2013
Oladapo Afolabi
Oladapo Afolabi is a rising fourth year at the University of Virginia studying electrical engineering. He is originally from Nigeria and enjoys playing soccer and video games in his free time.
Project: MAVEN: Micro-aerial vehicle in embedded network
Mentors: Radhika Nagpal, Karthik Dantu, Richard Moore
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Yousif Alsaid
Yousif Alsaid was born in Baghdad, Iraq and currently resides in Bahrain. He just completed his sophomore year in chemical engineering at the University of Maryland and hopes to pursue a PhD after graduating. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, animating, composing music, and table tennis.
Project: Large-scale nanostacking – future of negative index metamaterials
Mentors: George Whitesides, Yanina Shevchenko, Alex Nemiroski, Mathieu Gonidec
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Debbie Andres
Debbie Andres is a rising junior at Rutgers, The State University of NJ who is studying mechanical and aerospace engineering. After completing her B.S., Debbie will be doing an additional year at Rutgers to obtain a masters in education and be certified to teach high school level physics. In addition to studying engineering, she is a proud member of the Society of Hispanic Engineers, the Learning Assistant Program, the Rutgers University Marching Band, and Mu Beta Psi, the National Honorary Music Service Fraternity. She enjoys watching musical theater, playing her clarinet, exploring new places, and meeting new people!
Project: Optical properties and durability studies of elastic nanostructures
Mentors: Joanna Aizenberg, Ximin He
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Brandon Araki
Brandon Araki is a rising senior at Yale University double majoring in mechanical engineering and molecular biochemistry and biophysics.
Project: New pressure-actuated valve for soft robotics that allows multiple soft actuators to achieve any arbitrary pressure profile using a single pressure source
Mentors: Radhika Nagpal, Nils Napp, Michael Tolley
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Ruth Ashley
Ruth Ashley is a senior at the University of West Florida studying mathematics and computer science. She enjoys running, cycling, and doing logic puzzles in her spare time.
Project: QRI: A data-driven approach for predicting the success of oil wells in the Eagle Ford shale
Mentors: Margo Levine, Daniel Weinstock
Funding: Institute for Applied Computational Science at Harvard
Ross Bauer
Ross Bauer is a rising senior at New York University, majoring in physics. He is currently involved in soft matter research investigating properties of trapped colloids. He hopes to continue research in the soft matter field by pursuing a graduate degree in physics. In his spare time, he enjoys running, football, and playing/listening to music.
Project: Particle tracking in colloidal emulsions
Mentors: David Weitz, Rodrigo Guerra
Funding: BASF North American Center for Research on Advanced Materials
Elizabeth Boulanger
Elizabeth Boulanger is a rising senior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in business. She is a member of the WPI women's varsity crew team. She is from Grafton, MA and enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, and skiing.
Project: Influence of PLG scaffold composition on cells
Mentors: David Mooney, Evi Lippens, Katie Ryan
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Rachel (Ray) Burton
Rachel (Ray) Burton grew up in Skokie, Illinois. She is a rising sophomore at Brandeis University, majoring in chemistry and minoring in English. In her free time, she enjoys practicing martial arts, cello, and creative writing.
Project: Design of organic metal-less battery based on water-soluble quinones
Mentors: Roy Gordon, Michael Marshak
Funding: Harvard University
Francisco Candido
Francisco Candido is a rising senior and MARC scholar studying serospace engineering at San Diego State University.
Project: The design of a multi-stable materials
Mentors: Katia Bertoldi, Sicong Shan
Funding: MARC Program
Chun-Wei (Leonard) Chang
Chun-Wei (Leonard) Chang is a junior majoring in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign This summer he will be working with Ryan Truby in Prof. Lewis' research group.
Project: Implantation of perfusable, microvascular networks in hydrogel for tissue engineering using omnidirectional printing and functional inks
Mentors: Jennifer Lewis, Ryan Truby, Analisa Russo
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Wesley Chen
Wesley Chen hails from Edison, New Jersey. He is a rising sophomore studying applied mathematics with a minor in chemistry. He is pursuing a master's degree in spplied computation if all goes well. In his free time, Wesley can be found eating lots of food, sleeping, gaming, or trying out something new!
