ALUMNI OF NECSTLAB
research staff
(the most recent departures are at bottom of the list)
Estelle Cohen
bio
Current Affiliation: Metis Design Corporation
Dr Kalfon-Cohen was a senior postdoctoral associate in necstlab at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT and has continued working with the group as a Research Scientist. Her research with Prof. Wardle at MIT focuses on the mechanism of interlaminar reinforcement by aligned-CNT in thin ply laminates. Estelle completed her PhD in Applied Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel in 2010. At the Weizmann institute, as a postdoctoral fellow, she specialized in AFM based nanomechanics and nanoindentation. Then she moved to Harvard University to study imaging and electron transport in graphene. Her extended research interests include polymer science, polymer composite, material characterization and microscopy, and nanomechanics.
Luiz Acauan
bio
Current Affiliation: Lyten, Inc.
Dr Luiz Acauan was a senior postdoctoral associate (2015-2020) in necstlab at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT and has continued working with the group as a Research Scientist (2020-2024). He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. His research spanned energy storing multifunctional composites, carbon nanotube-based MEMS devices, polymer and ceramic based nanocomposites, and investigation of complex nanomaterials/substrate interfaces.
Post Doctoral Associates
(the most recent departures are at bottom of the list)
John Hart
bio
John Hart was a postdoctoral associate (Sept 2006 – June 2007) in necstlab. He received his SM (2002) and PhD (2006) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and was supported by the NSF Fellowship and Hertz Fellowship. He also received his BS (2000) in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan.
Erica Freire Antunes
bio
Dr. Erica Freire Antunes was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, supported by both NECSTLAB and Science without Borders Program from CNPq, a Brazilian agency. Her project focuses on carbon nanotube deposition on carbon fiber and co-deposition of ZnO, for developing multi-functional composites for structural health monitoring. Electrical characterization under mechanical deformation of carbon fiber/carbon nanotubes/epoxy composites is the main research topic in recent project. She received a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and Technology – in Materials Science, from National Institute for Space Research (INPE-Brazil) in 2006. She has been working since 2007 as Post-doc in the same Institute and in Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA-Brazil), and also as teacher in Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP-Brazil). For citation reports, see Research ID: M-8405-2014 or google scholar.
Roberto Guzman de Villoria
bio
Roberto Guzman de Villoria was a postdoctoral fellow (2007-2012) at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Zaragoza.
Adriana Gama
bio
Dr. Adriana Gama was a postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT and is supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Aeronautics and Space Institute (IAE). Her research with Prof. Wardle at MIT focuses on carbon nanotubes (CNT) in ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). She received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1999, and an S.M. in Materials Engineering from University of Sao Paulo (USP) in 2003. Completed her Ph.D. work at the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA) in 2009, in the Department of Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Gama has authored and co-authored 26 journal articles. Her research interests include magnetic ceramic, electromagnetic characterization and ceramic composite.
Noa Lachman
bio
Dr. Noa Lachman was a postdoctoral Associate at the department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Her research with Prof. Wardle at MIT focuses on tailoring and imaging of A-CNT based composites. She received a B.S. in Chemistry and Physics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, in 2002 and completed her Ph.D. work at the Weizmann Institute of Science, in the department of Materials and Interfaces, in 2010. Dr. Lachman has authored and co-authored 16 journal articles. Her research interests include carbon nanotubes and their nano-composites, material characterization, and multi-functional materials.
Michael D. Canonica
bio
Michael Canonica was a postdoctoral associate (2012-2014) in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Fabio Fachin
bio
Fabio Fachin received his Ph.D. (2011) in necstlab on the topic of 3D MEMS via (post-) buckling of micromachined structures and integration of bulk nanoporous elements in microfluidic devices.
Sam Buschhorn
unknown
bio
Sam Buschhorn was a postdoctoral associate (2012-2013) in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Grinia Nogueira
bio
Grinia Nogueira was a Post Doctoral Associate working in a CMSE collaborative project to develop new routes to 3D hierarchical nano structured materials and devices.
Ethan Parsons
bio
Ethan Parsons was a research associate at Dept. of Mechanical Engineering (2007-2011) and at ISN (2011-2013). He received his SM and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at MIT.
