2016

Okechukwu Abana is a rising mechanical engineering senior at Howard University, from Nigeria. He hopes to contribute to the social good and development of his home country through education. During his spare time, he watches documentaries and plays basketball, soccer. He also really enjoys constructive debating among friends.

Project: Topological insulator probe for scanning probe microscopy
Mentors: Tina Brower-Thomas, Tito Huber
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Samuel Aguiar is a rising senior at Arizona State University majoring in chemical engineering. He plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in environmental engineering focus on nutrient recovery using microbial fuel cells. In his free time, he enjoys seeing live music and drumming.

Project: Optical force contrast on CVD grown MoS2 atomic layers
Mentors: Bill Wilson, Antonio Ambrosio
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959

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Nabib Ahmed is a rising sophomore at Harvard intending to concentrate (major) in computer science. He's originally from New York City, where he attended Brooklyn Tech, a specialized high school. He'll be working Professor Honaker on the Data Privacy Tools Project as a front-end developer. His interests beyond research are music, Marvel, movies, and dance.

Project: Privacy Tools: Private data sharing interface - PSI budgeting tool
Mentors: Salid Vadhan, James Honaker, Jack Murtagh
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Natalie Altman is a rising junior from Bucknell University studying computer science and is spending the summer working in the Data Privacy Lab. In her free time, she enjoys running and exploring new restaurants for brunch.

Project: Vulnerabilities in voter websites
Mentor: Latanya Sweeney
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Odunayo (Nayo) Ayegbajeje is a rising junior at Howard University studying physics and biology.

Project: Transport measurements on chiral carbon nanotube thin films
Mentors: Joseph Checkelsky, Linda Ye, Takehito Suzuki
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Huiwen (Hyman) Bai is a rising junior from The University of Hong Kong majoring in mechanical engineering. His interests lie in Microfluidics and Fluid Mechanics. He loves reading, traveling and meeting new people.

Project: Targeted sorting and whole-genome sequencing of eukaryotic phytoplankton chronic viruses
Mentors: David Weitz, Hee-Sun Han, Joaqin Martinez
Funding: University of Hong Kong | HKUWW Scholarships

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Ronald Berna is a rising junior at Villanova University with a major in math and a concentration in ethics. He is interested in biomathematics and epidemiology, especially the modeling of infectious diseases. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing poetry, and relaxing at the beach.

Project: Improving the utilization of HarvardX
Mentors: Dustin Tingley, Weiwei Pan
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870 

Anthony Bonvino is a rising junior at Ventura College in California and is planning to transfer to a top-tier university for biomedical engineering (BME). He is the Vice President of the Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics (EMP) Organization for Oxnard College and is an active Board Member for the Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers (SHPE). As a student-athlete, he utilizes his free time to play tennis to stay fit and healthy. After graduation, Anthony plans to pursue a master's degree.

Project: Development of a new diagnostic platform for biodefense, targeting Brucella Abortus using a polymerization based amplification immunoassay on paper
Mentors: George Whitesides, Benjamin Davies
Funding: NSF REU Site in Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

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Nikita Budnik is an upcoming sophomore at McGill University studying Cognitive Science with a minor concentration in Linguistics. Originally from Ukraine, he enjoys rowing and trail mix.

Project: Survey of effects of methamphetamine on the blood-brain barrier
Mentors: Kevin Kit Parker, Ben Maoz, Edward Fitzgerald, Anna Herland, Bogdan Budnik, Thomas Grevesse
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Brook Byrd is a senior at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. She is majoring in applied physics and minoring in leadership. In the future, she hopes to obtain a Ph.D. in nuclear physics or medical physics. She wants to use her research to help others especially those with terminal diseases. She enjoys coaching swimming, playing collegiate tennis, and serving the community.

Project: Self assembly with DNA-labeled colloidal particles and DNA nanostructures​
Mentors: Michael Brenner, Hidenori Tanaka, Martin Falk
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870 

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Christopher Camillucci is a Navy veteran from Upton, MA. As a sophmore at Bunker Hill Community College in Charlestown, MA, he is pursuing a degree in information technology and will transfer to Northeastern University in the fall. While in the Navy he was a Rescue Swimmer and a Fire Control Technician. Apart from academics, his interests include music, ultimate frisbee, soccer, and making cider.

Project: Dirac-like organic crystals
Mentors: Joseph Checkelsky, Aravind Devarakonda
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Anna Cardenas is a rising junior at the University of California, Berkeley. She is currently double majoring in computer science and cognitive science with the hopes of modeling consciousness and discovering more about artificial intelligence. She is originally from the small town of Ripon, California (the almond capital of the world) where she learned she has a passion for caring for animals, especially cats. She enjoys writing, contemplating consciousness, and running.

