Members of Watkins Group

Graduate Students

 
David Schechter
PhD Student
Education: B.S. Material Science and Engineering, University of Florida FL.
Research Interests: Bottlebrush self-assembly, Pre-Ceramic Polymers.
Office: A230
 
Leonie A. Krieger
PhD Student | Linkedin | ResearchGate
Education: Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany, 2023.
Research Interests: Nanoimprint lithography of Nanocellulose Composites, Photochemistry.
Office: A433
 
 
 
 
 
 
   Siddhant (Sid) Iyer 
   PhD Student | Linkedin
   Education: B.S./ M.S. Polymer/ Plastics Engineering, UMass  
   Lowell, Lowell MA.
   Research Interests: Dielectric Bottlebrushes, Mesoscale  
   Polymer Ribbons, Adhesion Biomechanics.
   Office: A233
 
 
 
 Connor L. Witt
 PhD Student | Linkedin
 Education: B.S. Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado
 State University, Fort Collins CO.
 Research Interests: Bottlebrush Polymers, Bottlebrush Self-
 Assembly, 3-D Printing.
 Contact: cwitt@umass.edu
 Office: A633
 
Melody (Xiaona) Xu
PhD Student | Google Scholar
Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, China, M.S Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, China.
Research Interests: Nanoimprinting, Metalenses, Soft Robotics.
Office: A336
 
Karan Sagar
PhD Student |
Education: B.Tech, Ceramic Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology BHU Varanasi, India.
Research Interests: Nanoimprinting.
Office: A230
 
Photo of Takumi Uchiyama     Takumi Uchiyama
     PhD Student | Linkedin | Google Scholar
     Education: B.Eng, Organic and Polymeric Materials, Tokyo
     Institute of Technology, 2018.
     Research Interests: Bottlebrush Polymers.
     Contact: tuchiyama@mail.pse.umass.edu 
     Office: A232
 
 
 
Photo of Varun Pande    Varun Pande 
    PhD Student
    Education: B Tech. Surface Coating Technology, ICT Mumbai, 2018; M Tech.  
    Polymer Science and Technology, IIT-Delhi, 2020.
    Research Interests: 3-D Carbon structures for electrochemical Applications.
    Contact: vpande@umass.edu             
    Office: A232
 
Photo of Lucas Verrastro    Lucas Verrastro
    PhD Student
    Education: BA, Chemistry, Grinnell College IA.
    Research Interests: Nanomaterials, Nanoimprint Lithography, 2-D Optical
    Materials, and Energy Generation Storage.
    Contact: verrastro@umass.edu
    Office: A236

 

Postdocs

 
    Mithun Das
    Postdoc | Google Scholar
    Education: Ph.D. Rubber Technology, 2023, Indian Institute of Technology,
    Kharagpur, West Bengal, India.
    Research Interests: Carbon-Carbon Composite, and Polymer self-healing.  
    Contact: mdas@umass.edu
    Office:
 
 
 
 
 
Photo of Daeeon (Dan) Jung
     Daeeon (Dan) Jung
     Postdoc 
     Education: Ph.D, Organic and Nano Engineering, Hanyang University, 2020.
     Research Interests: Fabrication of Optical Elements using Nanoimprint
     Lithography including Metalenses, Gratings and Waveguides.
     Contact:  daeeonjung@umass.edu
     Office: A234
 
 
 
 
 

    Dipankar Saha 
    Postdoc | LinkedIn | Google Scholar
    Education: Ph.D., Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University,
    Hamilton, Canada, 2021.   
    Research Interests: Brush Block Copolymer for electrocatalytic Applications,
    Surface Science, Roll-To-Roll Fabrication Process, Sensors and Nanoimprint
    Lithography. 
    Contact:  dsaha@umass.edu
    Office: Conte A233
 
 
 
 
 
Photo of Prateek     Prateek
     Postdoc | LinkedIn | Google Scholar
     Education: Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, IIT Kanpur, 2020, India.
     Research Interests: Composites: Photonics, Mechanical, and Electronics Aspects.
     Contact: prateek@umass.edu
     Office: Conte A234
 

 

 

Research Staff

 

Photo of Uzodinma Okoroanyanwu    Uzodinma Okoroanyanwu
    Research Associate Professor |
    Education: Ph.D. Physical Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, 1997.
    Research Interests: Printed, flexible, & wearable electronics; lithographic
    patterning; electrochemical sensors; electrochemical energy storage
    Contact: uzokoro@umass.edu
    Office: A237
 
 

    Brad Mish
    Business and Administrative Manager | Linkedin
    Contact: bmish@umass.edu
    Office: A610

 

 

