Author: Rhonda Ward

Hanyi Duan Completes His Polymer Ph.D.

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Dr. Hanyi Duan (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
Dr. Hanyi Duan (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

Before coming to UConn, Hanyi completed a bachelor’s degree in macromolecular materials & engineering in Taiyuan University of Technology, then a master’s degree in polymer chemistry & physics at Zhejiang University. After this experience, Hanyi joined the UConn IMS Polymer Science Ph.D. Program with great drive and enthusiasm.  Under the guidance of co-advisors, Professors Jie He and Yao Lin, Hanyi’s research resulted in an astounding ten publications as lead author and eighteen as co-author.  This extensive publication list has already led to 641 citations.

In 2023 Hanyi received the Samuel J. Huang Graduate Student Research Award for his outstanding performance.  His thesis, “Plasmonic Patchy Nanoparticles: Controlled Synthesis and Self-Assembly in Solution,” was completed in summer 2024.

Hanyi has taken a position as postdoctoral research scholar at Indiana Univ., Bloomington. He is blazing the trail to his long- term goal: a faculty research position.

IMS Polymer Program Welcomes New Students

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IMS Polymer Program fall 2024 semester new students
Clay Gensel (l) and Vinh Le (r) joined the IMS Polymer Program Ph.D. program for the Fall 2024 semester.

The IMS Polymer Ph.D. Program welcomes two students this fall, Clay Gensel and Vinh Le.  Both are local New Englanders.  Clay Gensel completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at UMass Amherst in the spring of 2024.  During his senior year there, he joined the research lab of Professor Bryan Coughlin. This experience gave him both the desire to pursue a doctoral degree program and the confidence to do so.  Intrigued with the polymer research in the Coughlin lab, Clay decided to pursue the UConn Polymer Program

Vinh Le completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Central Connecticut State University. During his program he was introduced to organic synthesis in the research lab of Professor Neil Glagovich. After completing his degree, Vinh gained 3 years of professional experience in local industry. This experience introduced him to the exciting world of polymer science. Vinh was eager to join the UConn Polymer Program because it gave him the unique opportunity to study polymer science while living in his home state of Connecticut.

The polymer program welcomes these two talented Ph.D. students.

Tianjian Yang Completes Polymer Ph.D.

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Tianjian Yang
Dr. Tianjian Yang

With a continued curiosity in the materials he encountered during his childhood, Tianjian Yang wanted to satisfy his interest at a higher level. When studying Materials Science as an undergraduate at Jinan University, Tianjian discovered polymers. This led him to join the research lab of Prof. Ziyang Zhang where he became deeply involved with the research and completed his first scientific paper. Hungry for more knowledge, Tianjian joined the Materials Science and Engineering master’s degree program at the University of California, San Diego. This experience introduced him to synthetic chemistry used in biology.  Upon discovery of Prof. Yao Lin’s research in polypeptides for biomedical applications, Tianjian joined the UConn Polymer Program.

Tianjian’s hard work and talent was recognized. He published three papers as lead author, has two more in process, and was co-listed on numerous more.  He was a finalist for the national 2024 Eastman Chemical Student Award. He also received the UConn Polymer Program 2024 Samuel J. Huang Graduate Student Research Award.

Tianjian said he loved IMS because of the variety of research projects, the extensive access to instrumentation, the collaborative nature of the community, and the faculty’s willingness to help all students with questions. He said this was the perfect program for his interests and goals.

This summer he successfully defended his thesis: “Biomimetic Supramolecular Materials Assembled from Synthetic Polypeptides”. This month he started a position as a postdoctoral research scholar at Johns Hopkins University. Tianjian’s long-term goal is to become a professor.

