September 14, 2026
The Department Research Showcase highlights the research of graduate students and postdocs in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Here are three students who will present their work at the upcoming showcase on Thursday, September 24.
Faiza Abdillahi
Second-year Ph.D. student
My research focuses on identifying modifiable factors that are associated with cognitive health in older adults. In this poster, I will present results from an ongoing analysis examining which health, lifestyle, and other potentially modifiable factors are most strongly associated with cognitive performance. I will also show how these factors relate to cognition, including whether their effects appear to be linear or whether there are certain ranges or thresholds where the relationship changes. The long-term goal is to better understand which factors may offer practical opportunities to support healthy cognitive aging.
Joelle Scott
Fifth-year Ph.D. student
My work focuses on the removal of PFAS, or "forever chemicals", from water through membrane filtration. I am utilizing a vapor-phase synthesis process known as Molecular Layer Deposition (MLD) to fabricate these membranes with various polymer thin film chemistries. By varying these chemistries, I can assess how changing membrane hydrophilicity impacts PFAS removal performance.
Anna Stewart
Third-year Ph.D. student
I study structure-property relationships in conjugated polymers for organic electronics, which offer unique opportunities for lightweight, flexible, and solution-processible electronic devices. My research focuses on the conjugated ladder polymer poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) (BBL) and its derivatives, which are promising materials for applications including organic electrochemical transistors and neuromorphic devices. I investigate how molecular and nanoscale packing influence electronic and ionic charge transport using transmission electron microscopy, electrical conductivity, and electrochemical measurements. This work revealed orientational heterogeneity and three-dimensional interchain registry in BBL thin films, providing new insight into how polymer microstructure can be controlled to improve the performance and stability of emerging organic electronic devices.