People
Principal Investigator
I joined RIT's Department of Chemical Engineering in 2017. I grew up in Chennai, India which is a cultural hub and only a few degrees north of the equator. I prefer to go by my first name because in my culture we do not have family names or surnames that pass down for generations. I use she/her pronouns. Outside of work, I enjoy jazz music, visiting museums when I travel, cooking, driving cars with manual transmission, running, and Bharatanatyam.
PhD in Biomedical and Chemical Engineering has been approved by NYS! Accepting applicants since Fall 2021.
Currently, we have two graduate students in the Microsystems Engineering PhD program and several undergraduates/accelerated degrees working in the group enrolled for independent study or project credit. Openings are available for a motivated graduate student, in the fields of Math Modeling, Microsystems Engineering, or Biomedical and Chemical Engineering. Please contact Dr. Poornima Padmanabhan directly if interested.
Current Graduate Students
My name is Michael Grant and I am a fourth year PhD student in the Microsystems Engineering program. I received my B.S. in Chemistry here at RIT where I conducted a combination of computational and synthetic research. My love for polymer physics and molecular simulation led me to pursue advanced research and I was ecstatic to join the Padmanabhan group When I am not conducting research I enjoy spending time with my son and partner. Any spare time after that is spent playing video games or working out.
Connor Knott
I am from Maryland, and graduated from RIT in 2024 with a BS in Chemical Engineering. I returned to RIT pursuing a PhD to further my skills in researching polymers, both through modeling and laboratory techniques. Outside of the lab you can find me playing the trumpet in the RIT GSO, playing D&D with friends, or cooking in the kitchen.
Current Undergraduate Students
Brennan Fingler
My name is Brennan Fingler and I am from Rochester, NY. I am a third year undergraduate student in RIT’s Chemical Engineering program. I am also involved in Greek Life at RIT with Phi Kappa Psi.
Katherine Seeman
Kate is a second year Computational Mathematics student from Baltimore, MD. She is part of the RIT Fencing Club, Lacrosse team, and Alpha Xi Delta sorority. In her free time she loves to cook, play piano, and spend time with her cat, Rubi.
Zach Burpee
My name is Zach Burpee and I am from Binghamton, NY. I am a fifth year student in the MS/BS Chemical Engineering and Materials Science program. In my free time I enjoy playing golf, tennis, and spending time with friends and family.
Group Photos
Party Parrot
Celebratory cake with the theme of the Party Parrot Slack family of GIF emojis.
Spring 2024 BBQ party
Standing left to right: Liz, Piyush, Ben Ronde
Sitting left to right: Natalie, Meleni, Poornima
Missing: Mike
Fall 2023 Dinner at Sodam Korean restaurant
From left to right: Meleni, Liz, Mike, Poornima, Ryan, Ben, Piyush, and Natalie
Zoom group meeting April 2021
From left to right followed by top to bottom: Ali, Poornima, Emily, Natalie, Mickaela, Hira, (not Rex), Alec, and Rex.
Group photo at second floor bridge at Institute Hall, Dec 2019
From left to right: Fu, Poornima, Natalie, Lauren, Krysia, Mickaela, Melissa, and Joe.
Missing: Joules and Lianna
Dinner at Raj Mahal in December 2018.
From left to right: Duncan, Krysia, Poornima, and Natalie.
Alumnae/i
PhD alumnaei
Natalie Buchanan, 2024 PhD Microsystems Engineering, now at Air Force Research Laboratory
BS and BS/MS Students
Kambar Mangibayev, 2024 BS Mechanical Engineering
Piyush Kumar, 2024 BS Chemical Engineering
Ben Ronde, 2024 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science
Elizabeth Ahrens, 2024 BS Chemical Engineering, now at GE
Meleni Sarantos, 2024 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now pursuing a PhD at University of Michigan
Maryalice Ball, 2023 BS Chemical Engineering, now at Plug Power
Danny (Hyungjoon) Kim, 2023 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now at Materion Inc
Sam Platt, 2023 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now at Pratt & Whitney
Rex Bartolini, 2022 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now at RIT pursuing a PhD
Alec Maxwell, 2022 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now at BAE systems, Inc
Hira Abid, 2021 BS Chemical Engineering, now at Encoded Therapeutics Inc.
Ali Binga, 2021 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now at Mohawk Industries
Emily Borza, 2021 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now at Kromek
Lianna Ketcham, 2021 BS Chemical Engineering, now pursuing a PhD at Case Western Reserve University
Mickaela Samuel, 2021 BS Chemical Engineering, now at Pfizer
Krysia Browka, 2020 BS Chemical Engineering, now at Samsung Austin Semiconductor
Melissa Calopiz, 2020 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now pursuing a PhD at University of Michigan
Lauren Chester, 2020 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now at Renesas Electronics
Joules Provenzano, 2020 BS Chemical Engineering, now pursuing a PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Fu Wu, 2020 BS Chemical Engineering
Logan Hobbs, 2019 BS Chemical Engineering/MS Materials Science, now at Corning Inc
John Ste.Marie, 2019 BS Chemical Engineering, now pursuing a PhD at Oregon State University
Duncan Stewart, 2019 BS Chemical Engineering, now at Vanderbilt University