Project: Human perception of euclidean geometry: innate or not?
Mentors: L. Mahadevan, Yuval Hart
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570 | Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Ira Ceka is pursuing her bachelor's degree in computer science. Her research interests encompass computational neuroscience, bioinformatics, machine learning, data mining, and computational linguistics. In the future, she hopes to use her knowledge of computational techniques to solve challenging problems in the brain/biological sciences and machine intelligence.

Project: Feature matching for high-resolution neuron-level brain imaging of larval zebrafish
Mentors: Jennifer Li, Drew Robson
Funding: Rowland Institute at Harvard

LinkedIn Profile

Daphne Cervantes is a junior at the University of Texas majoring in biology and also pursuing the business foundations certificate. She is involved with Texas Triathlon, Minority Women Pursuing Law, and the UT Campus Environmental Center. Daphne enjoys riding her bike, running, social dancing, and any water activity from wakeboarding to scuba diving. She plans to go to graduate school with her science background to eventually help enforce policy and regulation in the energy sector and public health.

Project: Cell spreading area and volume on porous membranes
Mentors: David Weitz, Jing Xia
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

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Victor Champagne III is a rising senior mechanical engineer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He enjoys nature and the outdoors and spends his free time hiking, kayaking, fishing, and gardening. Victor plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in materials science and aspires to one day become a professor.

Project: Quick-release electroadhesives
Mentors: David Clarke, Mihai (Mishu) Duduta
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570 | NSF DMR-1333835

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David Chang is a rising senior concentrating in social studies with a minor in computer science.

Project: Privacy Tools - informational harm use cases
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, Micah Altman
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Jae Young (Dillan) Chang is a rising junior studying engineering physics and computer science at Cornell University. After graduation, he hopes to attend graduate school and pursue a career in research. He loves to hike, try new foods, and travel the world.

Project: Self assembly with DNA-abeled colloidal particles and DNA nanostructures
Mentors: Michael Brenner, Hidenori Tanaka, Martin Falk
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

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Nixia Chen is a rising junior at Wellesley College studying physics and mathematics. In her free time, she enjoys running, watching movies, listening to music and hanging out with her friends.

Project: Build the tunneling probes for topological superconductors
Mentors: Amir Yacoby, Hechen Ren
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Fanny Chow studies statistics and international relations at the University of California, Davis. She is interested in applied statistics and machine learning. This summer she is working on the Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data project.

Project: Privacy Tools: Private data sharing interface - PSI budgeting tool
Mentors: Salil Vadhan, James Honaker, Jack Murtagh
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn Profile

Victor Clarke attended high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and now attends St. Lawrence University to study computer science and mathematics. He is interested in learning about algorithm analysis and ways to create more efficient, stronger, yet cheaper prosthetics. In his spare time, he likes to play the piano, go for hikes, and watch good movies (and movies that are so absurdly bad that they're good).

Project Title: Fabricating a voltage controlled de-adhesion device  
Mentors: David Weitz, Yaniv Edery
Funding: NSF REU Site in Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

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Asia DaCosta is a rising senior at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, double majoring in political science and philosophy with a minor in communication studies. Outside of studying, her interests include reading, traveling (especially to Paris), and meeting new people. Research interests include anything dealing with the ethics of technology.

Project: Vulnerabilities in voter registration tools
Mentors: Latanya Sweeney, Ji Su Yoo, Jinyan Zang
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Madeleine Dahl is a rising junior at Salem State University and a US Air Force veteran. She still serves in the Massachusetts Air National Guard and works part-time as an Emergency Medical Technician. She intends to complete her undergraduate degree in biology and pursue a medical degree to become a physician.

Project: Tensile strength and insulin resistance fo adipose tissue
Mentors: Kit Parker, Ben Pope
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

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Elina Davé is a rising sophomore at Union College in New York, studying bioengineering. Her research interests include designing novel medical devices, microfluidics, hydrogels, and drug delivery to treat various diseases. In her free time, Elina enjoys music, cultural events, movies, being outdoors, and meeting new people.

Project: High-throughput functional screening for influenza HA antigenic drift variants using drop based microfluidics
Mentors: David Weitz, Assaf Rotem
Funding: NSF REU Site in Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

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Ethan Davis is a 2nd-year student at Bunker Hill Community College and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He is currently pursuing a degree in chemical engineering with an eventual goal of earning a Ph.D. in chemical engineering as well as an M.D.