Project: Optimizing parallel N-body computations
Mentors: Cris Cecka
Funding: Institute for Applied Computational Science at Harvard
Mark Chonofsky
Mark Chonofsky grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts, and has completed three years of physics at the University of Cambridge. He has worked on bioinformatics projects and is particularly interested in statistics and biological physics. He also enjoys rock-climbing and hiking and is learning to fly gliders.
Project: Particle detector
Mentors: Wesley Wong, Ken Halvorsen
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Afrida Chowdhury
Afrida Chowdhury is a rising junior in Polytechnic Institution of NYU, and she is majoring in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering, and she would like to be a professor someday. Other than her educational and professional life, she enjoys reading, novels, drawing, and hanging out with her friends.
Project: Bivouac sensor: Capacitance change in the 3D grid
Mentors: Radhika Nagpal, Michael Rubinstein
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Bo Cimino
Bo Cimino is a rising junior majoring in computer science at South Dakota State University.
Project: Using GUI to program for education
Mentors: Radhika Nagpal, Michael Rubinstein
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Gabrielle Compton
Gabrielle Compton is from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and is studying biomedical engineering at the University of Arkansas. After graduation, she intends to obtain her Ph.D. and pursue a career in research. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, traveling, music, and meeting new people!
Project: Biomimetic robotics: New approaches to motility
Mentors: George Whitesides, Yanina Shevchenko
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Jordan Dodson
Jordan Dodson is a triple major in physics, mathematics, and chemistry with a minor in biology at Middle Tennessee State University. He desires to spend his career tackling the next generation of problems in quantum physics and information theory. He loves to read and collect old books.
Project: QRI: A data-driven approach for predicting the success of oil wells in the Eagle Ford shale
Mentors: Margo Levine, Daniel Weinstock
Funding: Institute for Applied Computational Science at Harvard
Xin (Terry) Dong
Xin (Terry) Dong is a mechanical engineering student from the University of Hong Kong. The next academic year will be his final year. He loves music, soccer and making new friends.
Project: Valves composed of dielectric elastomers for soft robotics
Mentors: George Whitesides, Bobak Mosadegh, Christopher Keplinger
Funding: University of Hong Kong | HKUWW Scholarships
Harrison Samuel Ewan
Harrison Samuel Ewan was born and raised in Portland, OR and is a biochemistry major at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. He plans on attending graduate school for synthetic organic chemistry. His other interests include metalworking and hiking.
Project: Asymmetric μparticles: Synthesis and behavior under high shear flow
Mentors: SJ Claire Hur
Funding: The Rowland Institute at Harvard
John Ferrier
John Ferrier is a sophomore at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, AR, where he currently studies physics and mathematics. Prior to his college career, he served in the United States Air Force as an Electronic Warfare technician who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. But, these days, he dedicates his time to leading his Society of Physics Students (SPS) group as their new president and studying. He enjoys programming, music, and anything science-related.
Project: Optimizing process variables of motorized rotary jet spinner (RJS)
Mentors: Kevin Kit Parker, Sung-Jin Park
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) | NSF ECCS-0335765
Daniel Fitzgerald
Daniel Fitzgerald is a rising Junior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute studying robotics engineering and computer science. He is interested in 3D printing, robotics, and artificial intelligence and is involved in the maker and open-source movements. He also enjoys philosophy, the outdoors, and running.
Project: 3D printing electronic devices
Mentors: Jennifer Lewis, Michael Bell
Funding: CalTech EFRC
Cooper Galvin
Cooper Galvin grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. For that reason, Cooper enjoys hiking, biking, playing guitar, camping, rock climbing, and BBQing. Cooper is a double mathematics and chemistry major at Pomona College in sunny Claremont, California.
Project: Synthesis of molecules for the first fully organic flow battery
Mentors: Roy Gordon, Michael Marshak
Funding: Harvard University
Anna Gavrilman
Anna Gavrilman is a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts - Boston who is majoring in computer science. She is interested in machine learning. In her spare time, she competes in ballroom dancing.
Project: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, Jonathan Ullman
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235
William Gilpin
William Gilpin grew up in Oklahoma and now lives in Florida with his parents, both retired English professors. Much to their surprise, he is now studying physics, and he is currently interested in theoretical biophysics and condensed matter.
