President & Mentorship Lead

Ryan is a third-year Materials Science Ph.D. candidate at Northwestern, where he develops and tests novel superalloys for high-temperature aerospace applications such as jet turbine blades and rocket nozzles (see this video to learn more: https://youtu.be/QtxVdC7pBQM?si=dMoTccmX6CzJY14n). Ryan’s favorite part about NURPH is connecting with our amazing high school students—Ryan was also a part of a research program during high school, and is excited to pass on this opportunity to Chicago-area talent. Ryan grew up just outside of Washington, D.C., and attended Georgia Tech for his undergrad.

Admin Lead

Arami is a first-year PhD student in the Dravid and Mirkin labs, where she is developing advanced electron microscopy tools to enable high-throughput nanoparticle characterization and accelerate catalyst discovery. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and attended UCLA for her BS in materials science and engineering. As the admin team lead, she is responsible for coordinating event programming and managing the backend of NURPH. In her free time, Arami enjoys going to concerts, writing music reviews, and doing taekwondo.

Outreach Lead

Michele is a third-year PhD student in the Rondinelli Group working on the design and discovery of ferroelectric and p-type semiconducting materials per industry specifications. She is from California (Norcal) and earned her BS in Materials and Computer Science and Engineering from UC Merced. Michele is the team lead of the Outreach team, where she talks with prospective students to encourage them to apply to NURPH for a fun summer experience. In her free time, she likes to cook, travel, do her nails, and go to amusement parks.

Long Term Planning Lead & Finance Team

Simona is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Sustainable Polymer Innovation Lab developing structurally-colored cellulose materials. A proud New Yorker, she completed her BS degree at Northwestern where she studied Materials Science and Engineering and English Literature. In her spare time, she enjoys attending trivia nights, traveling, reading novels, and hunting for the best Chicago coffee shop. Before taking on her current roles on the NURPH board, she served as a Curriculum Coordinator, Workshops Team Lead, and President.

Curriculum Lead

Zoe is a second-year PhD Student in the Wang lab (ChBE) researching entangled polymer dynamics. Zoe grew up in Nanning, China and Seattle, WA, and graduated from University of Michigan with B.S. in Material Science and Engineering and minors in Sustainability and Art history. Zoe is chronically online and does not play about their Spotify and Letterboxd.

Long Term Planning & Outreach ID4 Team

Abhi is a 3rd year PhD student in the Barton lab, researching energy-efficient methods of photonic computing. He is from Northern California and attended UC Santa Barbara for his B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Abhi aids the Long Term Planning Team with data analysis to facilitate new opportunities for future NURPH cohorts. In his free time, he enjoys baking, birdwatching, and photography.

Admin Team

Alec is a third year PhD student in the Robotic Matter Lab studying soft sensors and artificial muscles. Alec is originally from Indiana and attended Purdue University, receiving a bachelors in Materials Science and Engineering. In NURPH, he previously led hands on demo preparation for the curriculum team and now serves as an administrative coordinator, helping with event planning and logistics.

Workshop Team

Danielle is a third year in the Haile Group studying nonstoichiometric oxides for thermochemical hydrogen production. She is from Canton, Ohio and graduated in 2023 from the University of Cincinnati with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and minor in Materials Science. As a member of the Workshops Team, she aims to help develop engaging lecture materials. Outside of NURPH, she enjoys running social media accounts for other clubs on campus, singing with her acapella group, and playing video games.

Curriculum Team

Derek is a 3rd year PhD student in the Haile group, studying proton-conducting oxides for fuel cell applications. They are originally from a small town in Connecticut and got their B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the UCONN. Outside of NURPH, they enjoy trashy reality tv, reading, drawing, and a night out on the town.

Outreach Team

Eric is a third year PhD student in the Robotic Matter Lab led by Professor Ryan Truby. His work focuses on cell-free bio programmable materials. Eric was born and raised in Maryland, then attended the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign where he obtained his BS in Materials Science and Engineering. As a member of the outreach team, Eric assists with recruiting prospective NURPH students. In his free time, Eric enjoys running, hiking, and banana bread.

Curriculum Team

Jack FitzGibbon is a first year PhD student in the Robotic Matter Lab working on developing sensory devices from poly(ionic liquids). A Maryland native, he completed his BS degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Maryland College Park. In his spare time he enjoys working on hobbyist electronic devices, storm chasing, and making YouTube videos covering STEM topics and personal projects.

Curriculum Team

Katie is a first-year PhD student in the Haile group, where she focuses on characterizing cerium oxide for its applications in energy-efficient electronics. She grew up in St. Louis, MO before attending Carnegie Mellon University, where she obtained her B.S. in materials science and engineering. Katie assists NURPH with teaching demonstrations and lectures on the curriculum team. In her free time, she enjoys playing chess, reading, and trying new boba spots.

Mentorship Team

Madina(bonu) is a first-year PhD student with background in computational materials science. Madina grew up in the historic city of Samarqand, Uzbekistan and is also from metro-Detroit, Michigan. She attended the University of Michigan for undergrad and graduated with a BS in both Materials Science and Chemistry with a minor in Physics. In her free time, Madina enjoys daily NYT games, playing violin, and reading Eastern history books.