Itai Stein
bio
Dr. Itai Stein was a postdoctoral associate at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was a National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and received his Ph.D. degree in 2016. He also received his S.M. degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2013, and his B.S. degree in materials science and engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2011. His current research interests include nanoscale energy transport, modeling and simulation of nanostructured materials, and carbon nanotube based materials and their physical properties.
Yue Zhou
bio
Dr. Yue Zhou was a postdoctoral associate at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. His research mainly focuses in energy system field, including energy storage device fabrication and characterization based on carbon (carbon nanotubes and graphene)/polymer composites, as well as energy conversion system design. He obtained his PhD in Electrical Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University in 2015. He also received his B.S. and M.S. in Physics from Nanjing University, China in 2008 and 2011, respectively.
Kehang Cui
bio
Dr. Kehang Cui joined Prof. Wardle’s NECSTlab at MIT as a postdoctoral associate from August 2015. After receiving Bachelor (2008) and Master’s (2011) degree in Thermal Energy Engineering from Shandong University, Kehang obtained his PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Tokyo in 2014. He continued his research on the controlled growth and solar cell applications of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as Postdoctoral Research Fellow and JSPS Principal Investigator at The University of Tokyo until 2015. His research interests include energy conversion and transport of CNTs, CNT growth, as well as fluid-CNT interactions.
Wenbo Shi
bio
Dr. Wenbo Shi was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, working on structural electronics. Before joining in Prof. Wardle’s NECSTlab in December 2018, he was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT. Before MIT, Wenbo received a B.E. in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University (Beijing, China), a M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University, a PhD in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Yale University. He is interested in sustainable production of advanced nanomaterials and dedicated to promoting their applications in energy and environmental-related fields.
Haozhe Wang
bio
Haozhe Wang was a postdoctoral associate at MIT AeroAstro. His research interests include synthesis and applications of nanoscale materials. Before joining necstlab, he conducted research on 2D materials and received his PhD at Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT on 2020. His research with Prof. Wardle focused on design and application of CNT-based sensors. Outside lab, he enjoys classical music.
Carolina Furtado
bio
Carolina Furtado Pereira da Silva returned to MIT as a postdoctoral researcher in the fall of 2020. During her pursuit of a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering at University of Porto in Portugal, she was a visiting student in necstlab at MIT partially funded by the Fulbright Program. She received her M.S degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2015 from the University of Porto and before starting her Ph.D program, she worked on the simulation of damage propagation in composite laminates with AIRBUS Group. Her interests include thin-ply laminates and numerical simulation of damage in composite laminates. Outside school, she enjoys backpacking, juggling and playing soccer, rugby and hockey.
Jeonyoon Lee
bio
Jeonyoon Lee joined necstlab in Fall 2012 and received both his Ph.D. and S.M in Mechanical Engineering at MIT in necstlab. He continued as a postdoctoral researcher afterwards. He received B.S in Mechanical Engineering from KAIST, South Korea in 2012. His research is focused on mechanical properties of CNT enhanced CFRP. Outside the lab, he enjoys travelling and snowboarding.
Jingyao Dai
bio
Jingyao Dai joined necstlab in Spring 2021 as a postdoctoral associate. He obtained his Master and PhD degrees at the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Penn State University where he studied toughening of ceramic materials with nanoporosity and hierarchical microstructure designs. His current research interests include fracture behaviors of materials, microstructure design and characterization, and advanced manufacturing methods. His research at necstlab will focus on nanoporous networks. Outside of the lab, he enjoys soccer, travelling, and movies.
Graduate Students
(the most recent departures are at bottom of the list, starting from 2011)
Noël Eduard Du Toit
unknown
bio
Noël Eduard Du Toit received his SM (2005) in Aeronautics and Astronautics on the topic of Modeling and design of a MEMS piezoelectric vibration energy harvester.
Enrique Garcia
unknown
bio
Enrique Garcia received his SM (2006) in Aeronautics and Astronautics on the topic of Characterization of composites with aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as reinforcement.
Anna Mracek
unknown
bio
Anna Mracek received her SM (2006) in Aeronautics and Astronautics on the topic of Towards and embeddable structural health monitoring sensor : design and optimization of MEMS piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters
David Quinn
unknown
bio
David Quinn received his SM (2006) in Mechanical Engineering on the topic of Microstructure, residual stress, and mechanical properties of thin film materials for a microfabricated solid oxide fuel cell.