Project: Deep reactive ion etching through silicon via etch (DRIE TSV) variants using drop based microfluidics
Mentors: Ling Xie, Malcolm Tse, Jason Tresback, Tim Cavanaugh, Arthur McClelland
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959

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Esmarline De Léon Peralta is a rising senior in chemical engineering and chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. She is a four-year researcher in chemical/biomedical engineering. She is passionate about research and clinical medicine. Therefore, She plans to attend medical school to earn a dual MD-PhD degree. This experience will equip her with the credentials to both participate in medical research, and be a physician.

Project: A paper-based immunoassay for detection of Brucella on a portable electrochemical platform
Mentors: George Whitesides, Chien-Chung Wang
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

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Grace Diehl is a rising junior at Harvey Mudd College where she is majoring in computer science with a French minor. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading, soccer, and playing with her adorable dog.

Project: Visualizing Wikipedia revision histories
Mentors: Margo Seltzer, Daniel Margo
Funding: NSF CSR: Medium: Collaborative Research: Workload-Aware Storage Architectures for Optimal Performance and Energy Efficiency | NSF CNS-1302246 | NSF CNS-1302334

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Zhenghao (Andy) Ding is a junior physics major student from Illinois Wesleyan University. His fields of interest are quantum optics, quantum information, and microfluidics. He is working on single-cell immunization in the Weitz lab this summer.

Project: Microfluidics device fabrication and single-cell Immunol assay
Mentors: David Weitz, Xu Zhang, John Heyman
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

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Carlneil Domkam is a rising senior majoring in chemical engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Project: Robot locomotion via developable surfaces
Mentors: George Whitesides, Navneet Bhalla
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Elizabeth Esterly was born in Chicago but has lived in Osaka, Japan, and Melbourne, Australia. She worked as a tattoo artist internationally for several years before settling down in the New Mexico desert, where she fell in love with robotics and promptly enrolled at the University of New Mexico. She is currently a computer science student and member of the Moses Biological Computation Lab at UNM, where she is living her dream of making robots do things. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science.

Project: Obstacle navigation strategies of Paratrechina Iongicornis
Mentor: Radhika Nagpal
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Brian Fountaine is a senior currently attending Northeastern University studying graphic design. He served 6 years in the US Army and was medically retired after suffering a double below-knee amputation from a roadside bomb. He's now using his design background to 3D print affordable prosthetics for people who can't otherwise afford them. And because of a grant from the Ford Motor Company, he's able to see that project happen.

Project: The art of science
Mentor: Kit Parker
Funding: NSF REU Site in Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895
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Victoria Gianello is an Argentinian studying at Bunker Hill Community College. She plans to transfer to Northeastern in fall and get a master's in electrical engineering. She loves art, sports, science, and learning new things.

Project: Simulations of heat transfer in SiC nanobeams
Mentors: Evelyn Hu, Alex Zhang, David Bracher
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Benjamin Glass is a student at Harvard University studying statistics. He will be working on the Privacy Tools project this summer.

Project: Optimizing confidence intervals
Mentors: James Honaker, Vishesh Karwa
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Matt Goldberg is a math and physics major at Bates College. When he is not studying, Matt enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee.

Project: Deployable Islamic tile tessellations
Mentors: L. Mahadevan,  Levi Dudte
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Abigail (Abby) Grosskopf is a rising senior at Princeton University. She is majoring in chemical and biological engineering with certificates in computer science, materials ccience and engineering biology. She is originally from Chadds Ford, PA. Abby is continuing a project from last summer in Jennifer Lewis's laboratory studying embedded 3D printing for soft robotics. In the future, Abby hopes to earn a Ph.D. in materials science and perform high impact research. In her free time, she likes to dance ballet, do yoga, and ski.

Project: Embedded three-dimensional printing of functionally vascularized materials for soft robotics
Mentors: Jennifer Lewis, Ryan Truby
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Christa Harper is studying mathematics at Bunker Hill Community College.

Project: Optical characteristics for thin TaS2 flakes
Mentors: Philip Kim, Hiroshi Izduchi, Kwabena Bediako
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319 

Mariana Harris studies applied mathematics at Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM). She is interested in the applications of mathematics in biology. In her free time, she enjoys reading and singing.

Project: Self assembly with DNA-labeled colloidal particles and DNA nanostructures​
Mentors: Michael Brenner, Hidenori Tanaka, Martin Falk
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870 

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Cante waste nape ciyuzapi ksto. (I shake your hand with a good heart.) Tasina Helper emaciyapi ye. (My name is Tasina Helper.) Lakota caje ki Tasina Waniyetu Win. (My Lakota name is Winter Shawl Woman.) Tasina is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. She is currently studying science, engineering, & math and is in her third year at Oglala Lakota College in Kyle, SD. In the fall, she will transfer to the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.

