Current Students

Stephen Bard,  2025 – Present

Topic: Carbon Materials for Sensing

Dede Mendoza,  2025 – Present

Topic: A Smart Water Irrigation System

Noah Leighton,  2025 – Present

Topic: A Smartphone-Based Time-Resolved Imaging System

Past Students

Graduate Students, Postdocs, and Research Associates

Vala Kafil, Ph.D., 2022 – 2025

Achievements: 5 Journal Papers as First Author

Topic: Nobel-Metal-Based Nanomaterials and Their Biosensing Applications

Benjamin Sreenan, 2022 – 2025

Placement after Graduation: Bioanalyst in Charles River Laboratories, Reno. 

Achievements: 4 Journal Papers and 1 Book Chapter as First Author

Topic: Carbon-ZnO Hybrid Luminescent Nanomaterials and Their Sensing Applications

Gita Kharal, 2023 – 2024

Topic: Development of Au-Pt Nanoflowers as Nanoenzyme for Highly Sensitive

Immunoassay: Application to the Detection of Melioidosis Biomarker

Alex Cano, 2022 – 2024

Placement after Graduation: Engineer in Across International, Sparks, Nevada

Topic: Atmospheric Water Harvesting Using Thermoelectric Peltier Coolers: Single Module and Prototype Characterizations and Design

Bryan Lee, 2021 – 2023

Placement after Graduation: Engineering Patent Examiner in the DOD Patent Office

Achievements: 4 Journal Papers as First Author 

Topic: The Application of Mn-Doped Nanocrystal Signal Transducers Towards Sensitive Point-of-Care Bioassays

Haodong Lu, 2020 – 2021 

Placement after Graduation: Engineer in Alfa Tech, Sparks, Nevada

Achievements: 1 Conference Paper as First Author

Topic: Reduced-Graphene-Oxide/ Gold-Nanoparticles Modified Glassy-Carbon-Electrode for the Detection of Adrenaline

Masoumeh Saber Zaeimian, Ph.D., 2017 – 2021 

Placement after Graduation: Scientist at Siemens Healthineers

Achievements: 2 Journal Papers as First Author; Dean’s merit scholarship 2018-2019; Dean’s merit scholarship 2019-2020

Topic: Development of Mn:AgZnInS/ZnS Fluorescent Nanocrystals and Dendritic Au-Pt Nanozymes for Biosensing

Brandon Gallian, 2017 – 2019 

Placement after Graduation: Electrical Engineer in Hamilton, Inc., Reno, Nevada

Achievements: 2 Journal Papers as First Author

Topic: A Time-Gated Fluorescence Instrument and Its Applications Using Mn-Doped I(II)-III-VI Nanocrystal Probes

Masoumeh Saber Zaeimian, 2017 – 2018 

Placement after Graduation: Continued as a PhD candidate

Achievements: 1 Conference Paper as First Author

Topic: Au@Pt Core-Shell Nanoparticles as Solid Contacts in Ion Selective Electrodes for Ammonium Detection

Omar Mahmoud, 2015-2017 

Placement after Graduation: Electrical Engineer in Nevada Energy 

Topic: Development of an Optical System for Measuring Fluorescence Lifetimes

Siqi Chen, 2013 – 2016 

Placement after Graduation: Scientist

Achievements: 4 Journal Papers as First Author

Topic: Heat-up Synthesis of Photoluminescence Tunable Silver Indium Sulfide Based Nanocrystals and Their Cellular Imaging Applications

Joshua Larkin, Ph.D., Research Associate, 2014-2015

Placement after Graduation: A local company in Reno

Topic: Image Analysis 

Robert Shrake, 2014 – 2015 

Placement after Graduation: Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program at UNR 

Achievement: 1 Journal Paper as First Author

Topic: Facilitated Preparation of Bioconjugatable Zwitterionic Quantum Dots Using Dual-Lipid Encapsulation

Mingxia Liao, Research Associate, 2013-2015

Placement after Graduation: Wuhan University

Topic: Cell Culture and Lab Management 

Violeta Demillo, Ph.D., Postdoc, 2013-2016

Placement after Graduation: Research Scientist at UNR Chemistry Department

Achievements: 3 Journal Papers as First Author, and 1 Patent as Co-inventor

Topic: Polymer Development and Surface Modification

Liming Huang, Ph.D., Postdoc, 2012-2013

Placement after Graduation: Research Assistant Professor at UNR Microbiology Department

Achievements: 2 Journal Papers as First Author

Topic: Organic Chemistry for Sensing Applications

Chad Cowles, Ph.D., 2008 – 2012 

Placement after Graduation: Senior Scientist of an industrial analytical lab in Arizona

Achievements: 6 Journal Papers as First Author

Topic: Signal Amplification of Bioassay Using Zinc Nanomaterials

Robby Liebherr, 2008 – 2011 

Placement after Graduation: Electrical Engineer in OptiCom, Inc., Reno, Nevada 

Topic: Development of a Magnetically Enhanced Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Hari Kishore Nune, 2008 – 2010 

Placement after Graduation: MicroStrategy Developer at V-Soft Consulting Group, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

Topic: Hardware Modifications for Electro-Hydraulic Conversion and Implementation of Computer-Assisted Control on a Large Mining Shovel

Undergraduate Researchers ( > 20, Selected)

Alim Gulbag, 2023-2024 

Placement after Graduation: Electrical Engineer at Hamilton, Inc., Reno, Nevada

Achievement: 1 Journal Paper as First Author 

Micheal Huang, 2024-2024 (REU Student from Purdue University)

Achievement: Participated in a NSF-funded REU Program

Tristan Hegseth, 2021-2022 

Placement after Graduation: Electrical Engineer at Hamilton, Inc., Reno, Nevada

Achievement: 1 Journal Paper as First Author 

Bryan Lee, 2019-2021 

Placement after Graduation: Continued as a BME MS student

Achievement: Nevada NSF EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Award

Haodong Lu, 2019-2020 

Placement after Graduation: Continued as an EE MS student

Achievement: The first-place award in the 2020 NV Space Grant and NV NASA EPSCoR Virtual Poster Competition

Clay Harrison, 2017-2019 

Placement after Graduation: Data Scientist in a local company in Reno

Achievement: 1 Journal Paper as First Author; Nevada Undergraduate Research Award 

Anita Savell, 2014 

Placement after Graduation: Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program at UNR

Achievement: Presidential Scholar Student