Shaama Mallikarjun Sharada
Shaama completed her Bachelors and Masters degree in Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. After a brief stint in management consulting in Mumbai, she joined the PhD program at UC Berkeley, where she developed automated reaction path search methods and examined structure-activity relationships in zeolite catalysts using quantum chemistry. Her postdoctoral research at Stanford University involved the development of accurate benchmarking databases for surface chemistry, and density functional theory development using Bayesian learning approaches. She joined MFD in Fall 2017. (Google Scholar Page)
Courses Taught:
CHE 544: Graduate Heat Transmission (Spring '18, '19, '20)
This course focuses on mathematical tools to solve advanced problems in conduction and convection. We also calculate temperature profiles and isotherms using python scripts for multidimensional, steady-state and transient conduction and convection.
CHE 450: Sustainable Energy (Fall '18, '19)
This course focuses on various definitions of sustainability, quantitative assessment of sustainability through descriptors, indices, and frameworks, and an overview of renewable energy technologies. Course overview for Fall 2018 can be found here. Students in the class team up and work on a course project centered around sustainable decision making. As part of the project, students created a series of Youtube videos to describe their work to a general audience.
Course videos Fall '18:
Sustainability of Bio-Ethanol, Are Hydrogen-Powered Fuel Cells Sustainable?, Sweden & Sustainable Energy, Next-Generation Solar Cells, Sustainability of Hydroponics
Course videos Fall '19:
Plant-Based vs. Animal-Based Eating, Sustainability of CdTe & Mono Si Solar Panels, University Hydroponics, ExStrawVaganza! Plastic, Paper, and Metal Straws, Textile Sustainability, Biochar Sustainability
Nicholas Humphrey
6th Year Materials Science PhD Candidate
BS Chemical Engineering, California State University, Long Beach '17
Research Interests: Dynamical evolution and kinetics of atomically dispersed catalysts
Selin Bac Bilgi
5th Year Chemical Engineering PhD Candidate
BS Chemical Engineering, Bogazici University '16
MS Chemical Engineering, Bogazici University '18
Research Interests: Dynamical evolution and kinetics of atomically dispersed catalysts, Matrix Completion Methods for VTST
Usama Saleem
2nd Year Chemical Engineering PhD Student
Research Interests: Dynamical evolution and kinetics of atomically dispersed catalysts, Matrix Completion Methods for VTST
No current Masters students, but check back soon!
Rachelle Elhessen, Chemical Engineering '23
Ryan Alimento, Chemical Engineering '24
Alicia Tsung, Chemical Engineering '24
Sophia Kassabian, Chemical Engineering '23
Maria Reed, Chemical Engineering '23
Kareesa Kron
Chemical Engineering PhD 2023
Path after Graduation: Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Keck Science Department, Claremont Colleges
Zhenzhuo Lan
PhD Chemical Engineering 2022
Path after Graduation: Position at Meta
Stephen Jon Quiton, BS Chemical Engineering '22
Starting PhD at UC Berkeley
Jacob Toney, BS Chemical Engineering '21
Took a gap year to work at SpaceX in LA before starting his PhD program at MIT
Pranesh Regu
MS Chemical Engineering, '20
Tanyarajeev Bansal
MS Chemical Engineering, '18
Group meetings are open to anyone interested in learning more about us. Meetings are held on Tuesday at 3 pm in VHE 702
We are looking for enthusiastic Ph.D., masters, and undergraduate students in chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, and computer science to join our growing team.
Current students at USC: Please email Dr. Sharada (ssharada@usc.edu) with your CV
Prospective PhD students: Please apply to the graduate program in chemical engineering, and then get in touch with Dr. Sharada with your CV.
We are currently not looking for postdoctoral researchers.
Andra A. Astorga
Telephone: (213) 821-6484
Email: aastorga@usc.edu