2015

Okechukwu Abana was born and raised in Nigeria. He moved to the US at the age of eighteen to earn a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Howard University, Washington, DC. He developed a keen interest in mathematics and physics as a teenager, and through motivation from his parents, he decided to pursue a college degree in engineering. He likes meeting people, and he plays soccer, basketball, tennis, etc.

Project: Topological insulator probe for scanning probe microscopy
Mentors: David Bell, Tina Brower-Thomas, Andrew Magyar, Josué Goss, Jason Tresback
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Lidya Abune is studying biomedical engineering at Bucknell University. She enjoys Bible study. In the future, she hopes to use her knowledge and skills to help others.

Project: Analyzing deformation of anisotropic dielectric elastomer actuators
Mentors: David Clarke, Sam Shian
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

LinkedIn

Zaira Alibay is a senior student at Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan. She has been interested in science since high school. This interest gave her inspiration to pursue a chemical engineering degree. She is also passionate about reading books and dancing and always finds time to do that.

Project: Mechanical properties of perfluorinated polymersomes
Mentors: David Weitz, Laura Arriaga
Funding: Nazarbayev University

LinkedIn

Dylan Altschuler was raised in Dallas, Texas and is currently living in San Francisco. He is majoring in math at Princeton University. He enjoys waffles, Spanish guitar, sprinting, and pop tarts.

Project: Distance measuring algorithms: swarm robotics
Mentors: Radhika Nagpal, Mike Rubinstein
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn

Andreea Antuca is studying economics and politics at the University of Essex. She is working on the Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data project this summer.

Project: Linear regression with differentially private data
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, Or Sheffet, Vishesh Karwa, James Honaker
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn

Elizabeth Brooks is currently studying computer science and biology at Central Washington University, with minors in both music and mathematics. Her research interests include mathematical modeling, quantitative genetics, and evolutionary developmental (evo-devo) biology. She is planning to earn a Ph.D. in computational biology or bioinformatics directly upon completion of her bachelor's degree.

Project: Boston area research initiative - analysis of geo-coded Tweets, 911, and 311 datasets from the time of the Boston marathon bombings
Mentors: Michael Brenner, Daniel Weinstock
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

LinkedIn

Ciera Bryan is a rising junior at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. She is pursuing a B.S. in chemical engineering and minoring in biomedical engineering. After obtaining a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, she would like to start her own chemical/biomedical engineering company. In her spare time, she likes to play the violin and likes to read novels.

Project: Programmable actuated drug delivery device
Mentors: David Mooney, Conor Walsh, Ellen Roche, William Whyte
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

LinkedIn

Jessica Bu is a rising junior at Wellesley College double majoring in computer science and French. She is originally from Vancouver, Canada, and loves to bake, read, and explore new places.

Project: Visualization of uncertainty introduced by differential privacy in TwoRavens
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, James Honaker
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn

Jonathan Cline is currently enrolled as a full-time student at Bunker Hill Community College majoring in computer science. He plans on obtaining an associates's degree in computer science then transferring to a 4-year school and receiving his bachelors's degree in computer science with a focus on cyber security. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 2008 - 2012.

Project: Automation of laboratory processes
Mentors: Joseph Checkelsky, Aravind Devarakonda
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Maya Cole is a rising sophomore at Hampton University and majoring in electrical engineering. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, cooking, and traveling to new places.

Project:  Educational workshops for soft robotics
Mentors: Conor Walsh, Donal Holland
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

LinkedIn

Michelle Cole was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She is a rising junior from Howard University studying chemical dngineering. Outside of academics, she enjoys track and field, dancing and modeling. After graduation, she intends to obtain her Ph.D. and pursue a career in the research, processing or manufacturing industry.

Project: Rethinking the community college classroom experience
Mentors: Rafael Cabañas, Thomas Plumb-Reyes
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Esmarline (Marline) De León Peralta just completed her 4th year of study in the chemical engineering and chemistry programs at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez Campus. Her mission in life is to save lives—a lot of them—through biomedical innovation. She is especially committed to the treatment of catastrophic diseases such as cancer, sickle cell anemia, Alzheimer's, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Therefore, she will pursue an MD/Ph.D. degree with a focus in the area of biomedical engineering.

