Ph.D. candidates work closely with faculty members to earn their degree. Before being awarded their degree, they must submit a dissertation based on the research work they have conducted. The list below names recent Ph.D. awardees along with their faculty advisers and dissertation titles.
2020
| Student | Faculty Adviser | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Rick Liao | Elizabeth Nance | Antioxidant-loaded nanoparticles for the treatment of excitotoxicity in neurological disease |
| Patrick McMullen | Shaoyi Jiang | Zwitterionic Peptide Fusion Proteins for Therapeutic and Protective Applications |
| Sawyer Morgan | Daniel T. Schwartz | Energetics, synthesis, and structural characteristics of ferromagnetic metals for shape memory alloy and catalysis |
| Elena Pandres | Vincent Holmberg | Synthesis, Assembly, and Integration of Semiconductor Nanowires |
| Emily Ruskowitz | Cole DeForest | Photochemical and Logic-Based Regulation over the Cellular Microenvironment |
| Ryan Stoddard | Hugh Hillhouse | Development of Stable, High Optoelectronic Quality Perovskites Using Photoluminescence, Photoconductivity, and Machine Learning |
| Gabriella Tosado | Qiuming Yu | Development of Highly Efficient and Stable Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cells Through Composition and Interface Engineering |
| Caroline Tsao | Shaoyi Jiang | Zwitterionic Polymer-based Platforms for Biotherapeutics and Implants |
| Caitlyn Wolf | Lilo D. Pozzo | Molecular Conformation and Dynamics of Conjugated Polymers using Neutron and X-ray Scattering and Simulations |
| Kan Wu | Shaoyi Jiang | Developing Nonfouling Zwitterionic Coatings for Biomedical Applications |
| Le Zhen | Buddy D. Ratner | Immunomodulatory porous regenerative scar-free scaffolds for in-situ vascular engineering |
| Erjin Zheng | Qiuming Yu | Development and Application of Novel Optoelectronic Materials for Photodetectors and Solar Cells |
2019
| Student | Faculty Adviser | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Steven Adelmund | Cole DeForest | Bioorthogonal Photochemistry: Enabling Spatiotemporally Resolved Proteomics & Dynamic Materials |
| Barry Badeau | Cole DeForest | Logical Control over Biomaterial Properties through Boolean Responsive Linkers |
| Wesley Beckner | Jim Pfaendtner | Ionic Liquid Design Using Molecular Simulation and Statistical Methods |
| James Clark | Hugh Hillhouse | Earth-Abundant Thin-Film Devices for Photovoltaic and Electrochemical Applications |
| Chad Curtis | Elizabeth Nance | Trajectory features as surrogate measures of the nanoparticle-microenvironment interaction space |
| Neal Dawson-Elli | Venkat Subramanian | The Role of Data Science in Numerical Modeling of Lithium Ion Batteries |
| Yi-Ting Lee | Lilo Pozzo | Unravelling Synthesis and Transport Phenomena in Emulsion Systems with Small Angle Scattering |
| Erik Liu | Shaoyi Jiang | Development of Mixed-Charge EK Polypeptides for Protein Protection |
| Yanbo Qi | Daniel Schwartz & Venkat Subramanian | Model-based Graded Electrode Design for Lithium-ion Batteries |
| Jared Shadish | Cole DeForest | Exploiting Chemoenzymatic and Photochemical Reactions to Control 4D Protein Presentation in Cell-Laden Hydrogels |
| Joshua Smith | Shaoyi Jiang & Jim Pfaendtner | Coupling molecular dynamics and machine learning to accelerate the design of bioinspired materials |
2018
| Student | Faculty Adviser | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Ian Braly | Hugh Hillhouse | Optoelectronic Quality and Stability of Hybrid Perovskites Determined by Steady-State Luminescence Techniques |
| Daniel David Galvan | Qiuming Yu | Improved Performance in Plasmonic Biosensors for Bacterial Detection Through Dielectric Conditioning and Dielectrophoretic Enhancement |
| Razieh Khalifehzadeh | Buddy D. Ratner | Flourination of Poly(lactides) as a Path to Enhanced Hemocompatability |
| Matthew Murbach | Daniel T. Schwartz | Linear and Nonlinear Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy for Lithium-Ion Batteries |
| Karl Oleson | Daniel T. Schwartz | Extractives of Douglas-fir and Their Implications for Biofuel Saccharification |
| Arushi Prakash | Jim Pfaendtner | Understanding Self-Assembly in Solution and at Interfaces Using All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Enhanced Sampling Methods |
| Jessica Soto-Rodriguez | François Baneyx | Solid binding peptides: applications in affinity protein purification and bioprotonic devices |