Peter M Capozzoli
unknown
bio
Peter M Capozzoli received his SM (2006) in Aeronautics and Astronautics on the topic of Structural and electrochemical characterization of two proton conducting oxide thin films for a microfabricated solid oxide fuel cell.
Jeffrey Chambers
unknown
bio
Jeffrey Chambers received his SM (2006) in Aeronautics and Astronautics on the topic of Durability testing of an aircraft structural health monitoring system.
Namiko Yamamoto
unknown
bio
Namiko Yamamoto received her SM (2006) and Ph.D. (2011) in Aeronautics and Astronautics on the topics of Thermomechanical properties and performance of microfabricated solid oxide fuel cell ([mu]SOFC) structures and of Multi-scale electrical and thermal properties of aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their composites.
Stephen Steiner III
unknown
bio
Stephen Steiner III received his Ph.D. (2012) in Aeronautics and Astronautics on the topic of Carbon nanotube growth on challenging substrates : applications for carbon-fiber composites.
Miso Kim
unknown
bio
Miso Kim received her Ph.D. (2012) in Materials Science and Engineering on the topic of Materials and device design for MEMS piezoelectric mechanical vibration energy harvesters
Akira Kudo
unknown
bio
Akira Kudo received his Ph.D. (2016) in Materials Science and Engineering on the topic of Growth mechanisms of carbon nano-fibers, -tubes, and graphene on metal oxide nano-particles and -wires.
Daniel Handlin
bio
Daniel Handlin received his SM (2013) in Aeronautics and Astronautics doing a thesis focusing on advanced polymer nanocomposites. He received his bachelor’s from Harvard, graduating in 2011. Outside the lab, he enjoys flying, Star Trek and watching movies.
Sunny Wicks
bio
Sunny Wicks received both her SM (2010) and PhD (2014) in Aeronautics and Astronautics. She optimized chemical vapor deposition process to achieve consistent and uniform aligned carbon nanotube growth on large area ceramic cloth weaves. She also developed techniques for manufacturing laminated composites with aligned carbon nanotubes and studied role of epoxy type and carbon nanotube length on Mode I interlaminar toughness, and discovered potential for doubling fracture toughness.
Allison Yost
bio
Ally was a PhD Candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and works under Professor Wardle in the necstlab. She received her B.S. In Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire in 2010, and her S.M. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2012. Her research is focused on integrating patterned carbon nanotube forests into microfluidic devices for manipulation and capture of nano-sized bioparticles. Outside of research, Ally is passionate about entrepreneurship and is heavily involved in the MIT $100K Competition (2013 Managing Director) and the Hacking Medicine Initiative. She also enjoys soccer, skiing, running, yoga, and almost anything outdoors.
Diana Lewis
bio
Diana Lewis was a PhD candidate in Aero/Astro. She received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire in 2005, as well as her M.S. in 2007. She then spent five years in industry, specializing in high-volume production of carbon nanotubes via the floating-catalyst CVD method. Her research is concentrated on mechanical properties of composite interfaces reinforced with carbon nanotubes. In her free time, Diana enjoys playing competitive Ultimate Frisbee, training her large dog, and being outdoors as much as possible.
Doug Jacobs
bio
Doug Jacobs was a Mechanical Engineering S.M. student in Professor Wardle’s NECSTlab. Since receiving his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2009, he has worked at GE Aviation, completing the Edison Engineering Development Program (EEDP). His research is focused on advancing the ionic Electro-Active Polymer (i-EAP) actuators that utilize aligned carbon nanotube composites. Outside the lab, Doug works at GE Aviation as an Advanced Sensing Systems engineer, and also likes tennis, golf, percussion, tv, traveling and to cook.
Dale Lidston
bio
Dale Lidston was an S.M. Student in AeroAstro. She received her B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pretoria in 2011. During her undergrad, she worked in the NECSTlab as a UROP during an exchange program in 2010. After graduating, she spent three years in the mining industry working as a mechanical engineer and project manager. She returned to MIT in 2014 and her research is focused on fracture properties of polymer nano composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes. Outside of the academic environment, Dale enjoys horse riding, hiking, reading and various other outdoor activities.
