Students
Ph.D. Students
Suraj M.V.
sum84[at]pitt[dot]eduSuraj received his B.Tech and M.Tech in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Madras. Currently, his thesis work is aimed at nano structuring soft magnetic ferrites for the next generation of power electronic applications. Broadly, his research interests include thermodynamic modelling, electron microscopy and atom probe tomography.
Yang-Duan Su
yas57[at]pitt[dot]eduYang-Duan received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from National Cheng-Kung University in Taiwan. Before he earned a M.S. in Energy Science, Technology and Policy from Carnegie Mellon Univeristy, he was an Instrumentation Engineer at CTCI Corp., Taiwan. He previously worked on multi-objective optimization of power inductors for EV applications. He is now researching the systematic integration of plasmonic nanocomposite thin-film based fiber optic sensors in electrical assets including inductors, transformers and EV battery systems.
Tyler Paplham
twp16[at]pitt[dot]eduTyler received his B.S.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. He has previously conducted research on the additive manufacturing of functional magnetic alloys, including experimental work performed at Argonne National Laboratory. He is now researching novel processing methods for magnetic materials and their energy applications.
Yuankang Wang
yuw135[at]pitt[dot]eduYuankang received his B.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Sichuan University in China. After that, he received B.S. and M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Pittsburgh. His previous research interest lies on microstructure-properties relationships of additive manufactured Fe-based and Ni-based alloys. He is now researching crystallization and corrosion behavior of high temperature magnetic materials.
Lauren Wewer
lhw12[at]pitt[dot]eduLauren received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering with a Ferrous Physical Metallurgy concentration from the University of Pittsburgh. Her prior research was in bulk alloy design for extreme temperature and pressure applications that were processed through various metal additive manufacturing techniques. She is currently studying the synthesis of amorphous and nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials along with advanced thermal processing to be used in various applications.
Enrico Sarcinelli
ens65[at]pitt[dot]eduEnrico received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Federal University of Espirito Santo in Brazil. His previous research lies on computational fluid dynamics for multiphase flow with solid disperse phase. He is now researching the coupling of AI and numerical structural-acoustic analysis for structural sensing techniques.
Bishal Bhandari
bib22[at]pitt[dot]eduBishal received his Msc. in Engineering Structures and Materials (Mechanical Systems) from University of Stavanger, Norway. He worked in hydropower industry for 2.5 year in Nepal after his completion of Bachelor of Engineering degree from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum, India. Currently, he is pursuing PhD in Material science Engineering at University of Pittsburgh. His research interest includes powder metallurgy, advance manufacturing, material characterization , and energy processes.
Rory Blunt
rob128[at]pitt[dot]eduRory received his B.A. in Mathematics and B.S in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rochester. He went on to Ohio State University where he received his M.S in Mechanical engineering. He spent 4 years in the automotive industry before moving to the nuclear industry at Westinghouse Electric Company where he is pursuing his PhD in parallel with work. His research interests include fiber optic sensor applications in generation IV nuclear power plants.
Jun Young Hong
JUH112[at]pitt[dot]eduAs a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh, Jun Young's research has focused on characterization and processing of advanced materials for energy applications. This includes projects on photovoltaics, solar cells, and dielectric composites. He also has experience collaborating with industry partners on technologies like photonic sintering and RF devices. Jun Young is interested in expanding his research to include fiber optic sensors, which will be a new area of study for him. His background in Germany, Japan, and South Korea allows him to bring an international perspective to research challenges. Outside of academic pursuits, Jun Young enjoys walking his dog and traveling to experience new cultures.
Zisong Wang
ziw112[at]pitt[dot]eduZisong received his B.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Sichuan University in China and University of Pittsburgh in U.S. His prior research was in nanocrystalline magnetic alloys and magnetic ferrites. Now he is a Ph.D. student with research interests in soft magnetic ferrites.
Todd Marzec
tjm162[at]pitt[dot]eduTodd is now a PhD student in Electrical Engineering. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. His previous work includes co-oping with Curtiss-Wright Electro-Mechanical Division and undergraduate research in circuit and system modelling. His current research interests/efforts are in the area of applied electromagnetism for the purpose of designing magnetic energy storage components (inductors/transformers) for the next generation of power electronics operating at ultra-high frequencies. In his spare time, he enjoys exercising and watching sports/film.
Devika Mohan
dem276[at]pitt[dot]eduDevika received B.Sc. in Physics from Mahatma Gandhi University, and M.Sc. in Physics from Assumption College in India. She was a summer research fellow at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and worked as a project assistant at CMS College in India. She previously worked on the theoretical modelling of plasmonic nanostructures for sensing applications. Her current research focuses on distributed fiber optic chemical sensing and the optical modelling of distributed responses of chemical sensing layers.
Jahid Inam Chowdhury
JAC891[at]pitt[dot]eduInam earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Bangladesh. In Fall 2022, he joined the Master’s program in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), where he was awarded a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. During his time at UTRGV, he gained valuable experience as a graduate teaching assistant and completed his Master’s degree in Summer 2024.In Fall 2024, Inam began pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. His current research focuses on distributed fiber optic chemical sensing, with an emphasis on the optical sensing & modeling of the distributed responses of chemical sensing layers.
Azhagu Devathai
AZD22[at]pitt[dot]eduAzhagu Devathai received her B.E. in Metallurgical Engineering from the Government College of Engineering, Salem, and her M.Tech. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. She has prior research experience as a research fellow at the Advanced International Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, Chennai on a project focused on producing Strontium hexaferrite powders suitable for bonded magnets and as a research intern at General Electric (GE-GRC), India on the study focusing on Hydrogen Embrittlement of structural materials. Her prior research was in CALPHAD modeling and the structure-property relationship of additive-manufactured Copper and Nickel-based bimetallic components for space applications. She is currently working on Advanced sintering and densification processing of conventional and Additively Manufactured Soft Magnetic Ferrites for applications such as Power electronics.
Prince Panta
prp206[at]pitt[dot]eduPrince received his B.E. In Mechanical Engineering from Tribhuvan University. He has previously conducted robotics research, both during his participation in ABU Robocon and during his undergraduate thesis. Lately, his research has become more focused on the intersection of mechanical engineering and AI, as he worked as a research engineer at Accelerated Komputing. He is now researching the application of ML in structural health monitoring and mechanical simulations.
Hauwa Adedo
HAA403@pitt.eduHauwa received a BS in Physics and Education from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria, and an MS in Physics from Miami University. Her previous research focused on controlling phase transition gaps in Heusler alloys for sustainable cooling applications. She is currently working on designing soft magnetic alloys for sustainability and circularity.
Master's Students
Jacob Stephen Jones
JAJ154@pitt.eduJacob received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and is currently pursuing a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, both at the University of Pittsburgh. His previous work includes working as a co-op intern at Mosebach Manufacturing Company, where he assisted in the design and testing of low to medium voltage loadbank systems, and being an undergraduate researcher for the temperature and chemical low-cost interrogator system. His current work includes continued optimization of said interrogator system, development of a low-cost temperature and acoustic fiber sensing interrogator, and an energy harvesting system capable of tapping into grid power for on-grid deployment. His background activities include be a graduate teaching assistant for the ECE department and a undergraduate research mentor.
Undergraduate Researchers
Joaquin Esteban Tristan
JET181@pitt.eduJoaquin Tristan is a senior electrical engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh, and the president of the Beta Delta chapter of IEEE-HKN. His research focus is on testbed development for magnetic components, as well as the design of power electronics systems. He’s actively involved with multiple research groups at Pitt, and has designed multiple automated testbeds.