Project: Improving the fluorescence of diamond color centers
Mentors: Marko Lončar, Kadijeh Bayat
Funding: Harvard University
Valter Gomes
Valter Gomes is a student at Bunker Hill Community College. He emigrated from Cape Verde at the age of one year old and grew up in the Boston area. He is a Commonwealth Honors Program Scholar at Bunker Hill.
Project: An investigation of battery technologies for the BASF Advanced Research Initiative
Mentor: Marc Schroeder
Funding: BASF North American Center for Research on Advanced Materials
Bretzner Gonzalez
Bretzner Gonzalez was born in California and raised in between borders in San Diego and Mexico. She has Mexican parents with German and Spanish ancestors. She is majoring in computer engineering major, and is transferring to University of California - San Diego. She is excited to meet the REU team, learn valuable things from everybody and the program, and exploring Boston!
Project: Holographic tracking of Escherichia coli swimming behavior and change in direction
Mentor: Laurence Wilson
Funding: The Rowland Institute at Harvard
Matt Griswold
Matt Griswold is originally from Colorado and is now living in Boston. He served four years in the United States Marine Corps. He is pursuing a double major in physics and economics. He enjoys being outdoors.
Project: Design and mechanical characterization of TE valve
Mentors: Kevin Kit Parker, Andrew Capulli
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Zachary Hargreaves
Zachary Hargreaves is a senior at UC Berkeley studying electrical engineering and computer science. He worked at NASA during the Mars mission and currently conducts research in cyborg robotics.
Project: Vision-based locomotion in RoboBees
Mentors: Radhika Nagpal, Richard Moore, Karthik Dantu
Funding: NSF Collaborative Research: RoboBees: A Convergence of Body, Brain and Colony | NSF IIS-0926148
Eric Hemphill
Eric Hemphill is a rising senior at Middlebury College majoring in physics and mechanical engineering. He is interested in research in alternative energy.
Project: An investigation of battery technologies for the BASF Advanced Research Initiative
Mentor: Marc Schroeder
Funding: BASF North American Center for Research on Advanced Materials
Min-Sung (Chris) Hong
Min-Sung (Chris) Hong is a rising junior majoring in physics with pre-med as a minor. He is from Seoul, South Korea and has also spent quite some time in Montreal, Canada. He is interested in studying medicine in the future and is planning to study biophysics in the coming semesters. This summer, he will be working in Professor David Weitz's lab with Dr. Huidan Zhang as a student intern.
Project: Detection of circulating tumor cells using droplet-based microfluidics for early
Mentors: David Weitz, Huidan Zhang
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-0820484
Julio Interiano
Julio Interiano is a chemical engineering and Mathematics student from New Jersey. He was born in Guatemala and came to the United States when he was 11 years. old. In his free time, he is a musician.
Project: Cell growth and migration in three-dimensional environments
Mentors: David Weitz, Adrian Pegoraro, Tom Kodger
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Dani Ithier
Dani Ithier is originally from Hooksett, NH and is currently a junior studying mechanical engineering at Harvard University. She is very interested in biologically inspired robotics and will be working in Professor Robert Wood's lab. Outside of engineering, Dani also enjoys biking, soccer, and laser tag.
Project: Compliant leg design in a quadrupedal microrobot
Mentors: Rob Wood, Onur Ozcan
Funding: NSF Collaborative Research: RoboBees: A Convergence of Body, Brain and Colony | NSF IIS-0926148 | Harvard College Research Program
Philip Jean-Remy
Philip Jean-Remy was born and raised in New York City and is a rising junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Majoring in materials science and engineering, he hopes to emphasize in the field of biomaterials and go on to pursue a doctorate degree. In his free time, Philip enjoys pencil drawing, reading science-fiction novels, and hanging out with his friends.
Project: Shadow sphere lithography – A novel way to fabricate metamaterial surfaces at the nanoscale level
Mentors: George Whitesides, Alex Nemiroski, Mathieu Gonidec, Yanina Shevchenko
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-0820484
Jorge Jiminez
Jorge Jimenez has recently completed his freshmen year at Bunker Hill Community College in Charlestown, MA. As a first-generation Mexican-American and the United States Air Force veteran, he aspires to study biochemistry. His interests are cell biology and tissues. He hopes to inspire other military veterans to pursue the science fields.
