Frontiers of MSE Undergraduate Symposium

What is it?
The Frontiers of MSE Undergraduate Symposium is a research conference hosted by NC State University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Designed to highlight exceptional undergraduate work in materials science and related fields, this one‑day event brings together students within two years of graduation to present research posters, network with faculty and peers, and learn about graduate opportunities at NC State. Attendees receive complimentary meals, campus tours, and, if presenting, a waiver of the application fee for the MSE Ph.D. program.
When and where is it?
The third annual symposium was held on October 10, 2025, in Raleigh, NC.
Who should apply?
Domestic undergraduates majoring in materials science and engineering (and related fields)* who have either performed undergraduate research or are interested in graduate research in materials science and engineering, and are within two years of graduation, are eligible to apply (i.e., graduation by summer 2027).
*Examples include Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, and students doing research related to materials science and engineering.
Participants presenting a research poster will receive an application fee waiver for the MSE
Ph.D. program
Why participate?
- Students receive complimentary meals during the research symposium in Raleigh, NC.
- All participants are invited to present research posters.
- Participants will have a unique opportunity to network with faculty and peers about state-of-the-art research.
- Selected participants will receive a certificate recognizing their participation.
- The day-long visit includes tours of NC State University.
When are applications due?
- Applications for 2025 are due by September 19, 2025
Sponsors
This symposium is made possible by funding from the NC State Graduate School and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Questions?
Email us at mse-gradinfo@ncsu.edu if you have questions or want to learn more.
The event has passed.
| Finalist Name | University | Research Topic |
|
Travis Alegria |
UNC-Chapel Hill |
Synthesis of Diphosphino-amine Ligands for Nickel-Hydride Mediated Hydrogen Evolution |
| Avanish Bharadwaj | UNC-Chapel Hill | High Li+-Conducting Polymer Electrolytes Synthesized via Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization |
| Ryan Fasti |
Purdue University |
Scalable Perovskite Solar Cells Enabled by Rapid Photonic Annealing and a 2D Organic Semiconducting Passivation Layer |
|
Colton King |
North Carolina State University |
Advancing Mechanistic Insights of Porous Electrodes Through P2D Modeling: From Voltammetry to Impedance Analysis |
|
Senou Kounouho |
Duke University |
Quantifying Uncertainty in Additive Manufacturing: Liquid Silicon Infiltration Using CT-Informed Random Porosity Fields |
|
Duc Le |
UNC-Chapel Hill | Simulating Hydrogen Uptake in a 3D Electride Material |
|
Leo Liu |
Wake Forest University |
Investigating Photo-Ionic Responses in the Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors Pr |
|
Dustin Lowery |
North Carolina A&T University |
Strain Transfer and Transfer Efficiency of MoS2 in Commensurate vdW Stacked Layers and Flakes |
|
Maria Florencia Nardone |
UNC-Chapel Hill |
|
| Eli Rodrigues
|
North Carolina State University |
Precise Angle Control in the Creation of Strontium Titanate Twisted Bilayers |
| Chi Nguyen |
Davidson College |
PSEN1 Upregulation in Ovarian Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts |
| Landon Ottone |
North Carolina State University |
Data-Driven Design of Chemically Bonded Ceramics: A Combination of Experiment and Machine Learning |
| George Tarasidis |
Davidson College |
|
| Andrew Vargo |
Davidson College |
Thiolate-Mediated Silyl Ether Exchanges for Dynamic Polymer Synthesis |
| Sebastian Zaatini |
North Carolina State University |
Mapping Multi-Element Alloy Interactions via Graph Theory |
| Finalist Name | University | Research Topic |
|
Lori Fung |
University of California – Irvine |
A New Compositional Space for Solid-State Li-ion Batteries via Microwave Synthesis |
| Jessica Gerac | Appalachian State University | Assessing Reproducibility in 3D Photopolymer Printing with Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy |
| Genevieve Holliday |
UNC-Chapel Hill |
The Effect of Protons on Charge Transfer at TiOx-Coated Photoelectrodes in a Non-Aqueous Environment |
|
Sophia Isacco |
North Carolina State University |
Characterization and Corrosion Behavior of an Additively Manufactured Nickel-Free Austenitic Stainless Steel |
|
Caasi Lampkin |
North Carolina State University |
Characterization and Corrosion Behavior of an Additively Manufactured Nickel-Free Austenitic Stainless Steel |
|
Cordelia McKelvy |
North Carolina State University | Developing an LM-Based Chip for Targeted Capture and Release of Biological Entities |
|
Tianqi Sun |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
Structural and Electrical Investigation of AlScN Thin Films Deposited Using Different Sputtering Modes |
|
Holden Watson |
Spring Hill College |
MAM-LAM Block Copolymer via RAFT-Interchange
|
|
Zoe Watts |
North Carolina State University |
Reversible Alignment of Gold Nanorods in Shape Memory Polymer Films |
| Finalist Name | Major | University |
| Bryan Birch | Physics | Centre College |
| Katherine Cauffiel | Materials Science & Engineering | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Juliana Davoglio Estradioto | Materials Science & Engineering | Northwestern University |
| Alexander Gregg | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | University of South Carolina |
| Sophia Isacco | Materials Science & Engineering | North Carolina State University |
| Victoria Kyveryga | Chemical Engineering and Chemistry | Iowa State University |
| Jakob Nielsen | Materials Science & Engineering | Texas A&M University |
| Alice Parker | Chemistry and Applied Mathematics | University of Utah |
| Yi Qie | Nanoengineering | University of California, San Diego |
| Madison Stewart | Chemistry | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill |
| Samuel Swartzendruber | Materials Science & Engineering | University of Minnesota |
| Ava Zoba | Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering | Penn State University |
