IMS

Ryan Anthony Kowalski, from Taunton, Massachusetts, is this year’s Founder’s Medalist for the Graduate School. He is graduating with a doctor of philosophy in interdisciplinary materials science. Kowalski is the first student from the interdisciplinary materials science (IMS) program to receive this honor. Kowalski’s research… Read More

Huijin (Ginny) An, a graduate student in interdisciplinary materials science at Vanderbilt University, has been awarded the Parkhutik Prize for the most outstanding poster at the recent Porous Semiconductors Science and Technology (PSST) conference in Naples, Italy. The Parkhutik Prize recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of porous silicon… Read More

We are excited to announce that Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University graduate students Sariah D’Empaire-Salomon and Andrew Steiner have been selected for the 2026 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP). This highly competitive fellowship selected approximately 2,500 recipients from nearly 14,000 applicants nationwide and is… Read More

Sajal Islam has been named a recipient of the highly competitive 2026 IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (NPSS) Graduate Scholarship Award. He recently completed his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University’s Interdisciplinary Materials Science (IMS) and will graduate in May 2026. The award includes a $2,500 prize and certificate and recognizes… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Brayden Terry, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the supervision of Al Strauss “Friction Stir Welding of Thin Sheet Nitinol: Dissimilar Materials and Heat Treatment” 3.25.26 | 9:00 am | 132 Olin Hall| Zoom Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining method that sees use in the… Read More

Matthew Vasuta has been selected to receive the 2026 Provost’s Pathbreaking Discovery Award, a premier university honor recognizing doctoral students who demonstrate truly exceptional research and scholarship. Vasuta is a fourth-year PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program and a member of Professor G. Kane… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Kieran Nehil-Puleo, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the supervision of Peter Cummings “Towards virtual autonomous material design” 3.4.26 | 3:00 pm | 134 Olin Hall | Zoom Virtual autonomous material design is a computational paradigm in which artificial intelligence, high-throughput simulations, and adaptive optimization algorithms work together… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Sajal Islam, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the supervision of Ron Schrimpf and Josh Caldwell “Enhancing Reliability in Ga₂O₃, GaN and SiC Wide-Bandgap Semiconductor Devices through Structural Design Improvement and Radiation Effects Analysis” 12.16.25 | 11:00 am | ISDE Conference Room | Zoom Wide bandgap semiconductor technologies,… Read More

  Can you measure electricity generated by simply shining light on a solar cell? On Wednesday, November 19, VINSE welcomed 15 students from Station Camp High School to the Cleanroom Solar Cell Lab. Inside the VINSE… Read More

VINSE hosted 59 posters at the 25th annual NanoDay, showcasing the depth and diversity of nanoscale science and engineering across Vanderbilt. Students from engineering, materials science, chemistry, and biomedical fields shared their latest findings during a packed two hour session. First Place, $500 Owen Meilander,… Read More