Project: Improving the utilization of HarvardX
Mentors: Dustin Tingley, Weiwei Pan
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870 

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Mandy Houghton is a biological science graduate from Gallaudet University.

Project: Simulation of lasing behaviors in gallium nitride microdisk with varying input parameters
Mentors: Evelyn Hu, Danqing Wang
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Abbas Idris is a rising senior at George Mason University. He is a bioengineering major who has an interest in nanosensors, especially the detection of molecular structures, specifically for genetics and proteomics. He enjoys dancing Salsa, Bachata and Merengue in his free time. Slack-lining is another great hobby of his.

Project: Synthesis and characterization of perovskite nanoparticles
Mentors: Shaocong Hou, Qimin Quan
Funding: Rowland Institute at Harvard

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Emmanuel Ike is a senior chemical engineering major from Howard University. He has always had an interest in science and technology since grade school. Outside of school, he has many interests which are all driven by the urge to serve others. After receiving his degree he plans to use his knowledge to help people.

Project: Characterizing Si vacancy center in diamond
Mentors: Marko Lonçar, Young-Ik Sohn, Srujan Smeela
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn Profile

Ariel Jimenez-Fong is interested in learning the details that involve the working and building of machines/engines. He is also interested in efficiency and energy. He enjoys reading philosophy and science.

Project: Further development of a novel liquid phase/vapor phase silica deposition process
Mentor:  Philippe de Rouffignac
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959 

Matthew C. Johnson graduated with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from LSU. He has a passion for medicine and research and is pursuing a joint MD-PhD degree. He is committed to improving health care in underserved communities.  He is also committed to the treatment of genetic disorders like sickle cell anemia.  He will be working in the Brucker Lab at the Rowland Institute at Harvard.  In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and biking.

Project: Gut microbiome influences mating behavior of Nasonia wasps
Mentors: Robert Brucker, Jessica Dittmer
Funding: Rowland Institute at Harvard

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Chan Kang is a mathematics concentrator at Harvard University.

Project: Composition bound in adaptive setting
Mentors: Jon Ullman, Ryan Rodgers
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Pratyush Kapur is a rising junior at Harvey Mudd College where he is a joint computer science and mathematics major. He has researched in the fields of bioinformatics and computational biology before. He values a good sense of humor (he involves a lot of puns). Outside of his interests in computer science, he enjoys skiing, playing cricket, acting, playing and listening to music, and watching tv shows. He also likes traveling and has lived in 6 countries and visited over 35.

Project: Visualizing Wikipedia revision histories
Mentors: Daniel Margo, Margo Seltzer
Funding: NSF CSR: Medium: Collaborative Research: Workload-Aware Storage Architectures for Optimal Performance and Energy Efficiency | NSF CNS-1302246 | NSF CNS-1302334

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Mary Keenan is a rising senior at Wellesley College majoring in physics. Her project at SEAS entails imaging electron flow in 2D materials like graphene. She enjoys the collaborative environment and inquisitive attitude of the Westervelt lab with which she works. She is a member of the Cross Country and the Track and Field teams at Wellesley and can be found running or otherwise enjoying the outdoors in her free time.

Project: Imaging electron flow in 2D materials
Mentors: Bob Westervelt, Sagar Bhandari
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Zainab Khan is a double major in computer and electrical engineering at the University of California, Irvine. She likes to read, write, and program.

Project: Saving Boston one commute at a time
Mentors: Daniel Weinstock
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

 LinkedIn Profile

Jack Landry is a rising junior at Rutgers University majoring in economics and political science. At Rutgers, he’s the editor in chief of The Jackass, the Rutgers University Democrats magazine. He enjoys reading, tennis, and hiking in his spare time.

Project: Educational documents and usability testing
Mentors: Mark Bun, Kobbi Nissim, Dan Muise, Elizabeth Quigley
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235 

Jacqueline (Jackie) Lanzaro is a rising sophomore majoring in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. She is originally from New York but currently resides in Massachusetts. Outside of biomedical engineering, she is very interested in public health and business and hopes to pursue an MBA once she graduates.

Project: Screening pathogens for FcMBL binding
Mentors: Donald Ingber, Michael Super
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Daniel Lemboumba was born in Spain and raised in Gabon where he graduated from high school. He moved to the U.S to earn a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and a master's degree in physics. He is currently enrolled at Bunker Hill Community College. Daniel loves and appreciates the beauty of mathematics as well as the complexity that emerges from it. He likes to discuss new ideas in science, math, and religion. He also loves to socialize with people.