| Honorio Valdes | Eric Stuve | An assessment of alkali metal-O2 chemistry; perspectives and prospectives |
| William E. Voje | James Carothers | Design of gRNA Expression Systems and Characterization of CRISPR Transcriptional Networks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae |
| Yuyin Xi | Lilo Pozzo | Structure Engineering of Self- and Directed-Assembled Conjugated Polymers |
| Peng Zhang | Shaoyi Jiang | Improving Safety and Efficacy of Protein Therapeutics by Chemical Modifications |
2017
| Student | Faculty Adviser | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Tao Bai | Shaoyi Jiang | Developing Zwitterionic Hydrogel for Biomedical Applications |
| Matt Crane | Peter Pauzaskie | Laser Induced Heat and Momentum Transfer in Nanomaterial Processing |
| Kyle Caldwell | John C. Berg | Adhesion and Interphase Properties of Reinforced Polymeric Composites |
| Alexey Gilman | Mary Lidstrom & David Beck | Development of a Promising Methanotrophic Bacterium as an Industrial Biocatalyst |
| Elisa T. Harrison | David Castner | Combining Surface Analytical and Computational Techniques to Investigate Orientation Effects of Immobilized Proteins |
| John Katahara | Hugh Hillhouse | Illuminating the Potential of Thin-Film Photovoltaics |
| Karl J. Kerr | Jonathan Posner | Isotachophoresis Enhanced Point-of-Care Assays for Clinical Diagnostics |
| Janet Bickford Matsen | Mary Lidstrom | Genomics, Transcriptomics, and Statistical/Machine Learning to Enhance Understanding of Methantrophic Microbial Metabolism in Isolates and Communities |
| Manan Pathak | Venkat Subramanian | Model-based Battery Management Systems: From Theory to Practice |
| Kayla Gaye Sprenger | Jim Pfaendtner | Development and Use of Molecular Simulation Tools to Study the Structure and Function of Biomolecules at Interfaces |
2016
| Student | Faculty Adviser | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Mark D. Borysiak | Jonathan Posner | Nucleic Acid Diagnostics Using Isotachophoresis and Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification |
| Trevor Braun | Daniel T. Schwartz | Remote Control Electrodeposition: Patterning on Substrates without Electrical Connections |
| Blake R. Hough | Daniel T. Schwartz & Jim Pfaendtner | Computational Approaches and Tools for Modeling Biomass Pyrolysis |
| James M. Lownsbury | Charles Campbell | Adsorption Calorimetry for Energy Conversion Technologies |
| Edward Michor | John Berg | The Effects of Reverse Micelles on Charging Behavior in Apolar Media |
| Brian Swift | François Baneyx | Engineering Solid Binding Proteins for the Biofabrication of Environmentally-Friendly Multi-functional Quantum Dots |
| Fang Sun | Shaoyi Jiang | Developing Multifunctional Surface Chemistry for Plasmonic Biosensing in Complex Media |
2015
| Student | Faculty Adviser | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Collord | Hugh Hillhouse | High-Throughput Exploration of Defect Passivation Strategies for Kesterite Photovoltaics |
| Charlie Corredor | Jonathan Posner | Methods to Assess Presence and Biological Impact of Engineered Nanoparticles |
| Kelly Fleming | Jim Pfaendtner | New Solution to an Old Problem: Exploring Properties of Chemical Reactions in Condensed Phases Using Molecular Simulation |
| Pablo De La Iglesia | Lilo Pozzo | Structure-Property Relationships of Self-Assembled Conjugated Polymers |
| Julee A. Floyd | Buddy Ratner | Drug Encapsulated Aerosolized Microspheres as a Biodegradable, Intelligent Glioma Therapy |
| Rami Foster | David G. Castner | Using Surface Analysis to Investigate how Adsorbed Protein Structure Changes with Controlled Changes in Surface Chemistry: A Case Study Involving Bare & Sodium Styrene Sulfonate-Grafted Gold Surface |
| Matthew M. Gacek | John Berg | Surfactant mediated acid-base particle charging inapolar media |
| Ye-Jin Hwang | Samson Jenekhe | Studies of conjugated semiconductors for electronics and optoelectronics |
| Vance Jaeger | Jim Pfaendtner | Developing a Simulation Framework for Modeling Biomolecules in Ionic Liquids |
| James F. Matthaei | François Baneyx | Two-Dimensional Protein Arrays: De Novo Design and Applications |
| Ann K. Nowinski | Shaoyi Jiang | Developing Low Fouling Peptides and Zwitterionic Materials |
| Beau Richardson | Qiuming Yu | Studies of Pyrite FeS2 Nanocyrstals and Plasmonic Nanostructures for Low Cost and High Efficiency Inverted Bulk Heterojunction Photovoltaic Cells |