Project: Neuron microbead binding
Mentors: Kevin Kit Parker, Matt Hemphill, Borna Dabiri
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Nicholas Jin
Nicholas Jin is a rising senior at Princeton University, concentrating in physics with a certificate in applications of computing. In his free time, he enjoys music, badminton, and ballroom dancing.
Project: Tight-binding model of molybdenum disulfide
Mentors: Efthimios Kaxiras
Funding: Institute for Applied Computational Science at Harvard
Waad Kahouli
Waad Kahouli is a rising junior at Mount Holyoke College majoring in physics. In her spare time, she enjoys jogging, cooking, reading and socializing.
Project: Encapsulation of beta-carotene using microfluidic single emulsion device
Mentors: David Weitz, Alireza Abbaspourrad
Funding: BASF North American Center for Research on Advanced Materials
Aaron Krupp
Aaron Krupp just completed his third year at Oberlin College where he participated in the 3/2 engineering program, minored in physics, played ultimate frisbee, and spent his time climbing and practicing magic. He plans on studying mechanical engineering.
Project: Moving forward: A quantitative examination of drag-reduction with flexible feet
Mentors: Christopher Richards, Angela Rivera
Funding: The Rowland Institute at Harvard
Thanard Kurutach
Thanard Kurutach is a rising sophomore, majoring in mathematics and EECS at MIT. He grew up in Thailand and won a scholarship to study until Ph.D. He really enjoys sports especially soccer.
Project: Identification of unknown torque offsets for flight control of a robotic fly
Mentors: Rob Wood, Pakpong Chirarattananon
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Corey Landry
Corey Landry is a rising senior in biological engineering at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge. He is interested in pursuing his Ph.D. and developing a point of care diagnostics for developing world clinics. In his spare time, he teaches English to refugees from Sudan, Nepal, Iraq, and Burma.
Project: Design of synthetic protein membranes using droplet microfluidics
Mentors: David Weitz, Peter Yunker
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) | NSF ECCS-0335765
Jefferson Lee
Jefferson Lee is a rising senior in mechanical engineering at Olin College. His interest in robotics began when he started a FIRST robotics team at his high school.
Project: Amorphous construction robot
Mentors: Radhika Nagpal, Nils Napp
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Daniel Leichus
Daniel Leichus is a rising sophomore from Harvard University concentrating in Mechanical Engineering. He is from Tallahassee, Florida and will work in the Walsh Lab this summer researching an off-board system for human biomechanical studies with the intent of assisting walking. He loves sailing, singing, and biking.
Project: An automated MATLAB toolbox to analyze human gait data
Mentors: Conor Walsh
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Michelle Len
Michelle Len is a rising senior studying computer science at the University of California - Santa Barbara (UCSB). She intends to pursue a Ph.D. in the interdisciplinary field of computational science. She enjoys dancing for Iaorana Te Otea, a Polynesian dance club at UCSB.
Project: Akselos: Structural finite element analysis: Beam-element models vs. fully 3D Models
Mentors: Avi Shapiro, Daniel Weinstock
Funding: Institute for Applied Computational Science at Harvard
Ang (Kevin) LI
Ang (Kevin) Li is a rising senior studying biomedical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is interested in many areas of research, including gene therapy, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering after graduation. In his spare time, he likes to experiment with cooking different types of food.
Project: Curved functionalized microfluidic channels for study of cell dynamics
Mentors: David Weitz, Adrian Pegoraro, Tom Kodger
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) | NSF ECCS-0335765
Yixin Li
Yixin Li is a rising junior majoring in electrical engineering and computer science. She is originally from China and currently lives in Cambridge, MA. Her current research interests involve communication, networks and systems.
Project: Reverse engineer termite behavior
Mentors: Radhika Nagpal, Justin Werfel
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Eduardo Lopez Beeche
Eduardo Lopez is a junior at Harvard College studying applied mathematics and computer science.
Project: Akselos: Structural finite element analysis: Beam-element models vs. fully 3D Models
Mentors: Avi Shapiro, Daniel Weinstock
Funding: Institute for Applied Computational Science at Harvard
Gavin McCauley
Gavin McCauley is a rising senior at UMass Boston, majoring in physics and computer science with a minor in math. He has lived in Boston his entire life and is an avid Red Sox fan.
