa is a first-year PhD student at Harvard, specializing in control theory and reinforcement learning. Saba received her BS from Harvard College in 2023, where she studied electrical engineering and mathematics. She hopes to pursue a career in academia as a professor.
szerefa@g.harvard.edu
Shuming Kang
Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering; 2nd year
kyriekang@g.harvard.edu
Sukanya Krishna
Bioengineering /Computer Science; 1st year
Hello, I am Sukanya Krishna, a first year PhD student in the Engineering and Applied Sciences program at Harvard University. I am interested in research that is at the intersection of machine learning algorithms and applications in healthcare. I have held various positions in industry working on healthcare analytics and developing better data engineering pipelines for patient data. I have worked many different research roles, and I am fortunate to have been the recipient of the IRIS-HEP undergraduate fellowship to fund one of my research projects developing machine learning algorithms for applications in particle physics. Following my PhD (anticipated 2029) I hope to continue in academia and pursue postdoctoral research.
sukanyakrishna@g.harvard.edu
Xinhe Zhang
Neuroengineering; 4th year
xinhezhang@g.harvard.edu
Zeyu Ma
zeyuma@fas.harvard.edu
Angel Vasquez
Nuclear Science & Engineering; 1st year
angel.vasquez2@icloud.com
Charlotte Park
Computer Science; 3rd year
cispark@mit.edu
Christopher Carter
Mechanical Engineering; 4th year
Christopher Carter is a 4th year mechanical engineering graduate student at MIT studying aerospace materials. He is a coauthor of two papers and a patent related to 3D printed metals for high temperature applications. Expected to graduate in May of 2026, Chris' career goals included academia and entrepreneurial work.
cpcarter@mit.edu
Sergio Quispe Sanchez
sergioq@mit.edu
Teya Bergamaschi
Machine Learning for Healthcare; 4th year
teya@mit.edu
Tobi Majekodunmi
Mechanical Engineering; 2nd year
Tobi Majekodunmi is a PhD student in MIT’s Mechanical Engineering Department on a mission to ensure a sustainable world for our future generations. In Mechanical Engineering, he is working on an energy storage system for renewables, however, during his time at MIT his interests have expanded to include the clean energy transition’s social challenges as well as the technical. Tobi has been awarded the NSF GRFP and GEM Fellowships, and has recently done work with MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning to establish “Green” permanent affordable-housing in the Greater Boston area. After graduating in May 2028, Tobi will go into a career at the intersection of academia, policy, and government (e.g., the DOE) that impacts global sustainability policy, and environmental justice efforts at the intersection of marginalized communities' needs, climate change, and the clean energy transition.
tmajek@mit.edu
Andre Roots
Biongineering; 3rd year
My name is Andre Roots. I am a third-year Bioengineering PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania. I have done research during internship through DoD directorate with an engineering focus. I anticipate graduating in Spring of 2027 and will seek career opportunities in national laboratories.
amoroots@seas.upenn.edu
Dora Racca
dracca@seas.upenn.edu
Gabriela Gomez-Dopazo
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering; 2nd year
Hello! My name is Gabriela Gomez-Dopazo, I am a second year PhD student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department at UPenn and my research focuses on Bicontinuous Interfacially Jammed Emulsion Gels, their applications and using autonomous experimentation for their fabrication. I published my undergraduate research titled "Cellulose acetate microwell plates for high-throughput colorimetric assays" in RSC Advances and was selected to be part of the University of Pennsylvania’s National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program. I am on course to graduate in 2028 and am currently still deciding between pursuing industry or academia.
gbgd@seas.upenn.edu
Grace Hinds
Bioengineering; 2nd year
My name is Grace Hinds and I am a second year PhD student in the Bioengineering Department at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to attending the University of Pennsylvania I worked in industry for two years in allogeneic cell therapy production, optimization, and analysis which honed my skills in translational research. Currently, I am researching female reproductive biology using organ-on-a-chip systems to model the endometrium and the placenta. I plan to graduate in 2029 and I am open to any research environment that advances women's health, including academia, industry, or other research institutions.
ghinds12@seas.upenn.edu
Isabella Lopez
Bioengineering; 1st year
My name is Isabella Lopez and I am a first-year Phd Student in Bioengineering at UPenn studying biomaterials, immunoengineering, and regenerative medicine/engineering. I recently published review paper on biomaterial and tissue engineering approaches to study reproductive biology and toxicology. My anticipated graduation year is 2030 and I foresee myself pursuing a postdoctoral position either in industry or academia.
