Eight graduate students in the University of Georgia College of Engineering have been awarded Summer Research Grants for Doctoral Students. The new competitive grants, administered by the UGA Graduate School, are designed to support doctoral students from any discipline as they conduct research related to their dissertations.
“I am pleased to see so many of our engineering nominees receive this award,” said Ramaraja Ramasamy, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Engineering. “Engineering has one of the highest success rates in earning graduate awards, thanks to the excellent work our students are doing in their labs.”
College of Engineering students receiving 2021 Summer Research Grants are:
Hamid Asadi
Asadi is working toward his Ph.D. in engineering with an emphasis in biomedical engineering. His summer research project is “Cellulose Nanocrystal Reinforced Silk Fibroin Coating for Enhanced Corrosion Protection and Biocompatibility of Mg-based Orthopedic Implants.” His major professor is Ramaraja Ramasamy.
Ryan Devine
Devine is a Ph.D. candidate in biological engineering with an emphasis in biomedical engineering. His summer research project is “Improving the Hemocompatibility of Nitric Oxide Releasing Polymers.” His major professor is Hitesh Handa.
Lori Estes
Estes is seeking her Ph.D. in engineering with an emphasis in biomedical engineering. Her summer research project is “Gelatin Hydrogel with Enzyme-dependent NO Release to Prevent Infection and Enhance Wound Healing.” Her major professor is Hitesh Handa.
Hemshikha Rajpurohit
Rajpurohit is a Ph.D. candidate in biological and agricultural engineering, working with major professor Mark Eiteman. Her summer research project is “Improving Sustainable Production of Biochemicals Using Protein Engineering.”
Javier Rodriguez Sanchez
Rodriquez Sanchez is working toward his Ph.D. in engineering, under the mentorship of major professor Changying Li. His summer research project is “High-throughput Phenotyping Using 3D LiDAR and a Mobile Robot.”
Sarada Sripada
Sripada is
seeking her Ph.D. in biochemical engineering. Her summer research project is “Sustainable Sulfonated Carbon Catalysts for Continuous Esterification and Production of Biochemicals.” Her major professor is James Kastner.
Mei Yang
Yang’s summer research project is “Bio-inspired Soft Robotic Climber Embedded with Fiber Optic Sensor.” She is working toward a Ph.D. in engineering and her major professor is Mable Fok.
Or Zolti
Zolti is a Ph.D. candidate in engineering, working with major professor Ramaraja Ramasamy. His summer research project is “Portable Microfluidic Device for the Separation and Detection of Listeria Monocytogenes from Food Samples.”
To be eligible for the Summer Research Grant for Doctoral Students program, students must be conducting research directly related to their dissertation topic, enrolled as a full-time student, and in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward their degree.
The maximum individual award under the program is $1,500. The funds may be used for equipment, supplies, software, data collection or analysis activities, and other operating costs associated with conducting the research. Funds may also be used for specialized training opportunities.
