Graduate Students

FACULTY  |  STAFF  |  POSTDOC & VISITING SCHOLAR

Photo of Chanaka Thushitha Bandara Gane Achchillage

Farzad Abdi

Program: PhD
Research Area: Biomechanics and Biomaterials
Research Adviser: Dr. Michael Hast
Previous Degrees: MSc in Mechanical Engineering
Honors & Awards: Ranked 2nd among graduate students in Applied Design Mechanics (based on GPA), Mechanical Engineering Department, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad Branch, Esfahan, Iran, 2016
Email: Abdi@udel.edu
Location: Newark, Delaware

Photo of Chanaka Thushitha Bandara Gane Achchillage

Chanaka Thushitha Bandara Gane Achchillage

Program: PhD
Research Area: Robotics and Controls
Research Adviser: Dr. Herbert Tanner
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Email: chanaka@udel.edu
Location: Cooperative Robotics Lab

Photo of Chanaka Thushitha Bandara Gane Achchillage

Chinoye Agadi

Program: PhD
Research Area: Fluid mechanics, propeller wake dynamics, sediment transport, seabed scouring, and underwater munition mobility.
Research Adviser: Tyler Van Buren
Previous Degrees: Bachelor’s in Marine Engineering
Email: achinoye@udel.edu
Location: Spencer Laboratory

Photo of Chanaka Thushitha Bandara Gane Achchillage

Archis Amrite

Program: PhD
Research Area: Water Electrolysis
Research Adviser: Ajay K. Prasad
Previous Degrees: Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering
Honors and Awards: S. Subbiah and Sarah Robson Graduate Financial Support Award
Email: archis@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Uday Kiran Balaga

Program: PhD
Research Area: Short Fiber Composite Materials
Research Adviser: Dr. Suresh G Advani
Previous Degrees: Master of Sciences in Production Engineering from Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Honors & Awards: DAAD PROMOS award from Germany in 2019 for International Research in USA, Visiting Researcher award during student achievement ceremony from Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware 2020
Email: balaga@udel.edu
Location: Center for Composite Materials Lab Graduate Student Office

University of Delaware

Rosalind C. Bendell

Program: PhD
Research Area: Biomechanics and Prosthetics Design
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University
Honors & Awards: Helwig Fellowship in Mechanical Engineering at UD (2023), Doctoral Fellowship at UD (2023), Clarkson University Commendable Leadership Award (2021 and 2022), Andrea K. Bridge ’68 and John E. O’Beirne Endowed Presidential Scholarship at Clarkson University (2021), James E Fasset Memorial Scholarship at Clarkson University (2021)
Email: rbendell@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Jesse Bloecker

Program: PhD
Research Area: Aerospace Systems and Control
Research Advisor: Paul Huang
Previous Degrees: MS Mechanical Engineering
Email: jesseb@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Rachel Bonfini

Program: PhD
Research Area: Orthopaedic Implants, Additive Manufacturing, Biomaterials
Research Advisor: Dr. Michael Hast
Previous Degrees: B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Penn State University; B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Penn State University
Honors & Awards: Helwig Fellowship, Women in Engineering Fellowship, NSF GRFP Honorable Mention
Email: rbonfini@udel.edu
Location: 328 Spencer Lab

University of Delaware

Chinmay Burgul

Program: PhD
Research Area: State Estimation
Research Advisor: Dr. Guoquan (Paul) Huang
Previous Degrees: M.S in Robotics Worcester Polytechnic Institute, B.Tech in Mechatronics SRM University
Email: cmburgul@udel.edu
Location: SPL 328

University of Delaware

John Cahill

Program: MSR
Research Area: Human-Oriented Robotics and Controls
Research Advisor: Dr. Panagiotis Artemiadis
Previous Degrees: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Honors & Awards: Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, UD Honors College Enrichment Award, 6-Time Dean’s List Student, Tuition Exchange Scholarship
Email: johncahill4493@gmail.com
Location: Stony Point, NY

University of Delaware

Sihui Chen

Program: PhD.
Research Area: Battery
Research Advisor: Jun Xu
Previous Degrees: Masters