isalop@seas.upenn.edu
Mistica Lozano Perez
Bioengineering; 2nd year
Hola! My name is Mistica, and I am a PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in bioengineering. My research focuses on the cellular response to mechanical cues, and I have previously worked in orthopedic regeneration, studying osteogenic differentiation through osteoconductive materials. I anticipate graduating in 2028 and aspire to establish my own lab to further explore cellular regeneration capabilities with a minor focus on aging.
mistica@seas.upenn.edu
Oreva Omodior
Mechanical Engineering; 2nd year
Oreva Omodior is a second year Mechanical Engineering PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he works with Professor Bargatin to conduct research on investigating photophoretic levitation capabilities for micro-scaled devices. In addition to being a recipient of the NSF GRFP and the Penn Presidential Fellowship, Oreva is actively involved around campus as he serves as the President of the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Association (MEGA) and VP of Community Relations for the Black Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (BGAPSA). Oreva anticipates graduating during the summer of 2028, after which he plans to pursue postdoctoral research and eventually a tenure track faculty position.
oreomodi@seas.upenn.edu
Sydni Wilson
Materials Science & Engineering; 2nd year
My name is Sydni Wilson, and I am a second-year PhD student in the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of Pennsylvania. My research focuses on studying the interfacial interactions between lipid nanoparticles and mineralized surfaces. I am investigating various nanoparticles to identify optimal properties for targeted delivery to these surfaces. I anticipate graduating in 2028 and aim to pursue a career in industry, specializing in biomaterials research.
sydniw@seas.upenn.edu
Viviana Alpizar Vargas
Bioengineering; 2nd year
My name is Viviana Alpizar Vargas and I am a second-year bioengineering PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania working in the Kacy Cullen laboratory focusing on developing tissue engineering technologies for neuronal regeneration. I am a Fontaine Fellow and am a contributing author in 7 published or in-preparation publications. I anticipate to graduate in 2029 and I hope to lead my own laboratory researching neurodegeneration and rare neurological diseases.
valpizar@seas.upenn.edu
Andrea Niyongabo Rubungo
Computer Science; 3rd year
My name is Andre Niyongabo Rubungo, and I am a PhD candidate in Computer Science at Princeton University. My research centers on developing machine learning methods for materials property prediction and discovery. Recently, our work on applying large language models to materials property prediction was recognized with the Best Poster Award at the Materials Research Society Conference. I expect to graduate in 2027 and plan to pursue a career as a research scientist in industry or research laboratories.
rn3004@princeton.edu
Gaoyuan Wu
Civil Engineering; 5th year
Gaoyuan Wu is a Ph.D. student in civil engineering at Princeton University. His research focuses on developing innovative structures to promote coastal resilience and using high-performance computing with automatic differentiation to enhance structural optimization. He has first-authored several journal papers in Engineering Structures, Coastal Engineering, and Structural & Multidisciplinary Optimization and is a recipient of the SEI Futures Fund award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Gaoyuan expects to graduate in 2025 and aims to pursue a career in academia or research, advancing resilient and sustainable infrastructure to address climate change.
gaoyuanw@princeton.edu
Gillian Chu
Computer Science; 3rd year
gc3045@cs.princeton.edu
Howard Yen
Computer Science; 1st year
hyen@princeton.edu
Isabel Moreira de Oliveira
Civil Engineering; 5th year
I'm Isabel Moreira de Oliveira, a 5th year Ph.D. Candidate at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Princeton University. My work focuses on the design of lightweight structures, particularly on a kirigami floor system where sheets are cut and reconfigured to attain enhanced mechanical behavior. My work has been published in the journal of Thin-Walled Structures and several conferences, awarded 3rd place in the Simulia Americas Users Conference Poster Competition, and won first place in the AISC Forge Prize competition for innovative steel structural design. I hope to apply skills on mechanics simulations and automated geometric design generation on future postdoctoral research positions after my graduation in 2025.
imdo@princeton.edu
Jiachen Wang
Electrical & Computer Engineering; 4th year
Jiachen is a fourth-year Ph.D. student at Princeton University, where he is advised by Prof. Prateek Mittal and collaborates closely with Prof. Ruoxi Jia at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on data-centric machine learning from a rigorous statistical perspective. Currently, he is developing principled and scalable data attribution techniques for foundation models. Jiachen's work has been recognized with multiple oral and spotlight presentations at top conferences, including NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, and AISTATS.
