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Luat Vuong received her Ph.D. in Applied Physics at Cornell, studying optical vortex collapse and filamentation dynamics in Alexander L. Gaeta's Quantum and Nonlinear Photonics Group and supported with the AT&T Labs Fellowship. With a Fulbright in 2007, she joined the Delft University of Technology Optics Group in the Netherlands, where she studied the near-field scattering in plasmonic structures. She segued into research on nanostructured organic photovoltaics at ICFO- The Institute of Photonic Sciences in Spain with a European Commission MC-IIF Postdoctoral Fellowship.
From 2010-2018, Luat was a physics professor at Queens College of the City University of New York. During this time, she was a 2012 recipient of the NSF Career Award, a 2015 NSF I-Corps participant, a 2016 J-FRASE, Sloan-funded Awardee, and she helped start the "Plasmonically Powered Processes" Gordon Research Conference that took place for the first time in Hong Kong in 2017.
In 2018, Luat moved from the Physics department at Queens College to the College of Engineering at the University of California at Riverside (UCR). [For updates from UCR, please see http://multimodal.engr.ucr.edu/]
Group Pic 2016
Sujan Shrestha.
Sujan was the electrochemist in the group from Jan 2016-Dec 2016. He is currently a research professor at the University of Connecticut Chemical Engineering Department. You can spot him in the Group Pic 2016, but prefers not to disclose extra info about himself.
Eru Kyeyune-Nyombi is a chemical engineer with a passion for finding innovation and economic viability in areas of sustainable materials and energy production. His PhD research is an experimental study on the physics of glasses and granular matter using colloidal chemistry. For his M.S. research, he designed a 500-Watt system for demonstrating direct combustion of alcohol, micro-algae and other water-rich fuels. Dr. Kyeyune-Nyombi also teaches an undergraduate course in General Chemistry at Fordham University, tutors/mentors high school and middle school students, and volunteers at book drives and community celebrations for increasing literacy in Harlem, New York City.
Aneek Biswas grew up in Kolkata, India and then spent his last six years in the northern part of India, studying physics at the Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur. Outside of work, he plays online blitz chess, without much concern of getting back into real chess.
Vera Zarubin graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 2018. Her main academic interests lie within physics and materials science & engineering. Outside of the lab, Vera is an avid runner, reader, and clarinet player. Vera advanced to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2017 and 2018 and was an Regeneron semifinalist with her project from the Vuong lab. Independently, she is a winner of the 2017 MIT Think Challenge. She is now an undergraduate at MIT.
James McQuade is a freakishly-youthful Masters student with interests in Chemistry and Materials Science. He grew up in Limerick, Ireland and obtained a B.Sc. in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Chemistry from the University of Limerick in 2015. His hobbies include cooking and playing jazz bass.
Nicholas Proscia is a PhD student in Physics who has worked as an engineer at JDSU in the Optical Amplifier R&D department. When not in the lab, Nick enjoys outdoor activities such as fig-fruit picking, hiking and camping. Indoors, he can be found playing chess and reading.
Haojie Ji is a physicist focused in optics, photonics, and nanotechnology, and interested in science education. His PhD research involved both theoretical and experimental studies of the optical and magneto-optical properties of type-II semiconductor quantum dots. For his PhD, he built the chemical vapor depositon system, set up the superconducting magnet system, grew ZnO nanorods, and also worked with different types of magnets at National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Dr. Ji has taught the general physics labs at Queens College and now is teaching Astronomy at LaGuardia Community College.
Matthew Moocarme was born on a bicycle somewhere en route between Mauritius, Ireland, and California. He was awarded his PhD in February 2017 and immediately began work as a senior data scientist (after participation in Insight's bootcamp). His interests include biking, assembling everything, including but not limited to computers and optical diaphragms,... and purple things.
Steven Vallone was a Master's Photonics student. Born in New York and residing in Brooklyn, Steven is committed to a vegan lifestyle and passionate for animal rights. Besides giving private instruction in Chemistry and Math, he has interests in Ornithology and sound design. During his free time you can find Steven playing the Melodica, piano, and doing field recordings.
Benjamin Kusin was a Master's computer science student. Originally from Houston, Texas, he likes to say upon the invention of a new technology "once again, life imitates science fiction." He is known to possess crunch-time superpowers. Benjamin is an eclectic with many interests and thinks powerlifting is the coolest sport ever.
Joseph Hui, undergrad computer science major, born in Hong Kong, grown in Queens, active either swimming or snowboarding, depending on the season, programming since 2006 when he learned Java, veteran in programming contests, competing almost every year, thinking multithreaded and deeply embedded over many domains, all to our benefit!
Hua Zheng is a sophomore majoring in physics with an abundance of care. When not tutoring math or physics, watching out for his friends or family, or organizing papers for the physics club, Hua likes to enjoy his spare time bicycling, cooking, keeping a pet, calligraphy writing, watching movies and anime.
Andan Eddy attended the University of Oklahoma as an undergrad with course work in engineering and a degree in zoology and has a law degree from the University of Michigan. He's worked in various fields ranging from industrial R&D at 3M to tax preparation in Brooklyn. Looking to change career direction, he's a buoyant participant and volunteer in the lab, and also exploring art and design. In his free time Andan likes to bike, work in politics, cook, and travel (and to somewhat shamefully watch to Brooklyn-based indie rock bands).