Outreach & Mentorship Teams

Paloma is a first-year PhD student in the Barton Lab, researching defect engineering to enable energy-efficient photonic computing. She grew up just outside of Boston and received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University. Inspired by the mentors who encouraged her to pursue STEM in high school, she hopes to support younger generations of students. As a member of the outreach and mentorship teams, Paloma will work with mentors to design projects for incoming students and support students through the application process. In her free time, she enjoys learning languages, running, eating good food, and rock climbing.

Workshop Team

Santiago is a 5th year Ph.D student in the Hersam Group, where he researches continuous manufacturing of two-dimensional materials and electronic applications. Santiago grew up in Mexico and Houston, and studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Santiago previously served as a Workshop Coordinator in the for three years.

Outreach Team

Serafina is a second-year PhD student in the Robotic Matter Lab researching polymerized ionic liquids for soft robotics applications. She grew up in Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia and received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University. She is passionate about sharing her love for materials science with the younger generation, and looks forward to the impact she can make in the outreach team. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Chicago with friends, as well as knitting and snuggling with her cat at home.

Outreach & Mentorship Teams

Valeria is a first-year PhD student in the Schuh Group, where she is studying the mechanical properties of novel shape memory ceramics. She was born in Mexico but raised in Southern California. She earned her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Davis, and before going to graduate school, she worked in both the automotive and semiconductor industries. Valeria is supporting the Mentorship and Outreach teams. In the mentorship team, she supports mentors as point-of-contact between them and the NURPH board. In the Outreach team, she will be assisting with the recruitment of prospective NURPH students. During her free time, she enjoys trying out new coffee shops, exploring the city, and thrifting.

Curriculum Team

Zek is a third-year PhD student in the Gianneschi Group, where he uses in situ electron microscopy to study complex nanoscale materials. Originally from Pueblo, Colorado, he completed his B.S. in Chemistry at the Colorado School of Mines and has remained committed to expanding opportunities for students in STEM through outreach, mentoring, and education. He is excited to continue building community as part of the curriculum team. Outside the lab, he enjoys exploring Chicago with friends, going to pub trivia, and training at Title Boxing Club

Curriculum Team

Ziyin is a first-year Master’s student in biomedical engineering. They work with a variety of biomaterials for controlled drug release and targeting as well as protein engineering to treat immune disease. Ziyin was born in China and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, and received their bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Ziyin is also a professional digital artist and painter specializing in colorful Japanese and Chinese-animation inspired art. This leaves them *just* enough time to write fanfiction on the side.

Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Sossina M. Haile is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University. She earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992. Haile’s research broadly encompasses materials for sustainable electrochemical energy technologies. She has established a new class of fuel cells with record performance for clean and efficient electricity generation, demonstrated electrochemical cells for hydrogen production from electricity, and created new thermochemical approaches for harnessing sunlight to meet rising energy demands. Amongst her many awards, Haile is the recipient of an American Competitiveness and Innovation Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (2008), the Chemical Pioneer Award (2010), the International Ceramics Prize (2012), and the Turnbull Lecture Award (2020). She is a fellow of the Materials Research Society, the American Ceramics Society, the African Academy of Sciences, and the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences.

Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Ian McCue is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He has made contributions in the areas of phase transformations, corrosion, pattern formation during diffusional processes, and the mechanical behavior of metal nanocomposites. He received his PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2015, and received a Materials Research Society Silver Graduate Student Award in 2014 for his dissertation work. He then held a postdoctoral appointment at Texas A&M University studying the fabrication and mechanical testing of metal nanocomposites. Prior to joining Northwestern University, he was a Senior Scientist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where he developed and studied new high temperature alloys for space and extreme aerothermal environments. For the accomplishments during his postdoc work, McCue was an invited speaker at the 2019 Physical Metallurgy Gordon Research Conference.

Assistant Professor of Instruction in Materials Science and Engineering

Rajan Kumar is an Assistant Professor of Instruction at Northwestern University in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His scientific research expertise includes materials for energy storage, printed electronics, and operando materials characterization. His current focus is in engineering education and centers on teaching students expert-level cognitive skills, and how authentic and simulated learning experiences shape student identity and self-perception. He received his PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and previously received his BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University. He has been the recipient of a variety of teachin awards, and most recently was honored with the Tau Beta Pi Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching from Stanford University.

Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

David Barton is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering department at Northwestern University. David’s group specializes in integrated optical materials and devices, with a focus on integrated electro-optics and nonlinear optical devices. The group grows new optical materials, characterizes their electronic, optical, and photonic properties, and develops nanofabrication strategies to enable a new generation of energy-efficient photonic devices. David received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University in 2021 and received a Materials Research Society Graduate Student Award (Silver) in 2019. Following this, David was awarded an Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Fellowship to work at Harvard University, working on scalable integrated nanophotonics.