Current Students

PhD Degree

Vala Kafil, 2022 – Present

In Progress: expected Fall of 2025

Achievements: 1 Journal Papers as First Author

Topic: Pd-Based Nanomaterials and Their Sensing Applications

MS Degree

Benjamin Sreenan, 2023 – Present

In Progress: expected Dec 2024

Achievements: 1 Journal Papers as First Author

Topic: Nobel-Metal-Based Nanozymes

Alex Cano, 2022 – Present

In Progress: expected Dec 2024

Achievements: In Progress

Topic: Water Collection from Air

Bryan Lee, 2021 – Present

In Progress: expected Dec 2023

Achievements: 4 Journal Papers as First Author 

Topic: Fluorescent Nanocrystals and Their Biosensing Application

Past Students

Post-Doctoral Scholar

Violeta Demillo, 2013-2016

Placement: Research Scientist at UNR Chemistry Department

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

Focus: Polymer Development and Surface Modification

Liming Huang, 2012-2013

Placement: Research Assistant Professor at UNR Microbiology Department

Achievements: 2 Journal Papers as First Author

Focus: Organic Chemistry for Sensing Applications

PhD Degree

Masoumeh Saber Zaeimian, 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

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

Chad Cowles, 2008 – 2012 

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

Achievements: 6 Journal Papers as First Author

Dissertation: Signal Amplification of Bioassay Using Zinc Nanomaterials

MS Degree

Haodong Lu, 2020 – 2021 

Placement after Graduation: Alfa Tech, Sparks, Nevada

Achievements: 1 Conference Paper as First Author

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

Brandon Gallian, 2017 – 2019 

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

Achievements: 2 Journal Papers as First Author

Thesis: 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

Thesis: 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 

Thesis: Development of an Optical System for Measuring Fluorescence Lifetimes

Siqi Chen, 2013 – 2016 

Placement after Graduation: The M.S. Program of Computer Science 

Achievements: 4 Journal Papers as First Author

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

Robert Shrake, 2014 – 2015 

Placement after Graduation: Doctor of Medicine Program at UNR 

Achievement: 1 Journal Paper as First Author

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

Robby Liebherr, 2008 – 2011 

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

Thesis: 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

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

Undergraduate Researchers ( > 20, Selected)

Tristan Hegseth, 2021-2022 (Electrical Engineer at Hamilton, Inc., Reno, Nevada)

Achievement: 1 Journal Paper as First Author 

Bryan Lee, 2019-2021 

Achievement: Nevada NSF EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Award

Haodong Lu, 2019-2020 

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

Clay Harrison, 2017-2019 

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

Anita Savell, 2014 

Achievement: Presidential Scholar Student