Team
Prof. Martin Mwangi Thuo, FAAS, FNAI
(Gikuyu: Thuo wa Mwangi)
Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Fellow, National Academy of Inventors
Fellow, African Academy of Sciences
Previously: Schafer 2050 associate Professor (2020-2022), assistant Professor (2014-2020) at Iowa State University
Contact:
Phone: 5-5363
E-mail: mthuo@ncsu.edu
Valerie W. Batta
Director of Outreach and Engagement
Valerie leads outreach and engagement efforts at the Center for Complex Particle Systems (COMPASS). She holds a BS/MS in international development administration (U. Konstanz-FRG, Germany) followed by graduate degrees in international studies (NCSU) and dispute resolution (SMU).
Contact:
cera-compass@ncsu.edu
Dr. Andrew Martin, PhD
Andrew received his B.S. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Iowa State, where he developed a surface-driven understanding of metastable state in metal alloys. In 2020, he went to work in the Thermal Energy Group at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory on Thermochemical Materials for Heat Storage. Andrew is currently a postdoc working on the topic of engineering energy landscape in materials through metastable states.
Dr. Julia J. Chang, PhD
Julia received her BS in chemical engineering from China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing (CUMTB) and a PhD in materials science and engineering from Iowa State. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Fudan University before joining the SMMT group. Her work is geared towards directed self-organization of synthons for development of neoteric computing platforms.
Dr. Alana M. Jones
Alana graduated with a bachelor’s in materials engineering from Iowa State and a PhD from NC State. As an undergraduate, she worked on engineering size polydispersity in undercooled metal particles. For her PhD, she explored light-matter interactions over complex energy landscape as a means to reveal formation of frustrated or metastable states. She has developed unique approaches to frustrate quantum states using frugal approaches.
Dr. Chuanshen (Shawn) Du
Shawn joins us from University of British Columbia, Canada where he was working on bio-derived solutions for energy and health. He will be pursuing the use of bio-abundant materials in energy storage and harvesting.
Dhanush U. Jamadgni
Dhanush graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from India in 2020. He is currently working on developing a generalized model to understanding granular materials with potential applications in multi-stimuli materials processing, granular flow, and associated lubricants. Dhanush is part of COMPASS (Center for Complex Particle Systems) and serves as a member of the center’s Junior scientists board.
Daisy Kiptoo
Daisy joins as a PhD student in computer Engineering. She holds a BS and MS in computer science and has worked on various efforts in application of AI/ML. She is working on application of complex particle systems in information science. Daisy joins as part of COMPASS (Center for Complex Particle Systems)
Lianett Pineda
Lianett is a GEM fellow working towards a PhD on sustainable polymeric materials. She joined us from University of Florida via Disney and Oakridge national lab, where she held internships after graduating.
Naji Majoud
(visiting PhD student)
Naji is a CERA-COMPASS fellow in our lab working on amphi-phobic biomaterials. His work focuses on engineering surfaces of biomaterials with complex nano- and micro-particles to tune wetting properties. He comes to us from Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) University in Morocco.
Pushkar Shirodkar
Pushkar is currently pursuing a Master’s in Computer Engineering. He is working on developing user interfaces and integrating machine learning into our processing methods. Before, he worked as a project engineer in India. He holds a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Goa, India.
Eva Boyce
Eva is currently a student in the Materials Science and Engineering Department. She is interested in low-energy engineering of material states. Her focus is on undercooled metal particles and engineering of the crystalline state.
Patrick Moran
Patrick is currently a student in the Materials Science and Engineering Department. He is primarily investigating the application of undercooled metals in 3D printing on human tissue, with an interested in materials for biomedical applications.
Ashley Reyes
Ashley is currently a student in the Biomedical Engineering Department. Her focus is on biomedical devices.
Sebastian Zaatini
Sebastian is currently a student in the Materials Science and Engineering Department. He is primarily effect of surface modification of metal particles in additive manufacturing.
