The summer research experience is in full swing for the 17 students awarded NDnano Undergraduate Research Fellowships (NURF). The 12 Notre Dame students in this year’s program are joined by student researchers from Purdue University, North Carolina State University, Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla, and Trinity College Dublin. During the 10-week program, students are engaged in a broad range of nanotechnology projects in areas such as cancer treatment, the environment, sensors, transmission electron microscopy, and rechargeable batteries.
Rebecca Radomsky, a rising junior at Notre Dame, is working with Professor David Go on a project entitled “Chemical characterization of plasma-liquid systems for nano particle synthesis.”
“The NURF program is extremely beneficial to my undergraduate education because it allows me to carry out research in a cutting-edge field: nano science and technology. I have not only learned invaluable technical skills, but also all of the ins and outs of how to conduct research: from the experimental design to the presentation of my findings. Many of the principles of nano science and technology are not covered in general undergraduate coursework, so this has allowed me to explore those principles through my research.”
The full roster of 2018 NURF students, their faculty mentors, and projects is listed below.
Through several professional development and social activities, the NURF students are also able to interact with students from other research programs at Notre Dame. These activities range from ice skating on a hot June night at the Compton Family Ice Arena to seminars on how to prepare and present scientific posters, and a Kaplan GRE workshop.
Rebecca volunteered to participate in the June 29 K-12 Science Outreach Day at the nearby Robinson Center — an event is coordinated by Professor Michelle Whaley, who leads the Biology REU program. “I will co-lead a 20-minute session to teach 1st-4th graders important lessons about science through hands-on activities,” Rebecca said. “My session teaches kids about the importance of taking care of their environment. We will make “seed balls” of wildflower seeds, soil, and clay. Once dry, kids can throw them at the ground, watch them explode, and care for their very own wildflowers.”
The NURF students are funded by NDnano as well as the Naughton Fellowship program, the Woodward Family Endowment for Excellence in NDnano Undergraduate Research, and other faculty grants/funds.
To learn more about their research, stop by the Poster Session, scheduled for 9:30 am to Noon on July 25 at Jordan Hall of Science. Students from six of the University’s undergraduate research programs will showcase their projects.
2018 NDnano Undergraduate Research Fellowship Recipients
Angela Abarca Perez, Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla
Project: Synthesis of metal sulfide nano-catalysts for water treatment applications
Faculty mentor: Professor Kyle Doudrick • Civil & Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
Stephen Bauer, Purdue
Project: Development of microimplants for deep tissue optical sensing
Faculty mentors: Professor Thomas O’Sullivan • Electrical Engineering and Professor Yanliang Zhang • Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Santiago Calderon Novoa, Notre Dame
Project: Polymer membranes with tunable microporosity for gas separations
Faculty mentor: Professor Ruilan Guo • Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Mark Etzelmueller, Notre Dame
Project: Development of microimplants for deep tissue optical sensing
Faculty mentors: Professor Thomas O’Sullivan • Electrical Engineering and Professor Yanliang Zhang • Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Jacob Galden, Notre Dame
Project: Fabrication of polymer nano fibers with anomalous thermal conductivity
Faculty mentor: Professor Tengfei Luo • Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Evan Gies, Notre Dame
Project: Phononic nano particles for low-loss, tunable nano photonics in the mid- and far-IR
Faculty mentors: Professor Anthony Hoffman • Electrical Engineering and Professor Ryan Roeder • Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
William Gothard, North Carolina State University
Project: Functional chemical sensor and coating for fluid dynamic applications
Faculty mentor: Professor Hirotaka Sakaue • Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Nishtha Gupta, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
Project: Elucidating fundamental processing-property relationships for chemically patterned membranes generated using inkjet printing technologies
Faculty mentor: Professor William Phillip • Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Gavin Inglis, Notre Dame
Project: Image processing and data analysis in transmission electron microscopy
Faculty mentor: Professor Sergei Rouvimov • Electrical Engineering and NDIIF
Yuko Inoue, Notre Dame
Project: Design, construction and validation of a Teflon-based flow cell
Faculty mentor: Professor Svetlana Neretina • Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Gabby Munoz Robles, Notre Dame
Project: Targeting therapeutics through supramolecular affinity
Faculty mentor: Professor Matthew Webber • Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Paula Murphy, Trinity College Dublin (Naughton Fellowship)
Project: Fabrication of polymer nano fibers with anomalous thermal conductivity
Faculty mentor: Professor Tengfei Luo • Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Erin O’Brien, Notre Dame
Project: Targeting therapeutics through supramolecular affinity
Faculty mentor: Professor Matthew Webber • Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Rebecca Radomsky, Notre Dame
Project: Chemical characterization of plasma-liquid systems for nano particle synthesis
Faculty mentor: Professor David Go • Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Jacob Thilman, Notre Dame
Project: Polymer electrolytes for advanced rechargeable batteries
Faculty mentor: Professor Jennifer Schaefer • Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Margo Waters, Notre Dame (Woodward Endowment)
Project: Magneto-electric nano particles for combinatorial chemotherapeutics against metastatic cancers
Faculty mentors: Professor Paul Helquist • Chemistry & Biochemistry and Professor Prakash Nallathamby • Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Matthew Winkler, Notre Dame
Project: Polymer electrolytes for advanced rechargeable batteries
Faculty mentor: Professor Jennifer Schaefer • Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Originally published by at nano.nd.edu on June 25, 2018.