Project: Investigating topological insulator (TI) thin film topography by a scanning tunneling microscope (STM)
Mentors: Jagadeesh Moodera, CuiZu Chang
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Shaquille Lewis is a rising senior at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, studying biomedical engineering. He is currently considering pursuing an MD-PhD and becoming a physician-scientist. However, he would like to take a gap year, after completing his undergraduate degree to travel and potentially do volunteer work in the Caribbean.

Project: Magnetic tweezers fabrication and optimization
Mentors: David Weitz, Jing Xia
Funding: NSF REU Site in Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

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Paul Lisker is a rising senior pursuing his B.A. in computer science at Harvard University.

Project: Loss of utility in differentially private hubway data
Mentors: Latanya Sweeney
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-12372355

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Sabrina Liu is a rising senior at Carnegie Mellon University double majoring in materials science and biomedical engineering. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh. She plans on attending graduate school to further her interests in biomaterials, medical devices, and tissue engineering. Sabrina is also passionate about all types of dancing/choreographing as well as spending time with friends and family.

Project: Development of customizable 3D printed bilayer tympanic membrane patches from biodegradable elastomeric ink
Mentors: Jennifer Lewis, Nicole Black
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn Profile

Jaclyn Long is a rising sophomore at Northeastern University. She is majoring in bioengineering and plans to minor in both behavioral neuroscience and biochemical engineering. After college, she plans to pursue a dual MD/Ph.D. and hopes to work at the interface of scientific research, engineering, and medicine to help treat and cure neurological diseases. In her free time, she enjoys music, sports, and cooking.

Project: Prey capture behavior in larval zebrafish
Mentors: Jennifer Li, Drew Robson (RoLi Lab)
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

LinkedIn Profile

Giovanni Malloy is a rising senior at Purdue University studying industrial engineering. He is interested in integrating computational methods and public policy decision making and plans to pursue a Ph.D. after graduating. Beyond academics, he enjoys engaging in political discourse, playing the trumpet, singing, and socializing.

Project: Secure remote storage using oblivious RAM
Mentors: Kobbi Nissim, Georgios Kellaris
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn Profile

Brandt Marceaux is currently enrolled at Gallaudet, majoring in bachelor of science in chemistry and minoring in mathematics and information technology. He is in his senior year. His free time - thinking about many logical things, sitting/walking outside with nice weather or rain, playing video games, studying more about different kinds of fields in chemistry, and learning Chinese language and culture. He born deaf and is using American sign language to communicate with deaf and hearing people.

Project: Characterization of the light emission of europium and terbium embedded in polyelectrolyte multilayers
Mentors: Evelyn Hu, Andy Greenspon
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

LinkedIn Profile

Rachel Marshall has just begun her engineering studies at Bunker Hill Community College. She intends to transfer to a 4-year institution to continue her studies in chemical engineering. She enjoys music, dancing, and the great outdoors.

Project: Plasma etching of polycrystalline diamond film
Mentors: Bill Wilson, Ling Xie, Arthur McClelland
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959

LinkedIn Profile

Rachel Matheson is a rising sophomore at Vassar College, studying mathematics and perhaps urban studies. She is from the suburbs of Washington, DC. She is passionate about issues such as mass incarceration and access to education. In her free time, she enjoys crafting and seeing local concerts.

Project: Vulnerabilities in voter registration tools
Mentors: Latanya Sweeney, Ji Su Yoo, ​Jinyan Zang
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

LinkedIn Profile

Val McCulloch is a rising junior, pursuing a double major in mathematics and computer science at Smith College. They are originally from Palm Springs, California but have enjoyed their time on the east coast. Val enjoys biking, strong coffee, and playing with their cat.

Project: Self assembly with DNA-Labeled colloidal particles and DNA nanostructures​
Mentors: Michael Brenner, Hidenori Tanaka, Martin Falk
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

LinkedIn Profile

Maya Navarro is originally from New Jersey and currently lives in Chicago, where she recently graduated from DePaul University with a major in chemistry and minor in environmental sustainability. She enjoys learning about and contributing to many research topics and has participated in two previous REUs in Oregon and Costa Rica. In her free time, she loves going to the beach and traveling.

Project: Synthesis of peptides from amino acids in low-melting fused salts
Mentors: George Whitesides, Lewis Kraft
Funding: NSF Science Technology Center Tribal Initiative | NSF OCE-0424602

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Antonett Nunez-delPrado is originally from Peru. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in physics at University of California - Los Angeles. She plans to obtain her Ph.D. in physics and a masters in mathematics and become a leading researcher in the Research and Development (R&D) field

Project: Characterization of oxide film nucleation and quality, using high pressure atomic layer deposition  
Mentors: Mac Hathaway, Arthur McClelland
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959

LinkedIn Profile

Project: Replication using differentially private algorithms
Mentors: James Honaker, Marco Gaboardi, Vishesh Karwa
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

Aaron Ong is a rising senior at the University of California, San Diego, majoring in bioengineering. He entered college at 16 following the pre-med route but recently discovered his passion for robotics, which he will pursue his Ph.D. He is the youngest of six children, all of whom are involved in the family's chess business. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, volleyball, surfing, board games and exploring new places.

