Alumni

Andres Fernandez San Miguel

Ph.D. Candidate – University of A Coruña
Research Topics:
Molecular Mechanics of graphene sheets, carbon nanotubes and proteins
Education:
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of A Coruña
M.Sc. Civil and Structural Engineering, University of A Coruña

David E. Farache


Research Topics:
Shape memory alloys
Education
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Purdue University, 2022
M.S Materials Science and Engineering, Purdue University, 2023

George M. Nishibuchi


Research Topics:
Optical properties of ceramics for hypersonic IR windows via first principles calculations
Education:
M.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Purdue University, 2023
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Purdue University, 2022

Brenden W. Hamilton

Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow @ Los Alamos National Lab
Research Topics:
Thermo-mechanical Energy Localization in High-Energy Density Materials
Shock Compression of Solids
Heterogeneous Initiation of Explosives
Education:
Ph.D. Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2022
B.S. Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2018
B.S. Applied Physics, Purdue University, 2018

Zachary D. McClure

Computational Chemist @ NVIDIA
Research Topics:
Data driven design of high entropy alloys and oxide scales
Thermal transport in alloys
Education:
Ph.D. Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2022
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University, 2017

Peter Salek

Graduate Research Assistant (PhD) @ Purdue University
Research Topics:
Propulsion and Astrodynamics
Education:
M.S. Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University, 2022
B.S. Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University, 2020

Shivam Tripathi

Postdoctoral Research Associate @ Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Parrinello Group)
Research Topics:
Thermal Transport in nanoscale materials
Shape Memory Alloys
Education:
Ph.D. Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2021
B.Tech MSE, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 2016

Michael N. Sakano

Postdoctoral Appointee @ Sandia National Laboratories
Research Topics:
Kinetics Modeling of High-Energy Density reactive materials
Experimental validation and continuum scale verification
Education:
Ph.D. Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2021
B.S. Biomedical and Health Sciences Engineering,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2016

MAJ Timothy S. Wolfe

Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering @ Air Force Institute of Technology
Research Topics:
Wide band gap semiconductor devices
Optoelectronics
Ab-initio solid-state simulations
Education:
Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, Purdue University, 2021
M.Sc. Electrical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Dayton, OH, 2015
B.S. Electrical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 2011

Pilsun Yoo

Postdoctoral Research Fellow @ Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Research Topics:
Catalysts
Solid-oxide electronic structure
Machine learning potential for atomistic simulation
Education:
Ph.D. Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2021
M.S. Physics, Hankuk University of foreign languages, South Korea, 2016
B.S. Physics, Hankuk University of foreign languages, South Korea, 2014

Tongtong Shen

Data Analysis Engineer @ Apple
Research Topics:
Molecular Science Software
Atomic Scale Modeling
Polymer Crystals and Crystallization
Education:
Ph.D. Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2021
B.S. Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, 2015

Saaketh Desai

Postdoctoral Appointee @ Sandia National Laboratories
Research Topics:
Enhancing the predictive power of molecular dynamics simulations
Physics based machine learning for molecular dynamics
Education:
Ph.D. Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2020
B. Tech, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, 2015

Lorena Alzate-Vargas

Postdoctoral Research Associate @ ORNL – Computational Sciences and Engineering Division
Dissertation: Structural and dynamical properties in organic systems using molecular dynamics simulations
Research Topics:
Atomistic simulations of polymers: uncertainty quantification of thermal properties
Conformational dynamics behavior in polymers
Education:
Ph.D. Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2019
B.S. Engineering Physics, Universidad EAFIT – Colombia, 2014

Mahbubul Islam

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering @ Wayne State University
Research Topics:
First-principles, ReaxFF, and eReaxFF molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on reactive and nonreactive systems for energetic materials, batteries and 2D materials
Education:
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Purdue University, 2016-2019
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 2016
B.S in Mechanical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh, 2009

Karthik Guda Vishnu

Computational Materials Scientist @ Micron Technology
Research Topics:
Active materials – Shape memory materials and ferroelectrics
Shock wave energy dissipating (SWED) materials
Atomic scale investigation of primary radiation damage
Inter-metallic reactive composites; Defects in Semiconductors
Education:
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Purdue University, 2016-2020
Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, Purdue University, 2012
B.Tech., Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Trichy, India, 2007

Undergraduate – Alumni

Michael H. Taylor

2022 Advancing Army Modernization Priorities- Undergraduate Program (AAMP-UP)
Research Topics:
Machine learning predictive modeling of high explosive properties
Education:
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 2023

Sohee Kim

2022 Advancing Army Modernization Priorities- Undergraduate Program (AAMP-UP)
Research Topics:
Data science and machine learning of energetic materials properties
Education:
B.S. Computer Engineering Technology, Purdue University, 2025

Samuel Blankenship

2022 Advancing Army Modernization Priorities- Undergraduate Program (AAMP-UP)
Research Topics:
Data science and machine learning of energetic materials properties
Education:
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Purdue University, 2025

Noah Hallberg

2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
Research Topics:
Identification of high-temperature oxidation-resistant alloys via simulation
Education:
B.S. Computer Science, Purdue University, 2025

Craig Ahsmann

Advancing Army Modernization Priorities- Undergraduate Program (AAMP-UP)
Research Topics:
Predicting properties of organic molecules

Pratyush Avi

Advancing Army Modernization Priorities- Undergraduate Program (AAMP-UP)
Research Topics:
Predicting properties of organic molecules

Alfonso D. Meraz

Micro Nano Technology Collaborative Undergraduate Research Network (MNT-CURN)
Research Topics:
Blockchain – Molecular dynamics proof of work

Shuchen Liu

Micro Nano Technology Collaborative Undergraduate Research Network (MNT-CURN)
Research Topics:
Blockchain – Molecular dynamics proof of work

O’Neal Douglin

Micro Nano Technology Collaborative Undergraduate Research Network (MNT-CURN)
Research Topics:
Blockchain – Molecular dynamics proof of work

Dave Emdin

Micro Nano Technology Collaborative Undergraduate Research Network (MNT-CURN)
Research Topics:
Blockchain – Molecular dynamics proof of work

Nacim Bouia

Visiting Scholar
Research Topics:
Design of interatomic potentials for phase change memory

Anna Leichty

Network for Computational Nanotechnology – Undergraduate Research Experience (NCN/URE)
Research Topics:
Development of educational content for first year engineering students

Mackinzie Farnell

MSE – Undergraduate Research
Research Topics:
Modeling environment dependent properties in Complex Concentrated Alloys (CCAs)

Lok C. Fan (Lucas)

Imperial College, London, Purdue University Exchange Program
Research Topics:
Automated approach to discover coherent second phases in multicomponent systems

Rileigh Cotter

Network for Computational Nanotechnology – Undergraduate Research Experience (NCN/URE)
Research Topics:
Random and special quasi random structures generator for Complex Concentrated Alloys (CCAs)

Sabir Utamsing

Network for Computational Nanotechnology – Undergraduate Research Experience (NCN/URE)
Research Topics:
Random and special quasi random structures generator for Complex Concentrated Alloys (CCAs)

Haydn Schroader

MSE – Undergraduate Research
Research Topics:
Systematic machine learning studies for the prediction of hardness/yield strength in engineering steels

Stepan Kolacek

International Research Undergraduate Experience
Research Topics:
Quantum vibrational effects on thermal transport