Project: Improving wound healing through the use of tetrazine-modified alginate
Mentors: David Mooney, Yevgeny Brudno, Brian Kwee
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn

Christopher DeCola is majoring in physics at Bunker Hill Community College. He is very interested in nanoscience. He will be working in the research group of David Weitz this summer.

Project: Manipulation of colloids with magnetic tweezers
Mentors: David Weitz, Zsolt Terdik
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

LinkedIn

Carlneil Domkam is a highly motivated mechanical engineering student whose passion for science and the arts knows no bound. He sees success as something that can only be achieved when one knows how to cohesively work well with others. As a result, he strives to impact the people around him with his positive and can-do attitude.

Project: Memory effects in mechanical systems
Mentors: Shmuel Rubinstein, Yoav Lahini
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

LinkedIn

Jean Faubert Dorancy is from Haiti and an engineering transfer major at Bunker Hill Community College. He has made it to the Dean’s list and was selected to receive the Rukmini Rao Memorial Scholarship. He wants to get a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's degree in software engineering. He is very passionate about programming. In his free time, he enjoys long-distance running, watching movies and soccer games.

Project: Pneumatic corrugated soft actuators
Mentors: Katia Bertoldi, Joanna Aizenberg, Donald Ingber, Kitty Kumar
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

LinkedIn

John Doyle is a commonwealth honors student at Bunker Hill Community College and president of the Student Veterans Organization. His plan is to one day become a physician assistant.

Project: Integrating electrodes into organ chips by chemical vapor deposition
Mentors: Kit Parker, Arun Shrivats, John Ferrier
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

LinkedIn

Joanne Dynak is a rising senior studying government and environmental science & public policy at Harvard. She is editor in chief at the Harvard College Law Review and plans to attend law school post-graduation. She is working on the Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data project this summer.

Project:  Privacy tools for sharing research data
Mentors: Latanya Sweeney
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn

Emily Engel is a rising junior majoring in engineering with a concentration in materials science at Olin College. She is also interested in literature. In her free time, she enjoys reading novels and magazines, watching movies, hiking, and exploring her surroundings.

Project: Effects of growth conditions on diamond thin-films
Mentors: Evelyn Hu, Xingyu (Alex) Zhang
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Shaan Erickon is a rising junior at Harvard College, studying mechanical engineering. Outside of academic work, he loves to play hockey (and almost all sports). He will be working in the Biodesign Lab at 60 Oxford St. He looks forward to meeting the rest of the REU participants and those who organized it.

Project: Creation of an active knee brace for climbing assistance
Mentors: Conor Walsh, Donal Holland, Johann Bernhardt
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn

Emily First is from Scarsdale, New York, which is a suburb of New York City. As a rising junior at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, she is pursuing a joint major in computer science and mathematics with a humanities concentration in economics. Apart from academics, her interests include stand-up comedy, music, tennis, soccer, baseball, and football, but only as a spectator of the latter two.

Project: SMR drives: More storage seeking better performance
Mentors: Margo Selzer, Rob Bowden, Peter Desnoyers
Funding: Harvey Mudd College

William (Hayden) Fuss is a rising senior at North Carolina State University, double majoring in Materials Science and Engineering, and Computer Science. He enjoys puzzles, problem-solving, and is interested in computer simulation and game development. To unwind, he loves to skateboard, listen to music and enjoys entertaining his friends and family.

Project: Boston area research initiative - analysis of geo-coded Tweets, 911, and 311 datasets from the time of the Boston marathon bombings
Mentors: Michael Brenner, Daniel Weinstock
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

LinkedIn

Janette Garcia is a rising senior studying computer science at the University of Texas-Pan American. She is highly motivated to become a successful computer scientist by helping humanity through the use of technology. On-campus she is heavily involved in The Association For Computing Machinery Committee on Women, and Leadership Academy. In spring 2015 she led the IgniteCS program, a mentoring program sponsored by Google. She is passionate about conducting outreach programs and enjoys dancing.

Project: QRI - Data mining for petroleum reservoirs
Mentors: Michael Brenner, Hanspeter Pfister, Verena Kaynig-Fittkau
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

LinkedIn

Aaron Gokaslan is a computer science concentrator at Brown University. His interests include programming, reading science fiction, attending hackathons, research, and video games. He is particularly interested in human-computer interaction, robots, speech recognition, and augmented reality.