tianhaowang@princeton.edu
Lekang Yuan
Electrical & Computer Engineering; 1st year
My name is Lekang Yuan, and I am a first-year PhD student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Princeton University. Prior to Princeton, I worked in Prof. Qionghai Dai’s lab at Tsinghua University, where we developed advanced miniaturized microscopes for neural recording in freely moving animals, with our first-generation system published in Nature Biomedical Engineering and our second-generation ultra-compact wireless system currently under validation. In the next five years at Princeton, I may continue to develop advanced miniaturized imaging systems, apply them to a wider range of applications, and build large neuro-behavior datasets for neuroscience foundations models along this line of work. I'm also interested in broader topics in computational imaging and neurotechnology. After graduation, I intend to pursue a position in either industry or academia.
ly7150@princeton.edu
Luxi (Lucy) He
luxihe@princeton.edu
M. Shaharyar Wani
Electrical & Computer Engineering; 4th year
Shaharyar Wani, a Guggenheim Fellow, holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Kashmir and a master's in energy sciences from Jamia Millia Islamia. His research focuses on engineering bio-derived graphitic aerogel for energy and water applications. Wani has published in the Journal of Electronic Materials and ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. Upon completing his doctorate, he aims to work on global energy and water challenges as a postdoctoral researcher and, eventually, as a professor.
shaharyarwani@princeton.edu
Matthew Sima
Civil & Environmental Engineering; 5th year
Msima@princeton.edu
Nathaniel Chen
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering; 2nd year
I am Nathaniel Chen, studying methods to optimize nuclear fusion control with artificial intelligence in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department at Princeton University. I have lead experiments at DIII-D national fusion facility, the largest in America, and have developed methods of characterizing divertor detachment. I hope to graduate in 2028 with the goal of realizing commercial fusion energy in industry or academia.
nathaniel@princeton.edu
Niusha Moshrefi
Electrical & Computer Engineering; 2nd year
This is Niusha Moshrefi, second year PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering dept of Princeton University. My interests lie in the intersection of blockchains, distributed systems, and machine learning. I am an entrepreneur and my company works on blockchain bridges with economic security.
nm5851@princeton.edu
Rafael Pastrana
Structural Engineering; 5th year
arpastrana@princeton.edu
Shai Caspin
Computer Science; 4th year
My name is Shai Caspin and I'm currently a 4th year Ph.D. student in Computer Science at Princeton University where I'm supported by an NSF GRFP and a Gordon Wu Fellowship. My research centers around using programming languages to design safe computer systems. My anticipated graduation date is in the spring of 2026, and after graduating I'm interested in continuing to do research in either academia or industry.
scaspin@princeton.edu
Sneha Ramshanker
Robotics; 3rd year
sr6848@princeton.edu
Tanvi Namjoshi
Computer Science; 1st year
Tanvi Namjoshi is a first-year Master’s student in Computer Science at Princeton University. She is interested in algorithmic fairness and the societal impact of machine learning, especially LLMs. Recently, she has been conducting research on how LLMs are used in the education space. She will graduate from Princeton in 2026, and plans to look for positions in industry where she can continue studying these topics.
namjoshi@princeton.edu
Tianze Jiang
Statistics; 1st year
I'm Tianze Jiang, a first-year Ph.D. student at Princeton ORFE, working on topics related to theoretical computer science, statistical theory, machine learning, and applied probability. I am supported by a Francis Upton Fellowship and have previously published in Machine Learning conferences such as COLT and NeurIPS. I am expected to graduate in 2029 and I look forward to furthering my research in academia or industry research roles.
tzjiang@princeton.edu
Yitian Liang
Civil & Environmental Engineering; 3rd year
I am Yitian Liang, a third-year Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University working on structural health monitoring. I have worked on innovative research, analyzing data collected from on-site projects, and have presented my findings at key conferences in the field. I anticipate graduating in 2027, and I aim to pursue a position in academia to continue advancing structural health monitoring techniques for civil infrastructure.
ytliang@princeton.edu
Arlind Kacirani
Chemical Engineering; 4th year
Arlind Kacirani is a 4th year graduate student in the Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering at Yale University. His research in Prof. Amir Haji-Akbari's Computational Soft Matter group includes using molecular dynamics (MD) and enhanced sampling methods to investigate the thermodynamics and conformational dynamics of human gamma-D crystallin, a protein whose missfolding and subsequent aggregation are known to be a hallmark of age-onset cataracts. In his department, Arlind has been noted for his research and teaching with the Robert Langer Best Research Presentation Award, and the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. He intends to continue his academic bid as a postdoctoral researcher where he hopes to blend themodynamics, kinetics and physics informed ML for investigating human disease relevant biomolecular systems.
