Graduate Students
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
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
Kleio Baxevani
Program: PhD
Research Area: Robotics and Controls
Research Adviser: Dr. Herbert Tanner
Previous Degrees: “Master of Science in Robotics (MSR), University of Delaware, USA
B.S. + M.Eng in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece”
Honors & Awards: “Graduate Teaching Assistant Award (May 2019)
Gerondelis Foundation Graduate Study Scholarship (10/2020)
2022 Best Overseas Paper Award of the Journal of Guidance, Navigation and Control (04/2023)”
Email: kleiobax@udel.edu
Location: C107 – STAR Modular Labs
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
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
Subrahmanyam Cherukumilli
Program: MSR
Research Area: Micro Robotics
Research Advisor: Dr. Sambeeta Das
Previous Degrees: B.S in Mechanical Engineering, Andhra University
Email: scchs@udel.edu
Location: 228 Spencer lab
Amit Makarand Deshpande
Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Vibrations Assisted Thermoplastic Composites Manufacturing
Research Advisor: Dr. Srikanth Pilla
Previous Degrees: “M.S. in Automotive Engineering, Clemson University
Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering, University of Pune”
Honors & Awards: “SAMPE CAMX 2023 – Best Technical Paper Award
SPE ACCE Conference 2023 Poster Presentation – 1st place (PhD level)
SPE ACCE Automotive Divisions Scholarship 2023-24
Student of the Year- Outstanding M.S. Student – 2021 (Department of Automotive Engineering, Clemson University)
Draexlmaier Fellowship 2019-20, Department of Automotive Engineering, Clemson University”
Email: amdeshp@udel.edu
Location: Center For Composite Materials (Composite Manufacturing Science Lab, room 123)
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)
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
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
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
Elyas Haiko
Program: MSME
Previous Degrees: BSME University of Delaware
Honors & Awards: Honor’s Degree
Email: ehaiko@udel.edu
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:
2018 – 2022
Japanese Government Scholarship (MEXT)
Research Student and Master’s Student
Saga University, Japan
2011
Merit Award by CUET Alumni Association
Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, CUET, Bangladesh
2009 – 2013
University Merit Scholarship
Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, CUET, Bangladesh
Email: shibanul@udel.edu
Location: ISE Harker Lab, 3rd Floor, Room: 350
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
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
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
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
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
Woosik Lee
Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Robust and efficient multisensor aided inertial navigation system
Research Advisor: Dr. Guoquan Huang
Email: woosik@udel.edu
Location: Spencer 328
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
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
Sourav Paul
Program: Ph.D.
Previous Degrees: Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh
Honors & Awards: Merit Award and Honors
Email: sourav@udel.ed
John Pfreundschuh
Email: jgp@udel.edu
Nikki Pilla
Program: MSME
Previous Degrees: BME (Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering) UD
Email: npilla@udel.edu
Annie Porter
Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Cartilage biomechanics and bioengineering
Research Advisor: Dr. X. Lucas Lu
Previous Degrees: Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
Honors & Awards: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Helwig Fellowship
Email: annie@udel.edu
Location: Spencer Lab Rm 224
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
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
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
Raj Shah
Program: MSME
Previous Degrees: Honors B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
Honors & Awards: Honors Degree
Email: rajshah@udel.edu
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
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
Shuguo Sun
Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Battery Safety
Research Advisor: Dr. Jun Xu
Email: shugsun@udel.edu
Location: Room 308
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.
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
Chika Charles Wilfred
Program: MS
Previous Degrees: B.S in Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
Email: cwilfred@udel.edu
Location: HORC (Spencer 206)
Yanda Yang
Program: Ph.D.
Research Area: Micro-robotics
Research Advisor: Dr. Sambeeta Das
Email: cwilfred@udel.edu
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