| Amanda L. Smith | Mary Lidstrom | Development of a novel carbon fixation pathway enabled by protein engineering |
| Weiran Zhang | François Baneyx | Signal peptide and chaperone engineering for secretion and excretion in Escherichia coli |
| Leize Zhu | Qiuming Yu | Efficient, Low-Cost Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Solar cells via Maternials, Interface, and Device Structure Design |
2014
| Student | Faculty Adviser | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Norman D. Brault | Shaoyi Jiang | Multifunctional Zwitterionic Surface Chemistry for Applications in Complex |
| Patrick Burney | Jim Pfaendtner | Molecular Modeling of Protein Stability and Conformation Preference in Ionic Liquids |
| Helen C. Chen | Hong Shen | Control of endosomal Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling by nanoparticles and applications in cancer therapy |
| Brandon L. Coyle | François Baneyx | Solid-binding Proteins for Modification of Inorganic Substrates |
| Michael Deighan | Jim Pfaendtner | Simulating Protein Adsorption Phenomena for Experimental Comparison |
| Taeshik Earmme | Samson Jenekhe | Studies of Solution-Processed Organic Light-Emitting Diodes and All-Polymer Solar Cells |
| Tim C. Geary | Stuart Adler | Lanthanum Ferrite-Based Mixed-Conducting Electrodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers |
| Bo Hu | Mary Lidstrom | Metabolic Engineering of the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway in M. extorquens AM1 for 1-butanol Production |
| Timothy J. McDonald | Stuart Adler | Characterization and Modeling of La{1-x}Sr{x}CoO {3-delta} Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes Using Nonlinear Electrochemical Impedance Techniques |
| Luo Mi | Shaoyi Jiang | Molecular Engineering Approaches against Germs, Spores and Biofilm Formation |
| Gregory M. Newbloom | Lilo Pozzo | Engineering the Multi-Length Scale Structure of Self-Assembled Conjugated Polymer Networks |
| Jeffrey J. Richards | Lilo Pozzo | Structural Characterization of Composite Thin-film and Dispersed Phase Conjugated Polymer/Fullerene Composites |
| Benjamin H. Rutz | John Berg | Improvement of Mechanical Properties of Polymeric Composites |
| Qing Shao | Shaoyi Jiang | Understanding Properties of Zwitterionic Materials from Their Molecular Structures |
| Trent Silbaugh | Charles Campbell | Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Elementary Surface Reaction Steps in Catalysis by Single Crystal Adsorption Calorimetry |
| Christopher A. Wolcott | Charles Campbell | Energetics of Elementary Steps in Catalysis and Their Use to Search for New Catalysts |
| Wei Yang | Shaoyi Jiang | Zwitterionic Poly(carboxybetaine) Materials for Blood-Contacting Medical Devices and Nanoparticles |
| Xi Zhan | Hong Shen | Engineering blend particle delivery platform for subunit vaccines against mucosally transmitted viral infections |
2013
| Student | Faculty Adviser | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| David Y. Chiu | James Bryers | Evaluation of Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles Mineralized with Proteins and Peptides for Use as Adjuvants in Protein and Nucleic Acid Vaccines |
| Tyler A. House | Daniel Schwartz | Simulations of Steady Streaming Flows and the Time-Averaged Motion of Inertial Particles |
| Andrew J. Keefe | Shaoyi Jiang | Discovery and Development of Synthetic and Natural Biomaterials for Protein Therapeutics and Medical Device Applications |
| Lakshmi S. Kocherlakota | Rene Overney | Interfacial and Transport Properties of Nanoconstrained Inorganic and Organic Materials |
| Ikechuwu Nwaneshiudu | Daniel Schwartz | Tailoring Polymer Micro-extraction Phases to Enhance the Sensitivity and Selectivity of Raman Spectroscopy |
| Monica Ospinal-Jiminez | Lilo Pozzo | Engineering protein electrophoresis through surfactant design: The role of nanostructure |
| Guoqiang Ren | Samson Jenekhe | Studies of Organic Semiconductor Nanostructures and Their Photovoltaic Applications |
| Michael A. Robinson | David Castner | Chemical Analysis of Cells and Tissues with Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry |
| Andrew D. White | Shaoyi Jiang | Modeling Nonspecific Interactions at Biological Interfaces |
| Christina S. Yacoob | Hong Shen | Particle Fabrication and delivery systems for controlled release of bumped kinase inhibitors (BKIs) for malaria transmission blocking |