Project: 2D tiling optimization and fabrication of wings for bioinspired micro-aerial vehicles
Mentors: Rob Wood, Kevin Chen
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Daniel Ortiz is a Bostonian majoring in biology at Bunker Hill Community College and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He enjoys watching movies, dancing, and trying new foods. Daniel aspires to earn his Ph.D. in the future and will continue his education in the fall at Tufts University in pursuit of his bachelor's degree.

Project: Photolithography process database development
Mentors: Bill Wilson, Ameha Gabreyohannes
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959

LinkedIn Profile

Alexander Ozdemir a rising senior studying computational, mathematical, and physical theory at Harvey Mudd. While he is fascinated by most mathematical and scientific disciplines, Computer Science has a special place in his heart. He believes the discipline's core endeavor is "the expression of computation", and he loves working on both the expression and computation equally. This summer he'll be doing static analysis for the Rust programming language, focusing on `unsafe`, a feature central to the language's power.

Project Title: Usage of “Unsafe” in Rust
Mentors: Lucas Waye, Stephen Chong
Funding: Harvard Paulson School

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Dhruv Patel is a rising senior at the University at Albany, studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Aside from his academic work, he enjoys traveling and playing most sports, especially cricket. He ultimately hopes to become a physician-scientist.

Project Title: N/A
Mentors: Wesley Wong
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering  

LinkedIn Profile

Project: Improving the utilization of HarvardX
Mentors: Daniel Weinstock
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

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Breyonna Pinkney is a rising Junior studying electrical engineering at Howard University. She enjoys art, music, traveling and is creating a nonprofit foundation for young children who have lost their mothers.

Project: Imaging electron motion in atomic layer materials
Mentors: Bob Westervelt, Sagar Bhandari
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Marcelo Pereira Novaes is a computer scientist who recently graduated from the Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA). He is an intern at the Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data Project, working with Differential Privacy. He is originally from Brazil (Salvador-BA), and after this internship, he will be starting grad school back home. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and doing jiu-jitsu.

Project: System evaluation of PSI, the Pprivate data sharing interface
Mentors:  Marco Gaboardi, Georgios Kellaris
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Zachary Pitcher is a junior at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs majoring in chemistry. He currently does research using LC/MS/MS spectroscopy and hopes to attain a graduate degree in the field. In his free time, he enjoys Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, fishing, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.

Project: Nucleation studies of thin film oxides using atomic layer deposition
Mentors: Bill Wilson, Mac Hathaway
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959

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Aviv Preminger was born in Israel but was raised in Boston for most of his life. He is a rising sophomore at Wesleyan University studying biology and economics. He loves rowing and enjoys spending time outdoors. He is very interested in pursuing a career in biotech entrepreneurship.

Project Title: Neural Logic Circuits
Mentors: Kevin Kit Parker, Ben Maoz, George Touloumes
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Sharanya Pulapura is a mechanical engineering/computer science student from Harvard University.

Project: N/A
Mentors: Privacy Tools
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Matthew Quinn is a rising senior at Williams College who is majoring in mathematics and economics. After graduation, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in statistics or a closely related field like operations research. He is originally from Pawtucket, RI and in his free time, he enjoys listening to music, playing video games, and exercising.

Project: Improving the utilization of HarvardX
Mentors: Margo Levine
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870

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Amina Rahimi is a 3rd-year student at Virginia Tech pursuing dual bachelor's degrees in biochemistry and microbiology. As an aspiring MD-PhD, she is interested in using bioengineering tools to develop novel theranostics for immunocompromised diseases like cancer and sepsis. She is also interested in studying the relationships among the human microbiome, metabolism and the immune system using Lab-on-a-chip technologies. In her free time, Amina enjoys playing soccer and rugby.

Project Title: N/A
Mentors: Donald Ingber, Michael Super
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Julia Redston is a 3rd-year computer science student at Georgia Institute for Technology, with a focus on artificial intelligence and information internetworks. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and petting dogs.

Project Title: RFuMED
Mentors: George Whitesides, Alar Ainla
Funding: Harvard University Technology Development Accelerator Fund

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Grace Rehaut is a rising junior at Princeton University, where she is majoring in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, with certificates in ender and Sexuality Studies and Near Eastern Studies. She was born and raised in southern California and enjoys discussing politics and feminism in her free time.