Project: Modeling of popupcad designs for laminated robotis
Mentors: Rob Wood, Daniel Aukes, Neel Doshi
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn

Caper Gooden is a rising senior at the College of William & Mary studying economics, international relations, and Arabic. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and over the long term, hopes to work in foreign policy analysis. In her free time, she enjoys figure skating, watching movies, reading, and traveling internationally.

Project: Testing usability of differentially private statistics
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, James Honaker, Or Sheffet, Vishesh Karwa
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

Abigail (Abby) Grosskopf is a rising junior at Princeton University. She is majoring in chemical and biological engineering with certificates in computer science and materials science. She is originally from Chadds Ford, PA. This summer she is working on embedded 3D printing to create functional vasculatures. Abby is learning a lot about materials science and the field of soft robotics. In her free time, she likes to dance and ski.

Project: Embeded 3D printing of soft robotics
Mentors: Jennifer Lewis, Ryan Truby
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn

Amelework (Amele) Habtemichael was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She moved to the USA in December 2008. Currently, she is a chemistry major at Gallaudet University. She also has a part-time job on campus as a laboratory assistant and out of campus as a sales associate. As a hobby, she enjoys reading, cooking, meeting new people and visiting new places. In the future, she plans to attend pharmacy school and work in a pharmaceutical company. She is interested in drug synthesis and clinical trials.

Project:  eSpanex:  A new technique for exfoliating graphene
Mentors: Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, Valla Fatemi, Efren Navarro-Moratalla
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Adrianne Hargrove is a rising senior pursuing a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at Howard University. She is actively involved in her sorority for women in engineering (Phi Sigma Rho National Sorority). In her free time, she loves watching movies and hanging out with friends.

Project: Creating nano-pillars in polycrystalline diamond
Mentors: Marko Lončar, Anna Shneidman
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Rebecca (Becca) Harman is from Mamaroneck, NY and is a physics major at Harvey Mudd College in southern California.  She is particularly interested in quantum and its foundations in chemistry. She also wants to learn more about biophysics and how she can use her physics education medically. She enjoys making hand-sculpted pottery, drawing, and painting.  She loves hiking, traveling, and going on road trips. This summer she looks forward to camping, the beach, exploring Boston, and learning to cook.

Project: Predicting Gibbs free energy from quantum chemistry models using machine learning
Mentors: Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Adrian Jinich
Funding: CDI Type II: Bridging the Computational Semantic Gap: A Demand-Driven Framework for Portal-Based Chemistry, Astronomy and Neurobiology | NSF OIA-1125087

LinkedIn

Esperanza Hernandez is an undergraduate at the University of Utah studying chemical engineering. She is interested in researching nanotechnology or nanophotonics. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. degree with the ultimate goal of working for a research organization like NASA. In her free time, she likes to go hiking, dancing, reading or listening to music.

Project: Fabricating a pH sensor using a photonic crystal hydrogel for visual detection
Mentors: Joanna Aizenberg, Elijah Shirman, Katherine Phillips
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

LinkedIn

Nikola Jovanović is a rising senior at RIT Croatia and is majoring in information technology.  He is an international student from Montenegro.  This summer he will be working with Dr. Sanchez at the Rowland Institute at Harvard.  He will be working on developing a computer code to control the position of a 3D stage. Once this is accomplished, the stage will be used to take snapshots of biological samples and to touch specific regions of interest.

Project: Gilson movement control software
Mentor: Alvaro Sanchez
Funding: Rowland Institute at Harvard

LinkedIn

Allyson (Ally) Kaminsky is a rising senior studying computer science and math at Wake Forest University. After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school in computer science and become a professor. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, spending time with her dogs, hanging out at the lake or the beach, and cooking vegetarian food.

Project: Interactive query engine for computing differentially private statistics: System design
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, Thomas Steinke, Jack Murtagh
Funding: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn

Rachel Kassa just graduated from Harvard College where she studied government, with a secondary concentration in computer science. She is working on the Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data project this summer.

Project: Privacy Tools
Mentor: Latanya Sweeney
Funding: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn

Fikriye Idil (K) Kaya is a student at Mount Holyoke College majoring in physics and mathematics. She graduates in December 2015, and she plans to continue to graduate school in physics in the following year.

Project: Electron wavefunctions and Raman effects of polyacetylene
Mentor: Eric (Rick) Heller
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Ramin Khajeh is a rising senior studying physics at UC Berkeley. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. In his free time, he enjoys road cycling, calligraphy and listening to music.