University of Delaware

Subrahmanyam Cherukumilli

Program: PhD.
Research Area: Microrobotics
Research Advisor: Dr. Sambeeta Das
Previous Degrees: B.S in Mechanical Engineering, Andhra University
Email: scchs@udel.edu
Location: 310 Spencer lab

University of Delaware

Amit Makarand Deshpande

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area:
Research Advisor: Dr. Srikanth Pilla
Previous Degrees: M.S. in Automotive Engineering, Clemson University
Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, University of Pune
Honors & Awards: 2026 – Tsu-Wei Chou Composites Science and Innovation Award, 2025-26 S. Subbiah & Sarah Robson Graduate Award, 2025 – Graduate Achievement Award, 2024-25 SPE Global Automotive TPO Scholarship, 2024 SME 30 Under 30 Feature, 2023 -24 SPE ACCE Scholarship
Email: amdeshp@udel.edu
Location: Room 218, 101 Academy Street, Newark, DE 

University of Delaware

Shaharear Md Emtiaz

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Additive Manufacturing of Thermoset Composites
Research Advisor: Dr. Suresh G Advani
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Military Institute of Science and Technology
Email: emtiaz@udel.edu
Location: 123 Graham Hall (UD CCM Grad Office)

University of Delaware

Ioannis Faros

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Control Theory
Research Advisor: Herbert G Tanner
Previous Degrees: Diploma in Production Engineering and Management
Honors & Awards: Gore Fellowship, Gerondelis Scholarship
Email: ifaros@udel.edu
Location: Spencer Lab

University of Delaware

Raja Muhammad Asim Feroz

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Wind Energy
Research Advisor: Dr. Cristina L. Archer
Previous Degrees:B.E. in Mechanical Engineering , National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan. M.S. in Thermal Energy engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan
Email: rajaasim@udel.edu
Location: ISE

University of Delaware

Aaron Fieger

Program: MSME
Previous Degrees: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
Honors & Awards: Dean’s list, Oustanding Senior Researcher Award (CCM), cum laude
Email: afieger@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Addison Garrett

Program: MSME
Previous Degrees: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
Honors & Awards: Dean’s list, Oustanding Senior Researcher Award (CCM), cum laude
Email: awgarret@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Parker Thomas Grobe

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Fluid Mechanics – Optimization o fIn line Tandem Foils for UUV Propulsion
Research Advisor: Dr. Tyler Van Buren
Previous Degrees: B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Email: ptgrobe@gmail.com
Location: Spencer Lab 009

University of Delaware

Shibanul Haque

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Clean Energy and Environment
Research Advisor: Dr. Ajay K. Prasad
Previous Degrees: MEng in Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Saga University, Japan, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh
Honors & Awards: Graduate Student Travel Award, 248th ECS Meeting, Chicago, IL, 2025; Japanese Government Scholarship (MEXT), Research Student and Master’s Student, Saga University, Japan, 2018-2022
Email: shibanul@udel.edu
Location: ISE Harker Lab, 3rd Floor, Room: 378

University of Delaware

Md Tofazzal Hossain

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Composite Additive Manufacturing
Research Advisor:
Previous Degrees: M.S. and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)
Email: hossain@udel.edu
Location: Star Modular Lab

University of Delaware

Jan Calalo

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Decision-making and Motor Control
Research Advisor: Dr. Joshua Cashaback
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Email: jcalalo@udel.edu
Location: Star HSC 201

University of Delaware

Thomas Kaifer

Program: MS
Research Area: Developing a K-12 STEM soft robotics learning kit based on biologically inspired designs
Research Advisor: Dr. Van Buren
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
Email: tjk@udel.edu
Location: Spencer Lab

University of Delaware

Chrysostomos Karakasis

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Robust and Stable Locomotion over Compliant Terrain: Applications to Bipeds and Lower Limp Prostheses
Research Advisor: Dr. Panagiotis Artemiadis
Previous Degrees: M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, 2023, B.Sc. & M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 2019
Honors & Awards: Graduate Student Travel Award for IROS 2023, 2023
George W. Laird Merit Fellowship (Finalist), 2020
Onassis Foundation Scholarship, 2020
Gerondelis Foundation Scholarship for Academic Excellence, 2020
Email: chryskar@udel.edu
Location: Spencer Lab (SPL) 206