Hayden Cornwell
bio
Hayden Cornwell was an S.M student in the AeroAstro Department working in the NECSTlab. He received his S.B in Aerospace Engineering from MIT in 2015. His research is focused on inter and intralaminar properties of CNT reinforced woven ply CFRF. Outside of research, he was a member of the MIT baseball team and now enjoys basketball, golf, and snowboarding.
Nathan Fritz
bio
Nathan Fritz finished his BS in MechE in December 2015 at Montana State University. While there, his research was focused on acoustic emission analysis of composite materials. At MIT he will be working on integrating carbon nanotubes to alter the interlaminar properties of the composites. Outside of school he enjoys backpacking, skiing, and ultimate frisbee.
Frederick Daso
bio
Frederick Daso finished his S.B. in Aerospace Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). During his undergraduate years, his research focused on cure sensing capabilities of knock-down CNT forests and building simulations of convective and conductive curing processes to see which one of the two is more energy efficient. He is currently pursuing his S.M. in Aerospace Engineering as a graduate research assistant in the necstlab. His current research focus is on applying novel curing techniques to process thermoplastic composite materials and reducing or eliminating process-driven deformations during the cure cycle for a given prepreg system. Outside the lab and academics, Frederick writes extensively. He is an Under 30 Contributor to Forbes, writing on college students and recent graduates pursuing entrepreneurship, and also on LinkedIn as MIT’s Campus Editor, where he has over 200,000 followers.
Richard Li
bio
Richard Li was a S.M. Student in necstlab who started working with Prof. Wardle as a UROP in 2009. He received his S.B. in Aerospace Engineering from MIT in 2013 and PhD in 2018. He was awarded the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship during his graduate studies. His research is focused on multifunctional properties characterization and scale-up of carbon nanotube/ carbon fiber hybrid multiscale composites. Outside of research, Rich was the Co-President of the Graduate Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and enjoys bike touring, performing Chinese Yo-Yo to the Greater Boston Area, and windsurfing.
Amy Vanderhout
bio
Amy Vanderhout was an undergraduate researcher in necstlab, studying CNT adhesion, while pursuing her S.B. in Aerospace Engineering at MIT. She continued her work in necstlab as a graduate student, studying metal- and ceramic-matrix nanocomposites for harsh environments and earning her S.M. in Aerospace Engineering. Since graduating, she has joined Northrop Grumman’s Future Technical Leaders program. In addition to her passion for aerospace both at and outside work, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and skiing.
Xinchen (Cody) Ni
bio
Xinchen Ni joined nesctlab in 2015 and obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 2020. Prior to necstlab, he received a B.S. from Fudan University in China in 2012 and a S.M. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2014. He is now a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University working with Prof. John A. Rogers on bio-integrated devices. His research interests include mechanics of nanoengineered materials and nanofabrication. Outside of research, he enjoys playing frisbee, basketball, running and hiking. He is also an avid traveler and has visited more than 20 countries. His non-research related goal is to visit every country in the world.
Reed Kopp
bio
Reed Kopp pursued a Ph.D. within the AeroAstro Department and is partially supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). He received his B.S. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Between receiving his B.S. and M.S. degrees, he participated for 14 months in the Postgraduate Research Program, which was administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, at the Vehicle Technology Directorate of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. His research interests include modeling and experimental characterizations of polymer nanocomposite mechanical properties. Outside of academics, he enjoys basketball, football, weightlifting, and various outdoor activities.
Ashley Kaiser
bio
Ashley Kaiser pursued her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2017. During her undergrad, she worked in necstlab as an MPC-CMSE Summer Scholar in 2016. Her research focused on the design, synthesis, and multifunctional property characterization of carbon nanotube-reinforced polymer nanocomposites. Outside of the academic environment, Ashley enjoys gymnastics, rock climbing, and hiking in America’s National Parks.
Travis Hank
bio
Travis Hank was an undergraduate researcher in necstab, pursuing a B.S. in AeroAstro; he continued on as a graduate student with necstlab after achieving that degree. Outside of the lab, Travis is a member of the MIT Baseball Team. Outside of MIT he enjoys biking along Chicago’s lakefront and reading thrilling books.
