Students
Ph.D. Students
Suraj M.V.
sum84@pitt.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@pitt.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.
Pengdi Zhang
pez37@pitt.eduPengdi received his B.S. in Energy and Power Engineering from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. His previous research interest lies in the area of combining machine learning with fluid mechanics prediction during the M.S. program in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He believes that the application of machine learning algorithms will bring a research efficiency boost to traditional fields. His most recent research thrust is the combination of ML and structural-acoustic detection. During leisure time, he enjoys film and swimming.
Edward Hoffman
ech72@pitt.eduEdward received his B.A. in Physics from Middlebury College in Vermont. He worked for the Engineering Business Unit at KBR-Wyle, before beginning a PhD position working on Laser Heated Pedestal Growth as a technique for growing high quality crystalline fibers. His research interests lie in new methods of crystal synthesis and optical properties of crystalline samples. During his spare time, he enjoys photography and road biking.
Tyler Paplham
twp16@pitt.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@pitt.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@pitt.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@pitt.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@pitt.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@pitt.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@pitt.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.
Master's Students
Todd Marzec
tjm162@pitt.eduTodd 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.
Maurice Sturdivant
msturdivant@pitt.eduMaurice received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering with an Electric Power concentration from the University of Pittsburgh. As an undergraduate, he worked as a co-op with GE Power Conversion and an intern with Ford Motor Company. His research interests include power electronics and power magnetic devices for use in electric vehicle and renewable energy applications.