Project: Replication using differentially private algorithms
Mentors: James Honaker, Marco Gaboardi, Vishesh Karwa
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Cole Reynolds is a ohysics and mathematics double major at Texas A&M University. He plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in physics after he obtains his degree. In his free time, he likes to socialize with his friends, solve math problems, and listen to music.

Project Title: Innovative sensor development and fabrication using 3D lithography system (2 students)
Mentors: Jiangdong Deng, Guixiong Zhong
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959

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Edwin Rojas is a pre-dental student pursuing a biochemistry, ACS degree and a music minor at Western Connecticut State University. He has been involved in chemistry research, shadowing, and dental enrichment programs, and aspires to become a DDS or DMD/PhD student and work in a biomaterials research lab. He enjoys playing violin, volleyball, and ping pong.

Project: Study of charge transport along SAMs of oligoethylene thioglycols
Mentors: George Whitesides,
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

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Sylvia Rosenberg is an engineering concentrator at Harvard. She grew up in Arlington, MA.

Project: Microfluidic fabrication of asymmetric vesicles
Mentors: David Weitz, Yuting (Tina) Huang
Funding: NSF REU Site in Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

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Erick Ruiz just graduated from Texas Tech University with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. He will be pursuing his Ph.D. in engineering at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Project: Fabrication of nanodevices using graphene
Mentors: Bob Westervelt, Sagar Bhandari
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Originally from Arizona, Gabe Salmon studies physics and chemistry at Oberlin College. He hopes to develop new tools to reveal and mobilize biological structures. Gabe enjoys cycling, hiking, Brahms, and fermented foods.

Project: A 3D paper-based model of microbial communities
Mentors: George Whitesides
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering 

Parisa Samareh was born in Norfolk, Virginia and is currently studying mathematics and computational modeling and data analytics (CMDA) at Virginia Tech. She has a passion for the implementation of data science in a variety of other disciplines. In her spare time, she enjoys running, reading, and listening to super cool music.

Project: Saving Boston one commute at a time
Mentors: Margo Levine
Funding: NSF REU Site - Team Research in Computational and Applied Mathematics (TRiCAM) | NSF DMS-1460870  

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Daniel Sanchez-Rosales is a rising senior double- majoring in chemical engineering and physics. He is originally from El Salvador and now attends the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He likes playing soccer and competing in hackathons.

Project: Towards understanding the role of methyl viologen in the reduction of carbon dioxide to methanol
Mentors: Alessandra Ferzoco, Vaishnavi Rajagopal
Funding: Rowland Institute at Harvard

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John Schade is from Long Valley, New Jersey. He is double majoring in chemistry and economics at Rollins College. He is on the sailing and cross country team at Rollins. He is a rescue scuba diver training to become a divemaster.

Project: Towards understanding the role of methyl viologen in the reduction of carbon dioxide to methanol
Mentors: Jennifer Li, Drew Robson
Funding: Rowland Institute at Harvard

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Christopher Schenck is a rising senior at Georgia Tech majoring in biomedical engineering. He plans to attend medical school after graduation. In his free time, he enjoys long-distance running, mainly to compensate for his love of delicious food.

Project: Quantifying walking mechanics using body-mounted sensors: Applications for stroke rehabilitation
Mentors: Conor Walsh
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering  

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Jonathan Schwartz is a rising senior studying chemical engineering at Arizona State University. He plans to continue his studies in graduate school to one day obtain his Ph.D. His main interests include camping, hiking, and playing sports. He excited to further his experience in researching thin film deposition techniques.

Project: Innovative sensor development and fabrication using 3D lithography
Mentors: Jiangdong Deng, Guixiong Zhong
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959

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Erica Siismets is a native Michigander and a rising senior at the University of Michigan studying materials science and engineering. She is interested in biomaterials and their applications to dentistry and plans on pursuing a DDS/PhD after undergrad. In her spare time, Erica enjoys practicing yoga, playing the piano, and volunteering in her community.

Project: Filling teeth with inverse opals
Mentors: Joanna Aizenberg, Elijah Sherman
Funding: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

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Tyler Sisley is a rising junior at California Polytechnic State University majoring in biochemistry. His research interests include microfluidics, diagnostics, and sensors. Upon receiving his baccalaureate degree, he will pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry.

Project: Self-contained diagnostic test to detect life-threatening infection
Mentors: George Whitesides, Mohit Verma, Nefeli Tsaloglou
Funding: Defense Threat Reduction Agency, New Diagnostic Platforms for Biodefense HDTRA1-14-C-0037

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Luke Soule is an undergraduate in materials engineering at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. His research interests include lithography, electrochemical deposition, and computational materials science. He enjoys hiking, running marathons, and traveling in his free time.

