Materials Science

Jojo Pearson, a swimmer and Ph.D. student in Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt, is conducting cutting-edge research in tissue engineering that could significantly impact the fight against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Her work, led with advisor Leon Bellan, focuses on neurovascular coupling, exploring how stem cell models could improve… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Matthew Galazzo, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of David Cliffel and Kane Jennings “Photosystem I:  Biohybrid Devices and Reduction Catalysts for CO2” 12.10.24  |  8:00AM |  Buttrick Hall 206 This dissertation presents the use of Photosystem I (PSI) in proof-of-concept solar redox flow… Read More

During my initial year at Vanderbilt, I participated in several research rotations, which provided me with exposure to various aspects of materials science and engineering. These rotations were crucial in helping me identify my specific research interests and in developing a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving. This experience allowed me… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Elena Kovalik, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Jason Valentine “Electrochemically Actuated Metasurfaces for Low-Power Nanophotonic and Energy Storage Devices” 08.09.24  |  11:00AM |  044 Engineering Science Building In an age of ubiquitous access to information, metamaterials offer a solution to a wide range of information display… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Nicholas ‘Cal’ Craven, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Clare McCabe “Reproducibility in Molecular Simulation: Approaches for the Screening Studies of Patchy Nanoparticles and Switchable Monolayer Films” 07.24.24  |  10:00AM CDT  |  044 Engineering Science Building |  Zoom Molecular simulation is a growing branch of scientific study in… Read More

Three engineering graduate students in the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering/Interdisciplinary Materials Science program are 2024 recipients of the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports students who are pursuing full-time, research-based graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering or… Read More

Sajal Islam is a 2024 recipient of Vanderbilt University’s Graduate Anchor Award for Research Excellence. The Anchor Awards recognize graduate student leaders across the university. Sajal is dedicated to investigating the impact of radiation on wideband gap semiconductors, focusing particularly on SiC, GaN, and GaO. His research delves into… Read More

Haohong Song is a third year Ph.D. student from Interdisciplinary Materials Science program. His PI is Prof. De-en Jiang. They report on the interfacial chemistry between water and defected Ti3C2O2 MXene at room temperature using first principles molecular dynamics simulations. They investigate how defects such as O vacancy, Ti… Read More

Joshua Caldwell, a professor of mechanical engineering and director of Vanderbilt’s Interdisciplinary Materials Science (IMS) graduate program, has been elected to the grade of Fellow of SPIE. Fellows are Members of distinction who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging. Dr. Read More

Owen Meilander, 2nd year Interdisciplinary Material Science PhD student in Dr. Mona Ebrish’s Lab in the Electrical Engineering department.   Summary of Research: My work focuses on the fabrication and characterization of gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor devices. GaN devices offer many benefits for high power and high frequency applications. Read More