Project: Coarse-grained simulations of RNA dynamics
Mentor: Michael Brenner
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

LinkedIn

Dasol Kim is a rising senior at Mount Holyoke College. She is double majoring in physics and computer science and minoring in mathematics. Dasol enjoys hiking, running, and listening to music.

Project: Treating many-body dispersion with density functional theory
Mentors: Alan Aspuru-Guzik, Martin Blood-Forsythe
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Varsha Kishore is an international student at Harvey Mudd College. She is a rising sophomore doing a math-computer science joint major. She likes exploring new places and trying new things. She also enjoys playing basketball or Foosball when she's free. She plans on pursuing a graduate degree in computer science.

Project: SMR drives: More storage seeking better performance
Mentors: Margo Selzer, Rob Bowden, Peter Desnoyers
Funding: Harvey Mudd College

LinkedIn

Javier Larragoiti-Kuri lives in Mexico City. He is recently graduated in chemical engineering. Travelling is his passion while listening to music, and soccer is his main hobby. He enjoys meeting people and making new friends.

Project: Droplet microfluidic device towards biomedical assays
Mentors: David Weitz, Huidan Zhang
Funding: BASF North American Center for Research on Advanced Materials

LinkedIn

Rabeb Layouni is a dual degree student in chemistry and chemical engineering at Mount Holyoke College and the University of Massachusetts - Amherst.

Project: STM tip fabrication for scanning capacitance microscopy
Mentors: Robert Westervelt, Sagar Bhandari
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Adrian Ledesma-Mendoza is a senior at the University of New Mexico majoring in chemical engineering with a minor in psychology. He is originally from Mexico. His research interests are tissue engineering and biomaterials. After graduation, he plans to continue his education and obtain a graduate degree in bioengineering or biomedical engineering. He is fluent in Spanish and English and moderate in Italian. His hobbies involve playing video games, watching movies and watching soccer games.

Project: Cardiac propagation on the  heart-on-a-chip
Mentors: Kit Parker, Francesco Pasqualini
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

LinkedIn

Katherine (Kate) Letai is a rising junior at Princeton University, majoring in neuroscience with a certificate in computer science. She also loves running, baking, and spending time with friends and family.

Project: Developing operant learning paradigms for zebrafish
Mentors: Jennifer Li, Drew Robson
Funding: Rowland Institute at Harvard

LinkedIn

Akash Levy is an electrical engineering major at Princeton, a rising sophomore. He enjoys coding, composing piano music, and biking.

Project: QRI - Data mining for petroleum reservoirs
Mentors: Michael Brenner, Hanspeter Pfister, Verena Kaynig-Fittkau
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

LinkedIn

Hyun Woo Lim is graduated from UCLA majoring in political science. His main interest is finding the balance between the empirical study of political science by using statistical analysis and philosophical interpretation of social issues.  He wants to further study in a Ph.D. program.

Project: Privacy Tools for contingency table’s independence test
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, Marco Gaboardi, Ryan Rogers
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn

Mono M. Livingston is originally from the Navajo Nation. He is a rising junior at Navajo Technical University majoring in electrical engineering. He was deployed to Iraq with the 1 Calvary Division 2009 to 2010. In his free time, he enjoys carving Navajo pottery and traveling.

Project: Titanium nitride (TiN) for plasmonics
Mentors: Evelyn Hu, Christine Zgrabik
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

LinkedIn

Luis (Andre) Loza was born San Juan de Lurigancho of Lima, Peru in 1996. At the age of 11, he moved to the US with his twin brother under the jurisdiction of his father who resides in Hartford CT. After completing his English education at Joseph Bellizzi Middle School and his secondary education at University High School of Science and Engineering, he enrolled at the University of Connecticut in its chemical engineering program, with a concentration in molecular & cell biology.

Project: Microfluidic systems in cellophane
Mentors: George Whitesides, Mahiar Max Hamedi, Baris Unal
Funding: Marie Curie grant

LinkedIn

Emily MacDonald is a rising senior at Whitworth University. She is a double major in physics and French, and a triple minor in Spanish, math, and sociology. After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school and possibly work for the CIA. Emily enjoys reading, fencing, and traveling.