arlind.kacirani@yale.edu
Celine Liu
Biomedical Engineering; 1st year
I'm Celine Liu, a 1st-year Ph.D. student in Biomedical Engineering at Yale University. My research focuses on the intersection of decellularized hydrogel and Glioblastoma therapy, based on my Master's thesis on GBM cell cycle and epigenetic plasticity. I expect to graduate in 2029 to pursue my enthusiasm for developing disease-specific biomaterials.
celine.liu@yale.edu
Ethen Lund
Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science; 6th year
Ethen Lund is a 6th year PhD student in Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science at Yale University, studying metallic glass and alloy recyclability. He is experienced in physical metallurgy and analytical chemistry and, during his PhD, completed two internships, working on material recovery from recycling at Apple and materials engineering for extreme environments at Commonwealth Fusion Systems. Ethen expects to defend his thesis in Spring 2025 and will then begin a career in consulting, with an intent to focus on materials circularity and fusion energy.
ethen.lund@yale.edu
Farrah Mohammed
Biomedical Engineering/Neural Engineering; 6th year
I am Farrah Shalima Mohammed, a 6th year Ph.D Candidate at Yale University in the department of Biomedical Engineering studying Traumatic Brain Injury using nanotechnology. I am a NSF GFRP Fellow, a Ford Fellow, and have recently published reviews on nanotechnology with regard to treating ischemic stroke and TBIs. I plan to graduate spring of 2025 and hope to enter a post-doctoral position abroad where I can learn new technical skills, expand my scope of expertise into tissue engineering, and continue my work in outreach.
farrah.mohammed@yale.edu
Hanahmariam Mekbib
Biomedical Engineering; 6th year
hannahmaraim.mekbib@yale.edu
Harshvardhan Babla
Quantum Computing; 4th year
My name is Harshvardhan Babla, and I am from Tanzania. I currently am a Ph.D. student in the Applied Physics department at Yale, working on optimizing hardware for error-correction on quantum computers. As an undergraduate student, at Princeton, my research was awarded the Peter Mark prize for Innovation in Material Science. As a graduate student I have presented my research at the annual American Physical Society (APS) conferences in 2022 and 2023, as well as at the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Italy. Our work on the "Dual-Rail superconducting qubit" was recently published (https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2221736120) and I have another paper which will be uploaded onto ArXiV quite soon. I hope to continue within academia, pursuing a postdoc in quantum computing.
harsh.babla@yale.edu
Jiali Fan
Drug Delivery; 2nd year
jiali.fan@yale.edu
Julia Bauer
Applied Physics; 1st year
julia.bauer@yale.edu
Omar Khalifa
Chemical Engineering; 4th year
My name is Omar Khalifa, and I am a PhD candidate in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University. My research focuses on computational modeling of ion and water transport in nanoporous membranes. As part of a collaborative project, we elucidated pore-pore correlations in charged nanopores that influence ion and water permeability. I expect to graduate in Spring 2026 and am open to pursuing postdoctoral research or industry positions.
omar.khalifa@yale.edu
Saba Fooladi
Biomedical Engineering; 1st year
saba.fooladi@yale.edu
Yunzhe Zheng
Applied Physics; 1st year
My name is Yunzhe Zheng. I am currently a graduate student at Yale Applied Physics and I am working on the theory of quantum error correction. I have worked on the theoretical side of quantum information for years and have two work published on APS journals. I am also a Qiskit advocate and winner of the QHack OpenHackathon in 2023. I am expected to graduate in three or four years and would like to be a quantum information theorist in academia.
yunzhe.zheng@yale.edu
Zixie Liang
Biomedical Engineering; 3rd year
Zixie Liang is a third-year Ph.D. student at Yale University under the guidance of Dr. Michael Mak, specializing in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on 3D bioprinting, stem cell technologies, and cardiovascular tissue engineering. She has developed a 3D bioprinting technique that enhances the printability of collagen-rich bioinks at low concentrations with physiologically relevant cell densities, thereby improving biocompatibility and tissue functionality. Zixie applied these techniques to create tissue-engineered vascular grafts for transplantation and ventricular cardiac models for drug toxicity evaluation, with her work presented at international conferences, including BMES and TERMIS, and under revision in top-tier journals such as Nature Materials, Acta Biomaterialia, and Advanced Healthcare Materials. Before joining Yale, Zixie earned an M.S. in Bioengineering at Duke University under the supervision of Dr. George Truskey, where her research focused on testing novel senotherapeutics using an atherosclerosis tissue-engineered blood vessel model that simulated endothelial cell senescence induced by oxidative stress. She anticipates graduating in 2026 and plans to pursue a postdoctoral position to apply her expertise in tissue fabrication and advance research in disease modeling and tissue regeneration, with a focus on cardiovascular health and chronic inflammatory diseases.
zixie.liang@yale.edu