University of Delaware

Md Habib Ullah Khan

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Composite Additive Manufacturing
Research Advisor: Kelvin FU
Previous Degrees: Masters in Mechanical Engineering
Email: habib@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Gilhwan Kim

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Human-In-the-Loop Optimization of Exoskeleton Control Input to Modulate Propulsion Mechanics During and After Gait Training
Research Advisor: Dr. Fabrizio Sergi
Previous Degrees: M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware. B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Email: secretgh@udel.edu
Location: STAR Health Science Complex, Room 124 A

University of Delaware

Rahul Kovuru

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Composites
Research Advisor:  Professor Srikanth Pilla
Previous Degrees: Masters of Science in Polymers and Composite Products from Hochschule Kaiserslautern, Germany. Bachelor of Technology in Aeronautical Engineering from JNTUH.
Honors & Awards: Best visiting researcher for year 2025 @UD CCM. Gold medal for best academic excellence in Bachelor of Technology.
Email: rahulkov@udel.edu
Location: Center for Composite Materials

University of Delaware

Arjun Nanda Kumar

Program: MSME
Research Area: Robotics

University of Delaware

Vivek Mange

Program: MS
Research Area: Controls, Underwater Robotics
Research Advisor: Dr. Herbert Tanner
Previous Degrees: B.Tech in Electronics and Telecommunications, K.J Somaiya college of Engineering, India
Honors & Awards: TEDx speaker on Underwater Robotics
Email: vivekm@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Precious Morenikeji

Program: MSR

University of Delaware

Rownak Jahan Mou

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Electrochemistry
Research Advisor: Dr. Koffi Pierre Yao
Previous Degrees: M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
Email: rownakjm@udel.edu
Location: Spencer 022F

University of Delaware

Sourav Paul

Program: Ph.D.
Previous Degrees: Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh
Honors & Awards: Merit Award and Honors
Email: sourav@udel.ed

University of Delaware

Yuxiang Peng

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Visual-Inertial Navigation (VINS)
Research Advisor: Guoquan (Paul) Huang
Previous Degrees: Bachelor of Engineering
Honors & Awards: 2024 ICRA Best Paper Finalist
Email: yxpeng@udel.edu
Location: Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware

John Pfreundschuh

Email: jgp@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Nikki Pilla

Program: MSME
Previous Degrees: BME (Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering) UD
Email: npilla@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Annie Porter

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Cartilage Bioengineering
Research Advisor: Dr. X. Lucas Lu
Previous Degrees: Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Honors & Awards: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, UD Doctoral Fellowship in Mechanical Engineering, Helwig Fellowship
Email: annie@udel.edu
Location: Spencer Lab Room 224

University of Delaware

Fardeen Kabir Protick

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Biobased polymer materials
Research Advisor: Dr. Thomas H. Epps, III
Previous Degrees: M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering
Email: fkabir@udel.edu
Location: CLB 149

University of Delaware

Russell Perdue

Program: MSME
Research Area: Composite materials
Research Advisor: Suresh Advani
Previous Degrees: BME
Email: rperdue@udel.edu
Location: CCM

University of Delaware

Saahil Regmi

Program: PhD.
Research Area: Robotics and Control
Research Advisor: Dr. Tanner
Previous Degrees: Bachelors and Masters in applied mathematics
Honors & Awards: Bachelors and masters graduated magna cum laude. Helwig Fellowship recipient.
Email: sregmi@udel.edu
Location: Newark

University of Delaware

Adam Roth

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Reinforcement-based and Error-based Motor Learning
Research Advisor: Dr. Joshua Cashaback
Previous Degrees: B.S. Physics & B.S. Computer Science, Washington College
Email: aroth@udel.edu
Location: STAR 201

University of Delaware

Bo Rui

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Battery safety; Multiphysics modeling
Research Advisor: Jun Xu
Previous Degrees: M.S. in Solid Mechanics, Shanghai University
Honors and Awards: Graduate Student Travel Award, University of Delaware (2025); Best Poster Award, Battery Safety Workshop Conference (2025)
Email: borui@udel.edu
Location: Room 193a, 451 Wyoming Road