Minsu Jung
bio
Minsu continued his research with necstlab – advancing from his UROP status – and pursued an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. His research consists of conductive Out-of-Oven (OoO) composite curing with nanostructured heaters and void reduction assisted by nanoporous networks (NPNs). Outside the lab, Minsu enjoys running, snowboarding, and watching movies.
Sudhir Jain
bio
Sudhir Jain was an SM student in Integrated Design Management(IDM) program at MIT. Before coming to MIT, he co-founded two startups in the field of Computer Vision and Machine Learning. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communications from NIT Bhopal, India. Outside of the academic he enjoys sketching and reading novels.
Daniel Vuong
bio
Daniel received his BS (’22) and MEng (’23) in Computer Science at MIT. He researched 3D Deep Learning Segmentation using ML and AI methodologies for fiber break analysis of fiber reinforced polymer X-ray tomograms.
Steven Serrano
bio
Steven Serrano
Steven was an SM student in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He joined necstlab in Spring 2021 as a UROP. After receiving his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering at MIT (‘22), he continued in the lab as a graduate student. His research involves the nanoengineering of fiber reinforced polymer composites to improve manufacturing processes and mechanical properties. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, lifting, running, and exploring Boston on his longboard.
Undergraduate Students
(UROPS, the most recent departures are at bottom of the list)
Wennie Wang
bio
Wennie Wang is an undergraduate researcher working on the mechanical characterization of carbon nanotube reinforced plastics. She is working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering. In addition to research, Wennie enjoys volunteering with APO, silkscreening, and cooking exotic foods.
Peter Florin
bio
Peter Florin is an undergrad student at MIT working towards a B.S. in Aero/Astro Engineering. He is currently working on research under Professor Wardle. He works directly with Richard Li on Richard’s fuzzy fiber and with Fabio Fachin on Fabio’s densification projects. Outside of the lab, Peter is an avid rower, and is currently a member of MIT’s Varsity Lightweight rowing team.
Brandon Wright
bio
Brandon Wright is an undergraduate research in Professor Wardle’s lab. He is working towards his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Outside of research, Brandon enjoys cooking as part of MIT’s German House, long-distance running, and participating in global research opportunities through the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives program.
Henna Jethani
bio
Henna Jethani is an undergraduate researcher in Professor Wardle’s lab. She is working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at MIT. In addition to research, Henna enjoys playing tennis and being a coordinator for Camp Kesem, a weeklong summer camp for kids of cancer patients.
Hanna Vincent
bio
Hanna Vincent is an undergraduate research working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. Hanna is a captain of the MIT Varsity Sailing team, and competes regularly on weekends at women’s sailing regattas.
Ana Vazquez
bio
Ana Vazquez is an undergraduate researcher in Professor Wardle’s lab. She is working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at MIT. In addition to research, Ana enjoys playing the trumpet, writing poetry and short stories, and is very active within MIT’s Latino Cultural Center.
Alex Constable
bio
I am a rising senior at the Pennsylvania State University studying materials science and engineering minoring in engineering mechanics. At the Pennsylvania State University, I am working on density functional theory applications for electrochemical capacitors. While at MIT through the CMSE/MPC Summer Scholars Program, I am very interested in developing high performance materials for structural applications in aerospace and other engineering applications. Additionally, I am very interested in how such materials can be applied at high temperatures. In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, sailing, climbing, and snowboarding.
Christian Parschau
bio
Christian Parschau is an undergraduate researcher in NECSTLab. He is an exchange student from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and is currently pursuing a BEng in Mechanical Engineering. Outside of the lab he enjoys reading history, rock-climbing and hiking.
Eveline (Evi) Postelnicu
bio
Eveline (Evi) Postelnicu is an undergraduate researcher, and is currently a sophomore pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering and Physics. Outside of the lab, she is a member of the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team, and enjoys running, knitting, and playing the violin and piano.
Elisheva Shuter
bio
Elisheva Shuter is an undergraduate researcher in NECSTLab and is pursuing a B.S. in AeroAstro. Outside of the lab, she is involved in MIT Hillel and Friends of Israel, and enjoys reading, playing softball, and swimming.