Project: Nanofabrication and characterization of quasi-crystal metasurfaces using shadow-sphere lithography
Mentors: George Whitesides, Alex Nemiroski, Mathieu Gonidec
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) | NSF ECCS-0335765

LinkedIn

Linh Mai is originally from Viet Nam and is studying chemical engineering at Bunker Hill Community College as a Commonwealth Honors Scholar. At Bunker Hill, she is a Start Smart orientation mentor and also assists new students at BHCC as an Achievement, Cultural Competency, and Engagement mentor. In her free time, Linh enjoys swimming, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Project: Rethinking the community college classroom experience
Mentors: Thomas Plumb-Reyes, Rafael Cabañas
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Thomas Manuel is a rising junior in biomedical engineering at Mississippi State University. He spends his time either making music or exploring the outdoors. Enjoys meeting new people and experiencing new areas.

Project: A microfluidic device for blood handling
Mentors: Kit Parker, Renita Horton
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn

Alexi Martin is originally from Jamaica and has served in the U.S. Army. He is a student in the engineering program at Bunker Hill Community College and is working on several projects in the Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems.

Project: ProgrammablelLogic controller (PLC) retro-fit to a thermal evaporator
Mentors: Jiangdong Deng, Ed Macomber
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Ilyana Martínez-Cosme is a student of the mechanical engineering program at Universidad del Turabo, Puerto Rico. She has a B.S. biological sciences. She plans to do graduate studies in biomechanical engineering or biomedical engineering. She loves sports, read, movies and cultural activities.

Project: Influence of environmental changes in the gene expression of B. subtilis
Mentors: Shmuel Rubinstein, Siddarth Srinivasan
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

LinkedIn

Michael May III grew up in the small East Texas town of Crockett. He is a rising junior at Williams College studying physics and religion. He plans on going to graduate school in physics. Outside of class, he enjoys sailing, acting, and playing Go.

Project: Textual analysis
Mentors: Dustin Tingley
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

LinkedIn

Christopher Mbochwa is from Botswana. He is currently an undergraduate student at Gallaudet University, majoring in biology and chemistry. He was born hearing and become deaf at the age of 6. He went to Deaf school and his life became easy as he can communicate using sign language. He loves playing soccer, watching soccer, playing volleyball and traveling around new places.

Project: eSpanex:  A new technique for exfoliating graphene
Mentors: Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, Valla Fatemi, Efren Navarro-Moratalla
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn

Jeremy McKenzie is a guy that isn't quite sure how he got here, but, he's here!

Project: Boston area research initiative - analysis of geo-coded Tweets, 911, and 311 datasets from the time of the Boston marathon bombings
Mentors: Michael Brenner, Daniel Weinstock
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870 

William Mehalick was in the United States Air Force from 2008 - 2013. He is currently a student at Bunker Hill Community College.

Project: Clasp for a liquid-tight seal in a microfluidic device
Mentors: Kit Parker, Alanna Gannon, Benjamin Pope
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

Keegan Mendez is a rising sophomore in biomedical engineering at Harvard University. She is on the Harvard Women’s Varsity Squash Team, and also enjoys camping, playing soccer, and cycling.

Project: Thericardium: A replenishable cell delivery system for the heart
Mentors: David Mooney, Ellen Roche, William Whyte
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

LinkedIn

Cameron (Cam) Merrill is a rising senior at Michigan State University studying computer science. After graduation, he plans on earning a Ph.D. and pursuing research in human-computer interaction. In his free time, he enjoys classical music, graphic design, and hockey.

Project: Dynamic information flow control
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, Gustavo Durand, Steve Chong
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn

Rachel Miller is a first-year nanoengineering student at the University of California at San Diego. She was born and raised in Southern California and is looking forward to experiencing the East Coast. She is on the collegiate figure skating team and enjoys dance, music, tea, and food. She is looking forward to gaining experience in research that will help her toward her goal of attending graduate school and one day conducting her research.

Project: Optimizing hard mask etching for quartz nano-devices
Mentors: Marko Lončar, Srujan Meesala, Young-Ik Sohn
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) | NSF ECCS-0335765

LinkedIn

Tony Miller spends his days marathoning "Bill Nye the Science Guy" and Neil deGrasse Tyson videos and making short trips to the fridge. At night, he can be found people-watching at book stores and coffee shops while he tries to look mysterious. Tony Miller and Tony Stark have never been seen in the same room together, just saying. Tony is studying chemical engineering at the University of South Alabama. After graduation, he plans to obtain a Ph.D. and leisurely solve some Millennium Problems.

