About Us

Matthew Fayette

Ph.D.: Binghamton University, Chemistry

Research: Chemical Transformations of Nanomaterials for Fuel Cell Catalysis, Battery Materials, Supercapacitors
Joined Group: Summer 2013
Hometown: Watertown, NY
Favorite Element: Platinum
Characterization Technique: STM/AFM

Sanjaya Dulip Perera

Ph.D.: University of Texas at Dallas, 2012, Inorganic Chemistry
Joined Group: Fall 2013
Research: Synthesis of nanomaterials and nanocomposites for energy applications, Design synthesis protocols for making colloidal nanomaterials from lab scale to large scale, Preparation of high power, high-energy density electrode materials for supercapacitors, Photocatalytic materials for environmental remediation.
Hometown: Kandy, Sri Lanka
Favorite Device: An ultimate supercapacitor that can replace Li ion battery

Jared Hertzberg

Joined Group: Fall 2009
Research Interests: high-precision mechanical measurement; phonon transport in nanostructured materials; nanofabrication of MEMS/NEMS mechanical resonators; superconducting circuits; Josephson-junction devices
Home Town: Somewhere in New Jersey
Professional Background
-B.A. in physics from Amherst College in 1998
-Research engineer at United Technologies Research Center
-PhD in physics from University of Maryland in 2009
Favorite Science Hobby: Phonon Spectrometry to quantitatively characterize low-dimensional heat transfer
link to Jared's CV

Haitao Zhang

Joined Group: Summer 2009
Research Interests: Colloidal synthesis of nanoparticles specifically for sustainable energy applications.
Home Town: China
Professional Background
-B.S. in Polymer Materials & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 2000
-M.S. in Polymer Chemistry & Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 2003
-Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry, University at Albany-SUNY, 2010

Mahmut Aksit

Field: Ph.D. Student in MSE
Joined Group: Fall 2008
Research Interests: Nanomanufacturing of 2D Crystals, Low Temperature E-field Induced Kinetic Demixing, Energy Applications of 2D Layered OxidesColloidal synthesis of nanoparticles specifically for sustainable energy applications.
Home Town: Denizli, Turkey
Prior degree: B.S. Sabanci University
Favorite Ceramic: Na_xCoO₂

Don-Hyung Ha

Field: Ph.D student MSE
Joined Group: Summer 2009
Research interests: Synthesis and chemical transformation of nanoparticles, nanoparticles films for Li-ion battery and other energy applications. 
Prior position: M.S. University of Pennsylvania, B.S. Korea University
Hometown: Seoul, Korea
Favorite Ion: Li⁺

Obafemi Otelaja

Field: Ph.D. Student in Electrical Engineering
Joined Group: 2008
Research interests: Micro-Nanofabrication of Phonon Transport Devices.
Prior position: B.S. Howard University
Hometown: Nigeria
Favorite Cleanroom technique: E-beam Lithography

Christian Ocier

Field: M.S. Student in MS&E
Joined Group: Fall 2011
Research interests: Colloidal Synthesis of Nanoparticles. 
Prior position: Tsinghua University
Hometown: Manila, Philippines
Favorite Characterization Tool: UV-vis

Maria Ibáñez i Sabaté

Field: PhD candidate, Physics (University of Barcelona)
Joined Group: Summer 2012
Research interests: Synthesis of nanoparticles for energy applications
Professional Background: B.S., Physics
Hometown: Catalonia 
Favorite Energy Applications: solar and thermoelectrics 

Denzel Bridges

Field: B.S. Student in MS&E
Joined Group: Summer 2011
Research interests: Nanomaterials and lithium ion battery support materials. 
Prior position: None
Hometown: Riverside, California
Favorite Chemical: Liquid Nitrogen

Andrew Calwell

Field: B.S. Student in MS&E
Joined Group: Fall 2011
Research interests: Nanoparticle synthesis techniques, nanoparticle films for Li-ion battery electrodes.
Prior position: None
Hometown: University Place, WA
Favorite Bravais Lattice: simple orthorhombic

Diana Gooding

Field: Math and Physics at Transylvania University (KY)
Joined Group: Summer 2012
Research interests: Nanomaterials and lithium ion battery support materials.
Prior position: Whitesides Research Group, Harvard University
Hometown: Frankfort, Kentucky
Favorite Quark: charm

Ha Kim

Field:  B.S. Candidate in Materials Science or Electrical Engineering
Joined Group:  Winter 2010
Research interests:  Thermoelectric metal oxides, Solar Cell Semiconductor Nanomaterials
Prior position:  None
Hometown:  Connecticut
Favorite 2-D Fractal Shape: Mandelbrot Set

Alexander Montelione

Field: B.S. Candidate in MS&E 
Joined Group: Spring 2012
Research interests: Thermoelectric metal oxides, nanoscale structural studies using XAS
Prior position: None
Hometown: Highland Park, NJ 
Favorite Series: Fibonacci

Liane Moreau

Field: B.S. Candidate in MS&E 
Joined Group: Winter 2009
Research interests: Nanoparticle transformation, nanoscale structural studies using XAS, galvanic exchange
Prior position: None
Hometown: Elmhurst, IL 
Favorite Color: Cobalt Nitrate
Favorite surfactant: anything that is not PVP