Andrew Liotta
bio
Andrew Liotta is an undergraduate researcher in NECSTLab, and is pursuing a B.S. in AeroAstro. Outside of the lab, Andrew is a member of the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team and enjoys playing soccer and skiing whenever possible.
Roberto Campanario
bio
Roberto Campanario is an undergraduate researcher in NECSTLab and is perusing a B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering. He is an exchange student at MIT from University of Pretoria. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing guitar, running and playing soccer.
Christine Chappelle
bio
Christine Chappelle is an undergraduate researcher in NECSTLab and is pursuing a B.S. in AeroAstro. Outside of the lab, she is a part of the MIT Flying Club, and enjoys golfing, hiking, and playing the flute.
Chloe Sackier
bio
Chloe Sackier is an undergraduate researcher in NECSTLab and is pursuing a B.S. in AeroAstro. Outside of the lab, she enjoys violin, running and DIY high altitude ballooning projects.
Yulin Gao
bio
Yulin Gao is an undergraduate researcher in NECSTLab and is pursuing an M.Eng in Materials Science. He is an exchange student at MIT from Imperial College London. Outside of the lab, he enjoys travelling, cycling and target sports.
Sofi Peterson
bio
Sofi Peterson is an undergraduate researcher in NECSTLab and is perusing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Outside of the lab, she is an Associate Advisor and enjoys playing water polo, hiking and skiing.
Isabel Albelo
bio
Isabel Albelo is a visiting undergraduate researcher in necstlab with the MIT Materials Research Laboratory Summer Scholar Internship program. She is currently attending UCLA, where she is pursuing a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering. At UCLA, she is involved with STEM outreach to local high school and middle school students, and she is on the engineering committee for the annual Coastalong Music and Sustainability Festival. In addition to school and research, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her dog.
Azreen Zaman
bio
Azreen Zaman is an undergraduate researcher in necstlab, and is pursuing a B.S. in AeroAstro. Her research interests include carbon nanotube and substrate adhesion. Outside of the lab, she enjoys dancing and playing tennis recreationally. Outside of MIT, she is currently a mentor for her high school robotics team.
Brenden Barbour
bio
Brenden is a second year undergraduate in the AeroAstro department. He is working on the development of an artificial intelligence for the application of segmentation of complex damage in aerospace composite materials. Outside of his work, he spends his time cooking, playing video games, and cycling.
Jose Soto
bio
Starting in summer 2021, Jose will be working with necstlab and studying both the properties of capillary densified carbon/boron-nitride nanotubes and the properties of carbon nanotube-substrate adhesion. In his free time, he enjoys live theater acting, playing video games, and volleyball.
Megan Cooper
bio
Megan Cooper is joining necstlab in Spring 2021. Currently a junior at MIT double majoring in aerospace engineering and materials science, with a goal to work in the materials side of the aerospace industry, whether that be materials research or more applied engineering. Particular interests are in how novel composites and alloys can be used for extreme aerospace applications. and playing tennis recreationally. Outside of MIT, she is currently a mentor for her high school robotics team.
Shannon Cassady
bio
Shannon is a senior at MIT studying Aeronautical Engineering and Physics.
Matt McGillick
bio
Matt is a second-year undergraduate student studying aerospace engineering as well as materials science and engineering. In addition to his schoolwork, Matt is also an Air Force cadet in Detachment 365 at MIT. In his spare time, he enjoys refining his cooking techniques, exercising, and riding motorcycles.
Cameron Hilman
bio
Cameron is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in aerospace engineering. Before coming to MIT, Cameron served in the US Army as a Cryptologic Linguist. Outside of class, Cameron is involved in MIT Rocket Team, an A Cappella group, “Resonance”, and also enjoys rock climbing, DJing, and tinkering in makerspaces in his free time.
Heine van der Walt
bio
Heine is a new UROP with necstlab (joining mid-Spring 2023) and we’re excited to see what he’ll cook up in the lab with Dr. Luiz Acauan. In his spare time, he enjoys motorcycles and international travel to learn new things and seek out new ideas.
Grant Oh
bio
Grant Oh is a third-year student studying Mechanical Engineering and Business Management. Outside of school, he is on the Men’s Volleyball Team. In his free time, he likes to watch soccer, listen to music, and play Geoguessr.