Chu Jie Zhang AKA CJ is a junior at The Bronx High School of Science. His accomplishments include making a comic book parody of the movie 300 and maintaining a secretary position in the Science-Fiction and Fantasy club at Bronx Science. Although CJ is a very determined researcher, he still manages to enjoy his time outside of the lab. During his free time, CJ enjoys playing badminton and solving puzzles.
Jihoon OhJihoon is an undergrad studying physics and has recently encountered the awesome powers of programming, which bond with his intellectual flair. Outside of academics, Jihoon has a passion for music, playing the bass guitar to jazz late into the night. He inspires an aesthetic for learning that he attributes with his family and loved ones.
Alexa Lempel
Alexa is a third-year Macaulay Honors student and physics major at Queens College. Her interests outside of the lab include bike-riding, star-gazing, culture-surfing, and word-hyphenating.
Jorge-Luis Dominguez-JuarezPrior to coming to New York, Luis studied nonlinear light generation in the whispering gallery modes of spherical microresonators, where he collaborated in the design and fabrication of phase-matching monolayer organic gratings for biosensing applications. He has also worked as a laser engineer and as a telecommunications engineer. Now: faculty at UNAM Juriquilla!
Aislinn Deely
When not trying to save the world by majoring in environmental science, Aislinn's interests include going to the gym and finding a way to make her favorite comfort foods healthier. She participated in the group while also minoring in studio arts to develop her skills as an amateur photographer with expertise with other digital art.
Heriberto Vasquez
Heriberto Vasquez was in the Photonics Master's program. Unlike most labs, which are organized chaos, Heriberto exhibits ordered creativity. After leaving the Vuong group, he joined industry and later moved into data science.
Faizullah Mashriqi
While working in the lab, Faizullah (AKA Fuzzy) studied the plausible application of aluminum in alternative organic photovoltaics. With unrivaled tenacity (and friendly prankster spirit), he achieved 3rd place prize in Physics (top-ranking American) at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Faizullah later joined the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. He'll be a great medical doctor some day.
Daniel Ho-Yang Lee
Daniel participated in the group in his third academic year and is double-majoring in Physics and Applied Math. Daniel pursues his academic interests alongside his involvement with the QC Physics Club. Daniel Lee’s interests range from biking in his neighborhood park, to playing games and completing puzzles, to finding celestial connections between the physical constants and the calendar days of the year.
Navindra D. Singh
Mr. Singh (AKA George Smith) participated in the group as a Physics Master's student in the group, after completing his undergrad majors in Computer Science and Mathematics at Queens College in 2012. He participates in a highly sophisticated and selective book club that is (re)created each spring semester and destroyed by the end of the summer. Some think that Navindra may grow up to be the next Thomas Midgley...
Group June 2013, from left to right: Hua, Daniel, Matt, Luat, Joe, Ben, Aislinn, Luis, and Faizullah. (not shown: Nick, CJ, and Muhammed).
Muhammed El Shatanofy Muhammed El Shatanofy participated in the group as a senior at Francis Lewis High School. From experience as a cadet staff sergeant, a researcher, and a soccer player, Muhammed can work on a team, instruct, or follow instructions. His research projects for the past two years were awarded NYCSEF second round positions. He also won awards such as the US Public Health Service Award. One day, he would like to learn how to play the guitar.
Anila Thomas Anila Thomas entered the lab in the Spring of 2012 as a third-year student at Townsend Harris High School. She maintains a strong interest in the natural sciences, and is very goal-oriented. During her free time, Anila enjoys baking pastries and playing tennis.
Lab spot check Sept 2012 with IR thermal camera, compliments of United Thermography Corporation in Fresh Meadows, NY and Bogart's Plumbing and Heating in Flushing, NY. Thank you!!!
David "Stormgate" Kim A computer programmer working on his own MMORPG, a break dancer, and ...
Benjamin Edelstein
When not pursuing a BS in Computer Science and minor in mathematics, Benjamin Edelstein is the lab's indispensable real-life Macgyver. Despite the long hours he puts into lab research while busily maintaining his general awesomeness, Ben still finds time to party, rave until the AM, work on various personal projects, take long walks on the beach, and feed the homeless [animals only].
Sunny AggarwalSunny studied the photo-induced response of silver nanowires and as a high school intern from Francis Lewis, made it into the third round of NYCSEF. He later joined Macaulay Honors program at City College! He plans to major in Chemical Engineering.
Group Pic Jan 2012, from left to right: David, Ben (cropped), Daniel, Navindra, Sunny, Alexa, Matt, Yolanda, Neena, Anila, and Luat
Yolanda Chang Yolanda investigated the capacitance of nanoparticles in glass and as a high school intern from Townsend Harris, made it to the second round of NYCSEF. She later joined the Macaulay Honors program at Baruch! She hopes to get an MBA degree after her undergraduate degree.
Neena Punnoose Neena studied the photoinduced response of gold and silver nanoparticles in liquids as a high school intern from Townsend Harris. As an avid Harry Potter fan, she enjoys reading and watching films, listening to music and playing volleyball. Neena later joined the Honors program at Hofstra!
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