Project: Sliding vs. rolling in colloidal clusters
Mentors: Vinothan Manoharan, Ellen Klein
Funding: NSF Structural transitions, energetics, and folding pathways of colloidal clusters | NSF DMR-1306410

Daniel Muise is a senior in the UMass Lowell Honors College, studying economics, political science, and Asian studies. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in development economics focusing on micro-transaction quantification. He enjoys music and heavy conversation.

Project:  Differentially private CDF/PDF algorithm testing
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, Kobbi Nissim, Mark Bun
Funding: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn

Lara Murray is a rising senior at Bucknell University studying biomedical engineering.  She is from Hopkinton, MA.  She loves playing guitar, singing, running, and anything outdoors!

Project: Handheld isothermal amplification and electrochemical detection of DNA in resource limited settings
Mentors: George Whitesides, Alex Nemiroski, Maria-Nefeli Tsaloglou
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

LinkedIn

Natalie Nicolas is a rising sophomore at MIT majoring in materials science and engineering. She is originally from San Diego California and enjoys drawing, cooking, and traveling in her free time. Her research interests include bioinspired materials and photonic structures.

Project: Inverse opal sensors to diagnose neonatal jaundice
Mentors: Joanna Aizenberg, Meredith Duffy, Elijah Shirman
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn

Isabelle (Belle) Noxon is a rising senior from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She is majoring in biochemistry and has been researching paper-based microfluidics for the last year. She plans to attend graduate school after earning her bachelor's degree.

Project: Detection of Brucella in bovine serum using a paper based device
Mentors: George Whitesides, Dionysios Christodouleas, Jonathan Milette
Funding: BASF North American Center for Research on Advanced Materials

LinkedIn

Raphael Outlaw lives in Baltimore, Maryland and just received an associate's degree in the field of robotics. At a crossroads in where to continue his field of study, he hopes to get a real experience in the research field that will help guide his way.

Project: Coarse-grained simulations of RNA dynamics
Mentor: Michael Brenner
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

LinkedIn

Laura Pang was born in Houston, Texas. She plans to pursue a double major in electrical engineering and computer science.

Project: Coarse-grained simulations of RNA dynamics
Mentor: Michael Brenner
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

LinkedIn

Lillian (Lilly) Percival is an engineering student at Bunker Hill Community College. She is a Learn and Earn alumni mentor for the "Learn and Earn" program at her school where she helps students prepare for and secure paid internships in their majors. She plans on transferring to a 4-year school and earning her bachelors/masters in mechanical engineering. She enjoys learning about new ideas, solving problems, traveling, food, and meeting new people.

Project: Cutting soft materials via shear
Mentors: David Weitz, Stephan Koehler, L. Mahadevan
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

LinkedIn

Matthew (Matt) Piontkowski is a biology student at Bunker Hill Community College. He served in the US Army with the 82nd Airborne Division. He plans on transferring to a 4-year institution and then onto graduate or medical school. Matt is interested in preventative medicine and in particular the correlations found between the gut microbiome and overall health. In his spare time, he likes to read Science Fiction and go hiking.

Mentor: Robert Brucker
Funding: Rowland Institute at Harvard

LinkedIn

Ernest Puletasi is a liberal arts major at American Samoa Community College. He plans to attend a four-year institution to major in Physics. His goal is to become a medical doctor to serve his community. He enjoys sports, reading, meeting new people, and going to church.

Project: Titanium dioxide thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition for wave guiding application
Mentors: David Bell, Josué Goss
Funding: NSF Science Technology Center Tribal Initiative | NSF OCE-042460

LinkedIn

Julia Redston was born in Canada and raised in Boston. She is currently an electrical engineering student at Georgia Tech. She has three sisters, no brothers, and two dogs.

Project: Development of graphical user interface for paper-based respiratory sensors
Mentors: George Whitesides, Firat Guder, Dr. Alar Ainla
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

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Ellen (Amber) Ropeti currently resides on a small island in the South Pacific known as American Samoa. She is a rising sophomore at the local college (American Samoa Community College) majoring in natural resources. She is passionate about this field and hopes to gain more knowledge during her experience here at Harvard.

Project: Development of a novel sputter deposition technique using focused ion beam microscopy
Mentors: David Bell, Josué Goss
Funding: NSF Science Technology Center Tribal Initiative | NSF OCE-042460

Daniel Sanchez-Rosales is a rising junior at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. He is currently double majoring in chemical engineering and physics. He loves science and he loves playing soccer. He can speak two languages and is proficient in another. He is originally from El Salvador and moved to the US when he was 13 years old.