Norah Miller
bio
Norah Miller is a second-year student in aerospace engineering, with interests in materials science and sustainability. Outside of school, she is a member of the Women’s Open-weight Rowing team, and is a Garden Lead of UA Sustainability. She also enjoys any outdoor activities and taking care of her houseplants.
Hillel Dei
bio
Hillel Dei is an undergraduate researcher joining necstlab in January 2022. Hillel Dei is a second-year student studying aerospace engineering in addition to mathematics. He works with MIT’s Rocket Team by day whilst indulging in video games by night. When free, he enjoys reading comic books and watching soccer.
Nielsen Euvrard
bio
Nielsen Euvrard is a first-year student studying Aerospace Engineering and is interested in Material Science. Outside of academics, he is on the Men’s Heavyweight Crew team. He enjoys spending his free time outdoors with friends and listening to music.
Robert Sansone
bio
Robert Sansone is a sophomore pursuing an undergraduate degree in materials science and engineering. He is fascinated by nanotechnology and seeks to explore the amazing phenomena observed at the nanoscale.
Visiting Scientists and Students
(the most recent departures are at bottom of the list)
Hulya Cebeci
visiting Ph.D. student
unknown
bio
Hulya Cebeci is a visiting Ph.D. student at MIT from Istanbul Technical University in 2012.
Ali Aravand
visiting Ph.D. student
unknown
bio
Dr Aravand earned his BSc and MSc in Polymer Engineering before completing his PhD in Materials Engineering in 2014 at the Composite Materials Group (CMG) at KU Leuven in Belgium. His doctoral research centred on enhancing fracture toughness and lowering damage initiation thresholds in nanomodified carbon fibre epoxy composites. In 2014, he was a visiting PhD researcher in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, USA, where he conducted research on CNT-grafted (fuzzy) FRP composites at NECSTLAB.
Zeng Fan
visiting Ph.D. student
unknown
bio
Zeng Fan was a visiting Ph.D. student from Singapore University in necstlab from April 2014 to July 2014.
Thang Quyet Tran
visiting Ph.D. student
bio
Thang Quyet Tran is a visiting student at MIT from National Univeristy of Singapore. He is a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, working on synthesis, characterization, and post-treatments of graphene and carbon nanotube fibers. Outside of research, he enjoys travelling, running, and outdoor activities.
Carlos José Fortunas Teixeira
Visiting Ph.D. Student
bio
Carlos Teixeira is a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering at University of Minho in Portugal, where he has obtained his MS degree in the same area in 2012. Before starting his PhD program at the MIT Portugal program in 2014, he has worked in the simulation of reinforcement learning techniques in robotic locomotion. Currently, he is a visiting student at MIT, where he is designing and developing a robust methodology to support the transition between two CVD setups for CNT synthesis. Outside school, he enjoys traveling and playing mandolin.
Jeffrey Gair
Visiting Ph.D. Student
bio
Jeffrey Gair, Jr. is a visiting Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at University of Maryland. He received his B.S. degrees in Bioengineering and Biology in 2009 and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2016 from University of Maryland. He currently works as a research fellow for the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, where he has been since 2010. His work is on CNT-matrix interactions and tunability for the development of multifunctional aerospace composites. Outside of the lab he enjoys backpacking and robotics.
Matteo Lilli
Visiting Ph.D. Student
bio
Matteo Lilli visited necstlab and worked alongside our researchers from September 2019 through March of 2020 – he had to leave us slightly before planned due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but was able to safely journey home and continued to participate in our group meetings remotely in order to share the results of his research with the entire group.
Saeed Saifaee
REU Scholar
bio
Saeed is joining necstlab for summer 2021, as part of the MRL-MRSEC 2021 Summer Scholars REU Program. He is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the Pennsylvania State University. His career interests are within nanotechnology or aerospace engineering. Outside of school, Saeed enjoys swimming, reading, and golf.
Carlos Catalano
MSRP Intern
bio
Carlos is in his 5th year of B.S. on Mechanical Engineering, in the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. He has always had a passion to work either in renewable energy or in space exploration. His interests lie in the fields of Materials Science and Engineering and Thermal Engineering. Carlos will be interning for necstlab on summer 2021, as part of the MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP).
