Center for Undergraduate Research in Viterbi Engineering (CURVE) Fellowship
Chemical Engineering Research Positions
Project Titles
** Please note that all lab positions for CURVE have been filled for the 2022-23 academic year. **
Armani Lab
Faculty / PI: Andrea Armani
Research Website: https://armani.usc.edu/
Lab Description: The over-arching mission of the research group is to develop novel nonlinear materials and integrated optical devices that can be used in understanding disease progression and in quantum optics. As part of these efforts, we have numerous collaborations in tool and technology development to enable research and discovery across a wide range of fields. Our research efforts span multiple fields including materials synthesis, integrated optics and instrumentation development, and characterization of tissue and disease diagnostics. We also perform a significant amount of computational work to support our experimental efforts. Given the diversity of measurements, we perform experiments on the main campus and at the medical school. More detailed information about these different areas is located on our research page.
Project(s):
Hodge Materials Research Group
Faculty / PI: Andrea Hodge
Research Website: https://sites.usc.edu/hodge/
Lab Description: Our research focus is on the synthesis of engineered microstructures with nanoscale precision, which allows for tailored properties and/or functionality. Our experimental approach includes characterization and testing leading to a fundamental understanding of processes and mechanisms within the synthesis – microstructure space. We use a variety of coating techniques such as sputtering and electrodeposition to design and produce new nano-structured, micro- structured, and amorphous materials for advanced applications.
Project(s):
Laboratory for Complex Materials and Devices
Faculty / PI: Jayakanth Ravichandran
Research Website: http://alchemy.usc.edu
Lab Description: We are a research group affiliated to the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at University of Southern California. Our laboratories are situated at Vivian Hall of Engineering (Rooms 705, 713, 719). We are interested in the rational design and synthesis of novel complex materials such as oxides, chalcogenides etc. Typically, the materials of interest tend to be either ternary or quaternary in composition. Our research interests also encompass studying artificial materials structures such as heterostructures, superlattices, and devices made from such materials for applications in energy and electronics. Our research program has thematic relevance to the ancient research area of “alchemy.”
Project(s):
M.C. Gill Composites Center
Faculty / PI: Steve Nutt
Research Website: https://composites.usc.edu/
Lab Description: Established in 1995 and endowed with a generous gift from M.C. Gill in 2002, the mission of the Center is to address problems associated with the manufacture and behavior of composites and composite structures. The scope includes the training of graduate and undergraduate students from chemical, mechanical and materials engineering through sponsored research projects. Personnel within the Center provide a range of expertise that includes postdoctoral associates and research professors with specialized skills in mechanics, polymer science, and manufacturing technology. Center personnel work closely with industrial sponsors.
Project(s):
Sharada Lab
Faculty / PI: Shaama Mallikarjun Sharada
Research Website: https://sharada-lab.usc.edu/
Lab Description: We are a team of Postdoc, PhD, Masters, and undergraduate students spanning chemical engineering, chemistry, and materials science disciplines. We are interested in developing and utilizing quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics methods to establish in silico design principles for molecular, supported, and photocatalysts. We are uncovering CH activation mechanisms and constructing linear free energy relationships for designing bio-inspired copper-oxygen complexes for direct, selective, and efficient conversion of shale gas to liquid fuel. We are also characterizing electron transfer kinetics and identifying trade-offs between activity and degradation for light-assisted conversion of CO2 using organic chromophores. To address the viability question of surface catalysis at the atomic limit, we are studying the dynamic evolution of atomically dispersed precious metals on oxide supports, and their implications for hydrogen production.
Projects:
Published on June 8th, 2021
Last updated on October 10th, 2022