IMS

The VINSE Image Competition celebrates the intersection of art and science, showcasing the stunning visuals that emerge from nanoscale research at Vanderbilt. 2026 WinnersEmma Bartelsen Jeb Buchner Adriana LaVopa Christina McGahan Owen MeilanderMica Gonzalez Mora… Read More

On October 13, 2025, the VINSE Fall Faculty Celebration took place to honor and celebrate the remarkable achievements of our community. This annual event not only highlighted individual accomplishments but also fostered a sense of camaraderie among colleagues. WELCOME TO VINSE Andrea Locke | Bryant Spreine… Read More

The Interdisciplinary Materials Science (IMS) program held its annual Sales Pitch Competition, where students were challenged to deliver a three-minute research talk (no slides allowed) using only a single image or prop to engage the audience. Incoming students served as judges, and cash prizes were awarded to the top presentations. Read More

VINSE graduate student Chris Whittington, a Ph.D. student in Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University, received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 2025 SPIE Optics + Photonics Conference, held August 17–21 in San Diego, CA. His poster, “Heterogeneous Integration of VO₂ Nanopatches on… Read More

VINSE graduate student Owen Meilander, a Ph.D. student in Interdisciplinary Materials Science working under the direction of Professor Mona Ebrish, received the Best Student Poster Presentation Award at the 2025 Lester Eastman Conference on High Performance Devices, held August 11–12 at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. His poster,… Read More

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