Chloe Curtis-Smith
Visiting UG Student
bio
Chloe Curtis-Smith is a Materials Science undergraduate from the University of Oxford. She is completing her fourth-year project at necstlab, which is focused on polymer nanocomposites. Outside of academics she enjoys hiking, rowing, cycling and photography.
Seong Su Kim
Visiting Professor
bio
Prof. Seong Su Kim is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST. He has expertise in mechanical design of composite structures and improvement of energy storage systems using functional composite materials. After receiving his Ph.D. degree from KAIST in 2007, he worked for two years at KAIST as a research professor. He moved to the University of Tokyo in Japan in 2009 as a Global Centers of Excellence Program (GCOE) researcher. From 2010 to 2017, he worked as an Assistant Professor and Associate Professor of the Department of Organic Materials and Fiber Engineering at Chonbuk National University in Korea. He joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST in February, 2017.
Wonvin Kim
Visiting Ph.D. Student
bio
Wonvin Kim is a Ph.D. candidate in the Mechanical Design Lab at KAIST. Currently, Wonvin’s research interests include: Water lubrication for environmentally friendly system (Pioneer in the lab), Thermoelectric foam for Energy harvesting (Pioneer in the lab), Manufacturing process for the CFRPs.
Nyvia Lyles
MSRP Intern
bio
Nyvia Lyles is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Chemical Engineering at Howard University. Nyvia is conducting research in the necstlab as an MSRP intern. Her research involves making A-BNNT nanocomposites. Outside of school, Nyvia enjoys hiking and knitting.
Ilya Avros
MSRP Intern
bio
Ilya Avros is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Mechanical Engineering at The City College of New York. Ilya is researching on vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VA-CNT) and boron nitride nanotube (VA-BNNT) polymer nanocomposite (PNC) samples.
Former Affiliated Faculty, Researchers, and others
(the most recent departures are at bottom of the list)
Diemut Strebe
Ida Ely Rubin Artist
bio
Diemut Strebe, Ida Ely Rubin Artist in Residence at the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology, and Brian L. Wardle, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the director of the necstlab and Nano-Engineered Composite aerospace STructures (NECST) Consortium, applied new research in engineered materials and structures to artworks. The necstlab research group’s mission is to lead the advancement and application of new knowledge at the forefront of materials and structures understanding, with contributions in both science and engineering.
Dr. Jeff Gair
Research Affiliate
bio
Dr. Jeff Gair is a materials research engineer for the United States Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in the Vehicle Technology Directorate. His research focuses on intelligent and multifunctional materials for advanced aerospace vehicle applications. A few areas of interest include lightweighting, damage-sensing, structural energy storage and harvesting, EMI sheilding, and AI integration into both the design and function of materials in dynamic systems. Previously, Dr. Gair worked for 7 years as a Pre and Postdoctoral Fellow at ARL through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. He completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland while funded as a the Predoctoral Fellow at ARL, and working in close collaboration with MIT’s necstlab and the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies.
Prof. John Dugundji (1925-2020)
Emeritus Professor
bio
Prof. John Dugundji officially joined the faculty in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro) in 1957, where he remained until his retirement in 1993. Dugundji remained an active member of the AeroAstro community, teaching undergraduate courses in structural dynamics, collaborating on research projects, and mentoring graduate students. Dugundji was an advocate for early-career faculty and even arranged regular lunches to help new faculty members build support networks and a sense of community. Dugundji was renowned for his expertise in aeroelasticity, structural dynamics, and composite materials, those who knew him best also admired his deep knowledge and appreciation of poetry, music, history, and the arts.
Britton “Bryt” Bradley
Administrative Assistant II
bio
Bryt served as the administrative assistant for necstlab from November 2017 to November 2023. Bryt has been a great asset to the AeroAstro team, playing a pivotal role in the success of our department. Her support to Profs Wes Harris, Brian Wardle and Jon How has been instrumental. While continuing her support for Profs Wes Harris and Jon How, she will also be extending her support to the Associate Department Head, Kerri Cahoy. Bryt Bradley has secured the open HQ Administrative Assistant role vacated by Fran Marrone following Dan Hastings stepping down.