Alumni

Hyemin Kim, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2024, LG South Korea
Ayush Bhardwaj, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2023, PPG
Sravya Nuguri, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2022, Dow
Fatemah Andami, M.Sc. Polymer Science and Engineering
Hsin-Jung Yu, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2022, Applied Materials
Vincent Einck, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2022, Myrias Optics
Xiyu Hu, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2021, Intel Corporation
Wenhao Li, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2019, Intel Corporation
Gayathri Kopanati, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2019 Intel Corporation
Benjamin Yavitt, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2018, Stony Brook University
Yiliang Zhou, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2018, Apple Inc.
Aditi Naik, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2018, Saint Gobain
Feyza Dundar, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2018, Facebook laboratories
Irene Howell, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2018, Merck Electrochromics
Shengkai Li, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2017, Lam Research
Yue Gai, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2017, Apple Inc.
Cheng Li, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2016, 3M Company
Rohit Kothari, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2016, Micron Technology, Inc.
Nicholas Colella, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2016, Harvard University
Li Yao, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2014, Facebook laboratories
Xinyu Wang, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2014, Benjamin Moore and Co.
Michael Beaulieu, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2013, Cabot Corp.
Christopher Ziegler, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2012, SABIC Innovative Plastics
Eunyoung You, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2012, Samsung SDI
Alvin Romang, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2012, Intel Corporation
Daniel Miranda, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2012, Penn State University
Xue Cai, M.S. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2012
Nicholas Hendricks, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2012, CSEM
Yuanlong Zhao, M.S. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2011, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Vikram Daga, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2011, SABIC Innovative Plastics
Curran Chandler, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2011, Intel Corporation
Christos Karanikas, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2009, Nike
Sivakumar Nagarajan, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2008, Intel Corporation
Eric Anderson, M.S. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2008, Intel
David Hess, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2007, InnoSense LLC
Katherine Best, M.S. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2007, Spirit AeroSystems
James Sievert, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2006, Syngenta Crop Protection
Xiaoying Shan, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2006, BASF Polyurethane Specialties (China) Ltd.
Yinfeng Zong, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2005, Phenomenex
Pai Rajaram, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2005, Intel
Timothy Francis, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2005, BASF SE Germany
Ephrem Hunde, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2004, FDA
Scott Fisher, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2004, SABIC Innovative Plastics
Ravi Gupta, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2003, W.L. Gore & Associates
Bryan Vogt, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2003, The University of Akron
Garth Brown, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2002, Columbian Chemicals Company
Vijay Ramachandra Rao, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2001, Lam Research
Jason Blackburn, Ph.D. Polymer Science and Engineering, 2001, Emerson Electric Co.
 

Postdoc Alumni

Vincent Einck, Postdoc (2022-2024), Myrias Optics
Davoud Mashhadijafarlou, Postdoc 
Yong-Guen Yu, Postdoc (2020-2022)
Hua-Feng Fei, Postdoc (2016-2020)
Jacobo Morere Rodriguez, Postdoc (2015-2020)
Janghoon Park, Postdoc (2017 - 2019), National Renewable Energy Laboratory
David Leonardo Gonzales-Arellano, Postdoc (2014 - 2018), PPG Industries
Dong-Po Song, Postdoc (2012 - 2017), Tianjin University
Ozlem Usluer, Postdoc (2015 - 2016), Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi
Gang Qian, Postdoc (2012 - 2014), University of Minnesota
Adam O'neil, Postdoc (2013 - 2017), Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Guanghao Lu, Postdoc (2013 - 2014), Xi'an Jiaotong University
Hongtao Zhang, Postdoc (2012 - 2014), Frank Zhang Media Lab
Ying Lin, Postdoc (2009 - 2014), 3M
Jayanta Baral, Postdoc (2012 - 2014)
Qingshuo Wei, Postdoc (2010 - 2012), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Daniel Miranda, Postdoc (2012 - 2012), Penn State University
Hao Zhang, Postdoc (2011 - 2011, Apple Inc.
David Mesguich, Postdoc (2010 - 2011), Université Toulouse III
John Ell, Postdoc (2008 - 2010), The Dow Chemical Company
Radha Rani Vippagunta, Postdoc (2005-2007)
 

Previous Group Members

MaryAnn Mish, Business and Administrative Manager
Yuying Tang, Senior Research Fellow 
Atsushi Ikoma, Visitor (2018-2019)
 

Group Archive

 

Front row (L-R): Sravya Nuguri, Hyemin Kim, MaryAnn Mish, Takumi Uchiyama, Prateek, Uzodinma Okoroanyanwu

Back row (L-R): Dipankar Saha, Dan Jung, Fatemah Andami, Vince Einck, Ayush Bhardwaj, Lucas Verrastro, Brad Mish, Jim Watkins, Varun Pande, Davoud Mashhadijafarlou

2022 Summer

2018 Spring

2015 Fall

2013 Fall

2013 Spring

2011 Spring

2009 Spring