Project: The effect of rod stiffness in rod entanglement
Mentors: L. Mahadevan, Hunter King
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Thomas Scanlan is a native Bostonian and student at Bunker Hill Community College. He enjoys learning programming languages, weightlifting, and developing mobile applications. He hopes to transfer to a four-year university so that he may continue studying computer science. His research interests include natural language processing and programming language design.

Project: Textual analysis
Mentor: Dustin Tingley
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

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Yosyp Schwab is a physics major from James Madison University in Virginia. He is interested in attending graduate school next year and pursuing a Ph.D. in physics.

Project: Metamaterials
Mentors: George Whitesides, Alex Nemiroski
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Katherine (Kate) Shih is a rising junior studying mechanical engineering and mathematics at the University of Notre Dame. When not playing with numbers, she enjoys working on crossword puzzles, playing trumpet in ND's marching and mariachi bands, and watching the sea lions swim on the California coastline.

Project: Automation of smoke rake in low-speed wind tunnel
Mentors: Rob Wood, Michelle Rosen, Mike Smith
Funding: NSF 2012 Waterman Award | NSF CMMI-1251729

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Patrick Slade is a rising junior in mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Much of his research has been on prosthetics in developing nations. Outside of school, he likes to play guitar, ultimate frisbee, run, hike, and rock climb.

Project: Creation of an active knee brace for climbing assistance
Mentors: Conor Walsh, Donal Holland, Johann Bernhardt
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Gregory (Greg) Stankiewicz is currently a junior electrical engineering student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. After completing his undergraduate education, he plans on attending graduate school with the hopes of focusing on research-related career paths. Aside from his studies, Gregory enjoys performing music on a variety of instruments, learning foreign languages, and volunteering time at his university's radio station.

Project:  Characterization of soft actuator materials
Mentors: Conor Walsh, Sid Sanan, Kevin Galloway
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Paige Stokes is from Gilbert, Arizona. She is a rising senior at Arizona State University majoring in biomedical engineering. Post-graduation, she aspires to attend medical school to become a pediatric emergency room doctor. Outside of academia, Paige enjoys traveling, positively impacting others through community service, and spending time with friends and family.

Project: Fabricating a pH sensor using a photonic crystal hydrogel for visual detection
Mentors: Joanna Aizenberg, Elijah Shirman, Katherine Phillips
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

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Josh Straub is a rising junior at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA planning on majoring in physics. Originally from Brookline, MA, he is excited to be back home for the summer and for the opportunity to get firsthand experience in academic research. Josh also enjoys skiing, hiking, and watching and playing soccer.

Project: Graphical analysis of chemical reaction networks
Mentors: Alan Aspuru-Guzik, 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

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Angela Su is a rising junior at Bentley University studying computer information systems and media arts and society. She is a Bostonian and enjoys exploring the city and going on photo adventures. At school, she leads an Asian Student Association and is an orientation leader to welcome incoming minority students. She hopes to one day work for a tech firm and owns her own photography business.

Project: Textual analysis
Mentors: Dustin Tingley
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

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Shiv Sunil is a rising junior at Yale University who studies math. He would like to apply math toward his vague idea of "social good". He is happy to meet running partners for the summer.

Project: Textual analysis
Mentors: Dustin Tingley
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

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Carmine (CJ) Taglenti is a senior Mechanical Engineer in the Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is the president of the UMass Amherst triathlon club team. In his free time, he trains for Ironman triathlons. He hopes to combine his understanding of physiology and engineering to work on prosthetics in the future.

Project:  Biologically inspired stimuli-responsive bi-layer system
Mentors: Katia Bertoldi, Donald Ingber, Kitty Kumar
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Wai Lok (Kevin) Tam is a rising junior from The University of Hong Kong. His focus of the bachelor study is in mechanical engineering. He will graduate next year. His main interest of studies and researches are in the area of material science, nanotechnology and even in the aviation and aerospace engineering. He is planning in joining a research team in his home institute after obtaining his bachelor degree. He loves watching movies, reading books and listening to classical music.

