President

Simona is a 3rd 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.

Admin Team Co-Lead & Long Term Planning & Outreach ID4 Team

Abhi is a second 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. As the Admin Team Co-Lead, he works on the backend logistics of NURPH to ensure other teams can operate smoothly. In his free time, he enjoys baking, birdwatching, and photography.

Curriculum Team Co-Lead

Derek is a 2nd 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. As the Curriculum Team Lead, they create the syllabus and explore non-traditional, interactive lecture structures to better engage students in material science topics. Outside of NURPH, they enjoy trashy reality tv, reading, drawing, and a night out on the town.

Long Term Planning Team Lead

Emmy is a third-year PhD student in Prof. Ryan Truby’s lab researching 3D printed soft actuators. She grew up in Minnesota and Oregon and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S in Materials Science and Engineering. In her free time she enjoys exploring Chicago and beyond, going for long walks, and cooking. As Long Term Planning Team Lead, she leads the development of NURPH’s strategic objectives to ensure the program’s longevity.

Graphic Design Lead

Hyeonseon is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Mohseni lab, researching surface passivation techniques for photodetectors. Originally from South Korea, she was raised in Albany, NY, where she also attended undergrad at SUNY Albany. Hyeonseon works on designing graphics and building workshops for the program. She enjoys drawing and playing League of Legends until she hits a losing streak.

Program Evaluation Team Lead

Albert is a third-year PhD student in the Hersam Lab. He works with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to study novel 2D materials at the atomic level. Albert was born and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, home to the UNC Tar Heels, and received his bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. In his free time, Albert enjoys picking up new repertoire for the piano and playing various video games.

Curriculum Team Co-Lead and Workshop Team

Isabelle is a 2nd year PhD student in both the Shull Research Lab and the Sustainable Polymer Innovation Lab studying mechanics and sustainability of polymers using the Quartz Crystal Microbalance. She grew up in Muncie, Indiana and completed her B.S. in Chemistry and Spanish at Ball State University. In her free time, she loves playing sports, going shopping, and exploring Chicago nightlife.

Long Term Planning Team

Ainsley is a first-year PhD student in the Shull lab, working on incorporating reprocessability into high performance composites. She is from Northern Virginia and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received her B.S. in Chemistry. As a part of the Long Term Planning Team, Ainsley helps establish the long term mission and vision for NURPH to ensure the program’s longevity. Outside of work and school, Ainsley enjoys reading, crocheting, watching new TV shows, and exploring Evanston/Chicago.

Workshop Team

Emily is a first-year PhD student in the Stupp Lab researching cartilage regeneration. She is originally from the Chicago area, and she received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering with a Biomedical Concentration from Michigan State University. She was involved in promoting broad participation in undergraduate research at MSU and is incredibly excited to continue encouraging young scientists as a member of the Workshop Team. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, painting, and spending time with her siblings.

Curriculum Team

Zoe is a first-year PhD Student with background in 3D printing/additive manufacturing, microplastic and renewable biopolymer research. Zoe is from 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.

Administration Team

Janine is a first-year PhD student in the Shull lab, and she is working on a project focused on finding alternatives to fluoroelastomers. She is from Columbus, Ohio and attended Purdue University for her undergraduate education in Materials Engineering. Janine is a part of the admin team and is excited to see what the NURPH program will accomplish this year. In her free time, she enjoys doing the NYT Games, cooking (and eating), reading, and playing video games like Stardew Valley.

Outreach Team

Liz is a second-year PhD student in the Dravid Group, aiding in the HEISs project which seeks to study the transport of hydrogen through inorganic materials. She is Chicago-born and raised, but completed her undergrad at Iowa State University, studying Materials Engineering. Liz is a member of the outreach team, working to spread the word about NURPH. In her free time, she likes to listen to music, hike, travel, and hang out with friends.

Graphic Design Team

Luis is a fourth-year PhD student working with Prof. McCue on developing a nanostructured metallic coating for corrosion and fatigue resistance. Raised in Iowa, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Material Science and Engineering at Iowa State University before coming to Northwestern. Luis works on tracking the successes, failures, and outcomes of the program, as well as helping maintain the website. Outside of research, Luis enjoys playing soccer, running, and traveling.

Outreach Team

Michele is a second-year PhD student in the Rondinelli Group, researching ferroelectric materials with a focus on predicting new materials for interconnects per industry specifications. She is from California (Norcal) and earned her BS in Materials and Computer Science and Engineering from UC Merced. Michele is a member 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, and do her nails, along with various adrenaline rush-inducing activities.

Administration Team

Mitchell researches materials for quantum computing applications in Mark Hersam’s research group as a fifth-year MSE PhD student. He comes from the great state of Ohio, where he also attended The Ohio State University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in physics and German. Outside of research, Mitchell enjoys reading nonfiction books, playing piano, and spending time with friends. He helps with NURPH by working in the administration team.

Curriculum Team

Nick is a fourth-year PhD student in the Olvera de la Cruz research group, where he performs computational studies of biological and biomimetic systems with a focus on electrostatic effects. Before beginning his PhD at Northwestern, Nick completed his undergraduate studies at Case Western Reserve University, where he studied Polymer Science with a dual degree in Music. As a member of the Curriculum Committee, Nick is responsible for designing and presenting lessons and interactive demonstrations describing fundamental concepts in materials science. Outside of research, Nick enjoys playing trombone, working out (ask him about calisthenics), exploring new areas and restaurants in Chicago, and spending time outdoors.

Finance & Curriculum Team

Ojaswita is a first-year PhD student in the Robotic Matter Lab, where she is advised by Prof. Ryan Truby and focuses on research in bioprogrammable robotic materials. Originally from Lucknow, India, she completed her M.Sc. in Chemistry at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and her B.Sc. in Chemistry at Miranda House, University of Delhi, India. Ojaswita assists NURPH in financial administration and curriculum development. In her leisure time, she loves cooking Indian dishes, dancing, hiking, watching movies, biking, exploring new restaurants in Chicago, and traveling.

Administration & Long Term Planning Team

Ryan is a second year Ph.D. student in the Dunand group, studying composition grading in superalloys for aerospace applications. Ryan grew up just outside of Washington, D.C., and attended Georgia Tech for his undergrad in materials science. Ryan assists NURPH’s long-term strategic planning and helps organize NURPH events. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and playing board/card/video games.

Mentorship Team

Sankalp is a third-year PhD student in the Materials Science and Engineering department. Sankalp is originally from India, and graduated with a B.E. Electrical and Electronics engineering and M.Sc. Chemistry Dual degree from BITS Pilani University. He did his Master’s thesis at North Carolina State University in the field of wearable biochemical sensors. Outside research, Sankalp likes playing badminton, exploring the city, enjoys cooking and hiking. He is assisting the mentor coordinator in recruiting mentors, planning suitable research projects and in facilitating the mentor-mentee relations.

Outreach Team

Serafina is a first-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.

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.