IMS Polymer Program Receives DoE GAANN Grant

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Science 1 Research Center, home of the IMS Polymer Program

The IMS Polymer Program has been awarded its fourth Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) grant in 10 years. The PI, Professor Mu-Ping Nieh, and co-PIs Professors Rajeswari Kasi, Yao Lin, and Anson Ma led the recent grant proposal, “Design High-Efficiency Polymers and Nanocomposites with Their Life-Cycle in Consideration (Upcycling, Recycling, Biodegradability),” with assistance from Professors Luyi Sun and Kelly Burke. The team effort was awarded $1,119,095 which is expected to support five Polymer Ph.D. students over a three-year period.

The GAANN grant was created by the Department of Education to support academically strong students with financial need pursuing a doctoral degree in specific subject areas considered “in need”. Polymer Science is considered an area of national need. Many academic areas in the STEM fields fall under this category.

The first GAANN grant for the IMS Polymer Program was awarded in 2015. Since then, the program has been awarded three additional GAANN grants. In total, the GAANN grants have provided more than $3.4 million and have supported more than 30 students during the past 10 years. The Polymer Program’s success with GAANN funding reflects the program’s achievements in research and student support that has continued for the past 60 years.

Mu-Ping Nieh Named Director of IMS Polymer Program

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Dr. Mu-Ping Nieh
Dr. Mu-Ping Nieh

After three years as director of the IMS Polymer Program, Dr. Kelly Burke has stepped down to assume the role of Head of the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. Faculty members have elected Professor Mu-Ping Nieh as the new director of the IMS Polymer Program.

Professor Nieh’s first achievement as director was writing a successful Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) grant proposal. The Department of Education-backed grant will provide over $1 million to support domestic students over three years.  Additional goals include increasing student recruitment, creating new courses, and coordinating a polymer certificate program consisting of a series of short courses.

The program plans to create new polymer courses as an option for the science and technology requirement for undergraduate general education courses.  These courses will introduce students to polymer science, discuss the current plastic crisis, and analyze efforts to produce plastics that are environmentally friendly.

The goal of the planned polymer certificate program will be to provide advanced educational options for scientists and strengthen industrial ties. This task had been initiated in the past but was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Dr. Nieh will continue the project with a proposed start date of Fall 2025.

The IMS Polymer Program welcomes the new leadership of Professor Nieh.

IMS Polymer Program Presents Awards for Outstanding Posters

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Prof. Kelly Burke presents Yasmin Bambatti with first place award at 2024 Poster Session
Prof. Kelly Burke presents Yasmin Bambatti with first place award at 2024 Poster Session
Prof. Kelly Burke presents Rumesha Pererage with third place prize at the 2024 poster session
Prof. Kelly Burke presents Rumesha Pererage with third place prize at the 2024 poster session

 

 

 

 

 

 The IMS Industrial Affiliates Program (IAP) 2024 Annual Meeting once again included a joint student poster session with IMS Polymer Program and Department of Materials Science and Engineering students sharing their research. 33 graduate students participated. The poster session provides an opportunity for students to interact with IAP members and industry partners, many of whom have hired our graduates in the past. The Program presented its annual Poster Awards at the 202 poster session.

 

Rumesha Pererage, from the Adamson Research Group, received third place prize for her poster, “Graphene polyamide membrane for in situ electrochemical CO2 reduction”.

 

Huijie Li, from the Zhang Research Group, received second place prize for their poster, “Microneedle-based potentiometric sensing system for continuous monitoring of nutrients in skin interstitial fluids”.

 

Yasmin Bimbatti, from the McCutcheon Research Group, received first place honors for her poster, “Thin Film Composite Ion Exchange Membranes by Electrospray”.

 

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IMS Polymer Program Honors Two Ph.D. Students

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Jeff McCutcheon (l), Yasmin Bimbatti (c), and Kelly Burke (r)
Yasmin Bimbatti (center) is presented the Stephanie H. Shaw Scholarship Award from Drs. Jeffrey McCutcheon (l) and Kelly Burke (r).