Project:  Hybrid soft robotics
Mentors: George Whitesides, Baris Unal, Firat Guder
Funding: University of Hong Kong | HKUWW Scholarships

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Sonia Targ is a rising junior at Stanford University majoring in mathematical & computational science - biology track. Her interests lie in biodesign and medical technology. As a violinist, she enjoys expanding her repertoire and leading musical outreach events at nearby middle schools. She also likes reading poetry, baking cookies, and exploring new places.

Project: Fabrication of metallic microfiber networks
Mentors: George Whitesides, Dionysios Christodouleas, Jonathan Milette
Funding: Nano Terra

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Süeda Tunçak is a rising junior in Uskudar University, Turkey. She is double majoring in molecular biology and genetics and psychology. She intends to obtain her Ph.D. in neuroscience and hopes to run her own lab. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, skiing and watching Doctor Who.

Project: Thermal navigation in larval zebrafish
Mentors: Jennifer Li, Drew Robson
Funding: Rowland Institute at Harvard

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Albert Tung is from Los Angeles and is studying computer science at Rio Hondo College. He intends to obtain his Ph.D. and pursue a career in research. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, coffee, and socializing.

Project: QRI - Data mining for petroleum reservoirs
Mentors: Verena Kaynig-Fittkau
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

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Madeleine van Zuylen is a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame majoring in biochemistry and applied computational mathematics and statistics. She is from Seattle, Washington and enjoys hiking and traveling in her free time.

Project: Coarse-grained simulations of RNA dynamics
Mentor: Michael Brenner
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

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Haoqing Wang is a student at Harvard University concentrating in computer science and mathematics. He will be working on the Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data project.

Project:  Privacy Tools
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, Or Sheffet, Vishesh Karwa, James Honaker
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Logan Woish is a rising senior at Colorado School of Mines. He is majoring in metallurgical and materials engineering and plays NCAA Division II Football there. He is interested in the application of 3D-printing to biomaterials and bio-inspired technologies. He has a passion for innovation and enjoys snowboarding, powerlifting, watching movies, and playing football, basketball, and baseball.

Project:  3D printing of hierarchical porous materials
Mentors: Jennifer Lewis, Joseph Muth
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn

Ho Ching (Harry) Wong is a second-year student from the University of Hong Kong, majoring in civil engineering. In the future, he would like to obtain chartership and work in civil engineering consultancy firm as he has a strong interest in the design stage of a construction project. By participating in this program, he wishes to gain adequate research experience for possible postgraduate study.

Project: Fabrication and optimization of millifluidic device
Mentors: Joanna Aizenberg, Kitty Kumar
Funding: University of Hong Kong | HKUWW Scholarships

Caleb Woods is a sophomore electrical engineering student at Hampton University. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and writing poetry as well as listening to music.

Project: Paper-based circuitry
Mentors: George Whitesides, Alar Ainla, Firat Guder
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

Kerrie Wu is a rising sophomore at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studying mechanical engineering with a concentration in computer science. She is especially interested in assistive technology and robotics. In her free time, she enjoys meeting new people, having adventures with friends, baking, and building things.

Project: Estimating gait parameters using intertial measurement units
Mentors: Conor Walsh, Louis Awad, Jaehyun Bae
Funding: NSF REU Site - Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

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Bilan Yang is a rising senior majoring in mechanical engineering from Rice University.

Project: Graphene isolation with motorized linear stage
Mentors: Robert Westervelt, Sagar Bhandari
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) | NSF ECCS-0335765

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Ruomeng (Michelle) Yang is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley intending to study electrical engineering & computer science and statistics. She wishes to increase women involvement in STEM. She enjoys singing, writing, and going to amusement parks when free.

Project: QRI - Data mining for petroleum reservoirs
Mentors: Verena Kaynig-Fittkau
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

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Ji Su Yoo just finished her degree in social studies at Harvard University. She is working on the Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data project this summer.

Project: Data analysis to evaluate the impact of technology on society
Mentor: Latanya Sweeney
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

Caroline Zellhofer will be a senior mechanical engineering major next semester at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is coming to Harvard through the NNIN program, to work on nano-fabrication of meta-materials. She enjoys research, reading, and learning science, current events, art, and history. She looks forward to learning a lot this summer!

Project: Nanofabrication and characterization of quasi-crystal metasurfaces using shadow-sphere lithography
Mentors: George Whitesides, Alex Nemiroski, Mathieu Gonidec
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) | NSF ECCS-0335765

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