Project: QRI: A data-driven approach for predicting the success of oil wells in the Eagle Ford shale
Mentors: Margo Levine, Daniel Weinstock
Funding: Institute for Applied Computational Science at Harvard
Lucas McNeilly
Lucas McNeilly is a ten-year Marine Corps Veteran who is now enrolled at Bunker Hill Community College. He hopes to transfer in the fall of 2014 to a 4-year institution to pursue a bachelors in mechanical engineering.
Project: Natural turbulence measurement for Robobees
Mentors: Stacey Combes, Sridhar Ravi
Funding: NSF Collaborative Research: RoboBees: A Convergence of Body, Brain and Colony | NSF IIS-0926148
John (Jack) Michaud
Jack Michaud is a student at Columbia University studying neuroscience. He participates in Varsity Heavyweight Rowing.
Project: Dissecting neural circuits for Drosophila larval phototaxis
Mentor: Elizabeth Kane
Funding: The Rowland Institute at Harvard
Daniel Miron
Daniel Miron was born and grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He is a rising sophomore at Columbia University majoring in physics and mathematics. He plays Ultimate Frisbee at Columbia and loves movies and finding unique restaurants.
Project: Computational tools for neuronal segmentation
Mentors: Jeff Lichtman, Hanspeter Pfister, Thouis (Ray) Jones, Seymour Knowles-Barley
Funding: CDI Type II: Bridging the Computational Semantic Gap: A Demand-Driven Framework for Portal-Based Chemistry, Astronomy and Neurobiology | NSF OIA-1125087
Guðfríður Björg Möller
Guðfríður Björg Möller is a rising senior at Mt. Holyoke College majoring in physics and biology. She is from Reykjavik, Iceland.
Project: Single shot multispectral imaging with a pixelated tunable color filter
Mentors: Ethan Schonbrun
Funding: The Rowland Institute at Harvard
Alma Valerie Moran-Lambarena
Alma Moran is a rising senior at Southwestern College studying electrical engineering. She is the oldest of four girls and the first one to go to college. She is from San Diego, California and enjoys going to the movies and spending time with her sisters.
Project: Helping RoboBees fly
Mentors: Rob Wood, Sawyer Fuller
Funding: NSF Collaborative Research: RoboBees: A Convergence of Body, Brain and Colony | NSF IIS-0926148
Saraf Nawar
Saraf Nawar is a student at Harvard University studying chemistry and physics. She is interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in physical chemistry or materials science.
Project: Investigating the structure and dynamics of the solid-liquid interface using polymeric colloidal crystals
Mentors: Frans Spaepen, Emily Redston
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-0820484 | Harvard College Research Program
Anoid (Anna) Ndamba
Anoid (Anna) Mukankusi Ndamba lives in Burlington, MA but is originally from East Africa, Uganda. She is majoring in health sciences with minors in chemistry, biology and Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations at Merrimack College. She loves soccer, dancing and volunteering.
Project: Does a variation in growth protocol influence bacterial swimming speeds?
Mentors: Laurence Wilson, Remy Colin
Funding: The Rowland Institute at Harvard
Alimatou Ndiaye
Alimatou Ndiaye has a bachelor in electrical engineering from Suffolk University, biotechnology transfer from Bunker Hill Community College. She plans to apply for graduate programs in biotechnology for fall 2015. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, volunteering, and movies.
Project: Study of the (electrical) properties of nanowires within the biofilm of Bacillus subtilis
Mentors: David Weitz, Tom Kodger
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-0820484
Matthew Neau
Matthew Ryan Neau was born on an Air Force base in the Philippines and grew up in Florida. He is currently attending the University of West Florida and majoring in computer science and software engineering. After graduation he will be commissioned as a United States Air Force Officer. He enjoys all outdoor activities and is always wanting to try something new.