The IMS Polymer Program recognized the accomplishments of two Ph.D. students, bestowing the Samuel J. Huang Student Research Award on Tianjian Wang, and the Stephanie H. Shaw Scholarship on Yasmin Bimbatti.

The Stephanie H. Shaw Scholarship was established 1990 to recognize a female student showing academic achievement as well as contributions outside of research.

Tianjian Yang receives the Samuel J. Huang Graduate Student Research Award from Dr. Yao Lin (left) and Dr. Kelly Burke (right)
Tianjian Yang receives the Samuel J. Huang Graduate Student Research Award from Dr. Yao Lin (l) and Dr. Kelly Burke (r)

The Samuel J. Huang Student Research Award recognizes a graduate student for outstanding research in the field of polymer science and engineering. Tianjian Yang is a member of Dr. Yao Lin's research group.  He was recently named a finalist for the Eastman Chemical Student Award in Applied Polymer Science, which recognizes graduate researchers who demonstrates research excellence in both research and technical presentations. Yang's research has been published in such journals as the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and MDPI.

Pragati Rout Wins Inaugural Boehringer Ingelheim Fellowship

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Ph.D. student Pragati Rout
Ph.D. Student Pragati Rout

Pragati Rout has won the first award in the newly-created Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. Fellowship.  The fellowship recognizes the early academic and research accomplishments of a chemistry student’s graduate studies. It awards $5,000 of support in the third summer of the student’s academic journey toward their doctorate degree, allowing the recipient to focus on their doctoral dissertation.

Pragati, a student in Dr. Gregory Sotzing’s group, received her M.S. degree from Berhampur University, Odisha, India.  Her research focuses on synthesis and characterization of API’s, monomers and oligomers and exploring their fluorescence properties, hydrogels, and optical brighteners. She is currently conducting cannabinoid research.

Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, and the largest private one.

Tianjian Yang is 2024 Finalist for Eastman Chemical Student Award

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Tianjian Yang
Ph.D. student, Tianjian Yang, is a finalist for the Eastman Chemical Student Award in Applied Polymer Science.

Tianjian Yang, a Ph.D. student in the IMS Polymer Program, has been selected as a finalist for the Eastman Chemical Student Award in Applied Polymer Science.  The award recognizes graduate researchers who demonstrate research excellence in both research and technical presentations.

Tianjian earned his M.S. degree from the University of California, San Diego, and a B.S. from Jinan University in China.  A student in Dr. Yao Lin’s group, his research interests include supramolecular polymerization and material properties of polypeptides. He is first author of several published research papers.

In August 2024, as part of the Eastman Chemical Award Symposium at the Fall 2024 ACS Meeting in Denver, Colorado, each finalists will give a presentation. Tianjian will present, “From Polypeptides to Biomimetic Materials: Harnessing Auto-Accelerated ROP-NCA for Tailored Mechanical Properties”.

To learn more about the award, visit:  https://pmsedivision.org/eastman-student-award/

Charlotte Chen Receives Grant from NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

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Charlotte Chen
Charlotte Chen '24

Charlotte Chen ’24 (ENG & CLAS), a senior from Westport, pursuing dual degrees in biomedical engineering and molecular and cell biology has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) grant. Her research in the lab of IMS Polymer Program Director and Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Kelly Burke aims to modify silk films with antibacterial monomers to potentially prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

“Being awarded an NSF-GRFP means that I get a lot more freedom with my doctoral studies– what my research project is, who my research advisors are, and where I want to conduct the research,” says Chen.

She served as president and as a conductor in UConn’s chamber orchestra and played violin in the symphony orchestra. She was a recipient of the Wiliam P. O’Hara Endowed Scholarship which provides funding for an honors student who demonstrates academic achievement, is enrolled full-time in either CLAS or the School of Fine Arts and demonstrates an interest in music.

Charlotte is also the digital editor for The Daily Campus. She will be a doctoral student at Brown in the fall to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering with the long-term goal of a career in the biotech industry.