IMS

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Aditha Senarath, Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program *under the supervision of Josh Caldwell and Ron Schrimpf “GaN for Space and Power Electronics: Radiation Effects Study and Development of a Nano-Optical Probe for Characterization” 07.11.25 | 9:00 am | FGH 132  | Zoom For decades, the semiconductor… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Bradly Baer, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the supervision of Greg Walker “Calculating Interfacial Thermal Transport Using Atomistic Simulation Methods” 06.13.25 | 11:00am | ESB 044 At the nanoscale, many materials have properties different than they do in the bulk. Nanomaterials can exhibit interesting and useful optical,… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Kellen Arnold, Interdisciplinary Materials Science    *Under the supervision of Sharon Weiss “Integrated Photonics for Intense Light-matter Interaction and Applications in Aerospace” 05.20.25 | 12:30PM | ESB 044 | Zoom: 965 0203 9030 Passcode: 069821 Over the last several decades, the technological revolution into a digital… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Ryan Kowalski, Interdisciplinary Materials Science    *Under the supervision of Josh Caldwell and Richard Haglund  “Infrared Light at the Nanoscale: Confinement and Spectroscopy”  04.25.25 | 10:30AM | Buttrick Hall 206 | Zoom: 942 8904 4051 Passcode: 450959 Conventional optical microscopy and spectroscopy are limited by the diffraction… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Alexis Yates, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Ethan Lippmann and Angela Jefferson “Investigating brain endothelial cell mechanics with engineered in vitro models” 04.07.25  |  1:30PM |  298 Featheringill Hall | Zoom: 970 4846 2694 Passcode: 714340 As life expectancy in the US has increased,… Read More

Vivian Nwosu Madueke Graduate Student, Interdisciplinary Materials Science Silvera Batista Research Group Most natural processes occur under conditions that are not in thermodynamic equilibrium but constantly experience flows of energy and matter. For instance, microorganisms survive by responding to dissipative chemical energies such as food in their environment… Read More

Jojo Pearson, a swimmer and Ph.D. student in Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt, is conducting cutting-edge research in tissue engineering that could significantly impact the fight against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Her work, led with advisor Leon Bellan, focuses on neurovascular coupling, exploring how stem cell models could improve… Read More

During my initial year at Vanderbilt, I participated in several research rotations, which provided me with exposure to various aspects of materials science and engineering. These rotations were crucial in helping me identify my specific research interests and in developing a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving. This experience allowed me… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Nicholas ‘Cal’ Craven, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Clare McCabe “Reproducibility in Molecular Simulation: Approaches for the Screening Studies of Patchy Nanoparticles and Switchable Monolayer Films” 07.24.24  |  10:00AM CDT  |  044 Engineering Science Building |  Zoom Molecular simulation is a growing branch of scientific study in… Read More

Sajal Islam is a 2024 recipient of Vanderbilt University’s Graduate Anchor Award for Research Excellence. The Anchor Awards recognize graduate student leaders across the university. Sajal is dedicated to investigating the impact of radiation on wideband gap semiconductors, focusing particularly on SiC, GaN, and GaO. His research delves into… Read More