Project: A demand-driven framework for portal-based chemistry
Mentors: Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Dmitry Zubarev, Kai Trepte, Dmitrij Rappoport
Funding: CDI Type II: Bridging the Computational Semantic Gap: A Demand-Driven Framework for Portal-Based Chemistry, Astronomy and Neurobiology | NSF OIA-1125087
Alexis Oyetibo
Alexis Oyetibo is a rising sophomore from Rancho Cucamonga, California majoring in chemical engineering at Howard University. She is interested in becoming a petroleum engineer or focusing on water purification. In her free time she enjoys playing basketball, watching movies, and socializing with others.
Project: Impact resistant soft robots
Mentors: George Whitesides, Ramses Martinez
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Bhavin Patel
Bhavin Patel is a rising junior at Indiana University - Bloomington, studying biology with minors in mathematics, business, and chemistry. He is interested in low-cost diagnostics in medicine.
Project: Rapid separation of lipoproteins using aqueous systems (MuPS)
Mentors: George Whitesides, A.J. Kumar, Shuji Fujita
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Luis Perez
Luis Perez was born in Mexico City but was raised in the small town of Nacogdoches, Texas. He's grown accustomed to the gentler pace of small-town life and enjoy nature walks and midnight strolls. He is a freshman at Harvard College and is undecided on his field of study but will probably concentrate in computer science or applied mathematics. He hopes to one day revolutionize the world.
Project: Simulation of structurally stable tower construction by an autonomous, decentralized robotic swarm
Mentors: Paul Kassabian, Justin Werfel
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
George Peters
George Peters just completed his freshman year at University of Arkansas, where his is majoring in mechanical engineering, with a minor in business.
Project: Enhancing banknotes security features with polymeric nano-structures
Mentors: Joanna Aizenberg, Ximin He
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Brendan Quinlivan
Brendan Quinlivan is from Rutland, MA and is a rising senior at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering studying general engineering with a concentration in biomechanics. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, Brendan plans on pursing a masters degree in biomedical or biomechanical engineering.
Project: Development and evaluation of a soft exosuit designed to assist an individual while walking
Mentors: Conor Walsh, Ye Ding
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Cara Rano
Cara Rano is a rising senior at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. She is majoring in art with a concentration in printmaking and a minor in biology. She hopes to attend medical school following undergrad and continue to develop her body of work in printmaking.
Project: Dissecting neural circuits for Drosophila larval phototaxis
Mentor: Elizabeth Kane
Funding: The Rowland Institute at Harvard
Rachel Reed
Rachel Reed is from Houston, Texas and attends the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a rising sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in applied international studies. In her free time she enjoys reading, hiking, playing soccer, and basically anything adventurous.
Project: Test flying bee sized robots under turbulence to simulate outdoor conditions
Mentors: Rob Wood
Funding: NSF Collaborative Research: RoboBees: A Convergence of Body, Brain and Colony | NSF IIS-0926148
Shruti Sharma
Shruti Sharma is a rising junior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology majoring in materials science and engineering and minoring in French. Having preformed research in biomechatronics and biomedical optics, Shruti is interested in using her knowledge in biomaterials and structural materials for medical applications. In her spare time, Shruti enjoys traveling, sailing, and painting.
Project: Using biologically-inspired architecture of Nacre for 3D printing of bone structures
Mentors: Jennifer Lewis, Brett Compton
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-0820484
Brian (ByungHyun) Shin
Brian Shin is a Harvard College student studying electrical engineering and computer science. He is involved in the Harvard Ecomarathon Team, the Harvard Glee Club, the Harvard Modern Korean Studies Society, and the Harvard Investment Association.
Project: Printable robots
Mentors: Rob Wood, Sam Felton
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering | Faculty Aide Program
Publication: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6697068
Jae Shin
Jae Shin is a rising junior at Harvard University concentrating in applied mathematics. She is interested in the application of mathematical and computational sciences to biological systems. She enjoys listening to music, playing sports, watching movies and having a good time with friends.
Project: Finding the optimal shell for coating DNA origami adjuvants in cancer vaccines
Mentors: William Shih, Maartje Bastings
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Dilawer Singh
Dilawer Singh grew up in McGehee, Arkansas, and attends the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He is pursuing a double bachelor's degree in physics and mechanical engineering. He enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, water sports, and mountain climbing. Traveling is a must, and he takes every opportunity to explore new cities/countries.