University of Delaware

Subrata Saha

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Materials Tribology
Research Advisor: Dr. David Burris
Previous Degrees: B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Bangladesh
Email: subrata@udel.edu
Location: Spencer 333/336

University of Delaware

Camryn Scully

Program: MS
Research Area: Quadruped locomotion over compliant surfaces
Research Advisor: Dr. Panos Artemiadis
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Bioengineering, University of the Pacific
Email: cbscully@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Jonathan Sison

Program: PhD.
Research Area: Microrobotics
Research Advisor: Sambeeta Das
Previous Degrees: BSBME ’23
Email: jsison@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Max Sokolich

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Microrobotics
Research Advisor: Dr. Sambeeta Das
Previous Degrees: Mechanical Engineering University of Delaware
Honors & Awards: NSF GRFP, Helwig Fellowship
Email: sokolich@udel.edu
Location: Room 325 Spencer Lab

University of Delaware

Andrew Stack

Program: MS
Research Area: Composite Materials
Research Advisor: Dr. Advani
Previous Degrees: Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
Email: astack@udel.edu
Location: Center for Composite Materials

University of Delaware

Alexander Stafford

Program: PhD.
Research Area: Polymer Interfacial Mechanics; High Solids Loaded Composites
Research Advisor: Dr. Chelsea Davis
Previous Degrees: M.Sc. Materials Science and Engineering (2025); M.Sc. Physics (2023); B.Sc. Physics (2019)
Email: akstaff@udel.edu
Location: Spencer Lab

University of Delaware

Shuguo Sun

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Battery Safety
Research Advisor: Dr. Jun Xu
Previous Degrees: M.S.
Honors & Awards: S. Subbiah & Sarah Robson Graduate Financial Support award
Email: shugsun@udel.edu
Location: Room 308, Spencer Lab

University of Delaware

Xijun Tan

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Orthopedic Biomechanics
Research Advisor: X. Lucas Lu
Previous Degrees: Masters
Email: tanxijun@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Loren Tomlin

Program: MS
Research Area: Formability of Aligned Discontinuous Fiber Composites
Research Advisor: Dr. Suresh Advani
Previous Degrees: B.S. Mechanical Engineering University of Delaware
Email: ltomlin@udel.edu
Location: CCM 101 Academy St.

University of Delaware

Frank Tricouros

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Vortex structure mitigation and destruction using unsteady jets
Research Advisor: Dr. Tyler Van Buren
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Hofstra University
Honors & Awards: SMART Scholarship, Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Email: franktri@udel.edu
Location: SPL 009

University of Delaware

Alejandra Valencia-Carmona

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Optimization for Marine Robotics and Area Coverage
Research Advisor: Dr. Herbert Tanner
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Electronic Engineering
Email: aleval@udel.edu

University of Delaware

Srikar Varanasi

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Additive Manufacturing of Composite Materials
Research Advisor: Dr. Srikanth Pilla
Previous Degrees: M.Sc Materials Science and Engineering, Imperial College London; B.Tech Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology
Email: srikarv@udel.edu
Location: Center for Composite Materials

University of Delaware

Michael Vo

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Natural Fiber Composites
Research Advisor: Dr. Srikanth Pilla
Previous Degrees: Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University
Honors & Awards: Helwig Fellowship in Mechanical Engineering
Email: mvo@udel.edu
Location: Composite Manufacturing Science Lab (CMSL)/Center for Composite Materials, Room 123

University of Delaware

Chika Charles Wilfred

Program: MS
Previous Degrees: B.S in Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
Email: cwilfred@udel.edu
Location: HORC (Spencer 206)

University of Delaware

Yanda Yang

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area:
Research Advisor: Dr. Sambeeta Das
Previous Degrees: M.Sc. in Robotics
Honors & Awards: MARSS 2023 Best Student Paper Award Nomination
Email: robotyyd@udel.edu
Location: Spencer Lab 325

University of Delaware

Abdulmalik Kayode Yusuf

Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Tribology
Research Advisor: Dr. David Burris
Previous Degrees: B.S in Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Technology Akure
Honors & Awards: 46th George Laird Fellow
Email: yumalik@udel.edu
Location: 335 Spencer Lab