Project: Fabrication of nano-porous templates and masks for synthesis of nano-structures and devices using directed molecular self-assembly of diblock copolymers
Mentors: Bill Wilson, Jason Tresback, Jiangdong Deng
Funding: NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) | NSF ECCS-1541959

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Brandee Taylor Clayton was born in Boston, MA and was raised in the suburb of Milton. She is studying biomedical engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology. She loves reading, arts and crafts, and experiencing new things.

Project: Novel production method for micro-hydrogels carrying DNA primer for droplet barcoding
Mentors: David Weitz, Weixia Zhang
Funding: NSF REU Site in Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-1262895

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Robben Teufel just finished his third year at California State University, Channel Islands. He is pursuing a B.S. in mathematics with an emphasis in applied mathematics along with minors in computer science and data analysis/statistics. He also takes coursework in economics to learn the context for various applications of mathematics. His goal is to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics, but he’s still unsure what might come after. Despite this, however, he’s excited to see where math will take him.

Project: Saving Boston one commute at a time
Mentors: Margo Levine
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 senior and the University of Notre Dame studying biochemistry and applied computational mathematics and statistics. In her free time, she likes backpacking near Seattle.

Project: Novel method of droplet production for droplet barcoding using cell capture in a DNA laden micro hydrogel
Mentors: Michael Brenner, David Weitz
Funding: NSF REU Site in Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences | NSF DMR-12628955

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Daniel Villarreal is currently working towards a biology transfer option major at Bunker Hill Community College. A Marine veteran, he plans on transferring to a four-year college to pursue a degree in Neuroscience. After completing medical school, he intends to practice medicine to help those who are less fortunate. When he's not in his study, he enjoys spending time with family, playing music, skating, swimming, and the outdoors.

Project: Rotary jet-spinning fibrinogen nanofibers
Mentors: Kevin Kit Parker, Christoph Chantre, Grant Gonzalez
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

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Clara Wang was born in Mississauga, Ontario and moved to the small town of Harvard, Massachusetts at age five. She is a government major at Dartmouth College with a double minor in quantitative social sciences and Chinese. She enjoys both the quantitative and philosophical aspects of political science, and her particular interest in international affairs has inspired her to study abroad twice. She loves swimming and hopes to participate in her first triathlon during the summer of 2016.

Project: Replication using differentially private algorithms
Mentors: James Honaker, Marco Gaboardi, Vishesh Karwa
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Project: TransformeR: DSL in safe bariable transformation
Mentors: Steven Chong, Marco Gaboardi, Victor Balcer
Funding: NSF Trustworthy Computing Systems (TWC): Frontier: Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data | NSF CNS-1237235

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Yunzhe (Phil) Wang is currently a senior student, majoring in material science and minoring in both physics and mathematics, at the University of Hong Kong. He finished his secondary school and previous education in Beijing, China. His main interest is in nanofabrication, mechanics and solid-state physics, and he plans to pursue a higher degree in these directions. During his spare time, he loves football, cycling, hiking and is willing to try extreme sports.

Project: Diagnostics at the resource-limited setting
Mentors: George Whitesides, Shencheng Ge
Funding: University of Hong Kong | HKUWW Scholarship

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Herbert Washington is a 4th-year chemical engineering student from Miami, Fl. He is currently a student at Florida A&M University. He enjoys having fun outdoors and experiencing new things. Once he graduates he will be pursuing his Ph.D. in chemical engineering.

Project: Microfluidic fabrication of asymmetric vesicles
Mentors: David Weitz, Yuting (Tina) Huang
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

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John Whitehead is a rising Junior at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY studying mechanical engineering. After graduation, he hopes to continue his education and receive a graduate degree in mechanical engineering. John enjoys listening to music, playing football and exploring.

Project: Rapid motion ballistic soft robot actuator with path following capabilities
Mentors: Rob Wood, Shuguang Li
Funding: NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Harvard (MRSEC) | NSF DMR-1420570

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Yan Yan is a rising senior from Mount Holyoke College. She is majoring in chemistry and has been researching a polymer material in the past year. She plans to attend graduate school in material science & engineering field.

Project: Growth and SPM characterization of MoS2 2D films
Mentors: Jing Kong, Xiang Ji
Funding: NSF Science & Technology Center - Center for Integrated Quantum Materials (CIQM) | NSF DMR-1231319

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Mary Zhuo Ke is a rising sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) studying bioengineering. She is working in the microrobotics lab in the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Her interests include potatoes, Shiba Inu dogs, tree bark, soil, and robotics.

Project: Microrobotics
Mentors: Robert Wood, Zeynep Temel
Funding: Army URAP

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