Project: Permeation of dielectric elastomers
Mentors: David R. Clarke, Roger M. Diebold
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-0820484
Frances Su
Frances Su is pursuing a general engineering degree at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA. She is a rising senior and is looking to pursue a graduate degree in materials science and engineering. She enjoys playing badminton, reading, and watching movies.
Project: Electrically responsive tough hydrogels
Mentors: David Mooney, Stephen Kennedy, Max Darnell
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Ye Tian
Ye Tian is a student at Mount Holyoke College pursuing her bachelor of arts in chemistry and biology. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine.
Project: The effect of a point mutation on cell contractility
Mentors: David Weitz, Allen Ehrlicher
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Darragh Tobin
Darragh Tobin grew up in Dublin, Ireland and is the youngest of three children. He is currently attending University College Dublin, pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. In his free time he enjoys playing guitar, listening to music and computer programming.
Project: Akselos: Structural finite element analysis: Beam-element models vs. fully 3D Models
Mentors: Avi Shapiro, Daniel Weinstock
Funding: Institute for Applied Computational Science at Harvard
Evan Turnage
A native of Jackson, MS, Evan Turnage is a junior at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where he majors in pure physics and Spanish. Upon graduation, Evan plans to attend graduate school and eventually to become a professor.
Project: Nanofabrication of plasmonic surfaces
Mentors: George Whitesides, Alex Nemiroski, Mathieu Gonidec
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
Alex Vaschillo
Alex is a rising senior majoring in chemistry, physics, and mathematics at the University of Washington. He plans to pursue a doctorate in physical chemistry or chemical physics. In his fleeting moments of "spare time" Alex enjoys playing chess, swimming, and playing guitar.
Project: Optimizing quantum circuits
Mentors: Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Jon Welch
Funding: CDI Type II: Bridging the Computational Semantic Gap: A Demand-Driven Framework for Portal-Based Chemistry, Astronomy and Neurobiology | NSF OIA-1125087 | CDI Type II: Scientific Computation for Astronomy, Neurobiology and Chemistry using Graphics Processing Units and Solid-State Storage | NSF PHY-0835713
Eugenia Volkova
Eugenia Volkova is a senior at NYU and Stevens Institute of Technology where she is majoring in chemistry, physics, and chemical engineering.
Project: Development and testing of micropatterned agar surfaces and effect on bacterial growth
Mentors: Joanna Aizenberg
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Shay Wallace
Shay Goff Wallace is a materials science and engineering student at the University of Minnesota. He is particularly interested in nanotechnology and materials characterization. He enjoys playing board games, exploring cities, and biking.
Project: Investigating the contact resistance of several metals on SnS
Mentors: Roy Gordon, Leizhi Sun
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) | NSF ECCS-0335765
Luke Wooster
Luke Wooster is a rising junior at Eastern Nazarene College. He hopes to succeed wherever God leads him.
Project: Development and fabrication of an inline flow-through microfluidic electrolytic cell for mass spectrometry
Mentors:
Funding: The Rowland Institute at Harvard
Ecem Simin Yildiz
Simin Ecem Yildiz is studying molecular biology and genetics with a secondary in engineering physics at Istanbul Technical University.
Project: Microfluidic device for study of cells in oxygen and glucose gradients
Mentors: George Whitesides, Bobak Mosadegh
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Carolyn Zhang
Carolyn Zhang studies biochemistry and cell biology at the University of California - San Diego. She hopes to pursue her PhD in bioengineering or a related field.
Project: Fabrication of smart gels with tunable stiffness
Mentors: David Weitz, Adrian Pegoraro, Tom Kodger, Ming Guo
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) | NSF ECCS-0335765
Cuiping Zhang
Cuiping Zhang studies mechanical engineering at the University of Hong Kong. She is part of the 2+2 program between Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Hong Kong. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D.
Project: Fabrication of smart gels with tunable stiffness
Mentors: David Weitz, Nick Carroll, Max Zieringer
Funding: University of Hong Kong | HKUWW Scholarships
Monica Zhou
Monica Zhou is an aspiring computational architect with a passion for neuroscience and biologically inspired engineering. She hopes to one day design parametric systems in our built environment that adapt and respond to shifting conditions and user interaction.
Project: Self-folding shape memory laminates for automated fabrication
Mentors: Rob Wood, Sam Felton, Michael Tolley
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Publication: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6697068