Our First Years:

Meet our first year students: After Boot-camp where they learned about graduate life and tools for success from their senior peers.

Our first year PhD students cycle through labs the first semester to find what interests them most. They begin to work with their selected advisors in the winter session.

Luciano Accardo

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Multi-scale Fiber-Reinforced Tissue Biomechanics
Research Adviser: Dawn Elliott
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering, Minor in Chemistry @ Rowan University
Email: laccardo@udel.edu
Location: 160 DuPont Hall

Omar Banda

Matriculated: Fall 2014
Program: PhD
Research Area: Biofunctional materials and cellular engineering
Research Adviser: John Slater
Previous Degrees: BS Cell Biology and Biochemistry from Rice University
Honors & Awards: 2015 IGERT Fellow
Email: obanda@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Jamie Benson

Matriculated: Fall 2017
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Cartilage biomechanics and tribology
Research Adviser:  David Burris and Christopher Price
Previous Degrees: BE in Biomedical Engineering, CUNY City College of New York
Honors & Awards: 2017 Chair’s Fellowship
Email:  jmbenson@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: 333 Spencer Laboratory

Ellen Bloom

Matriculated:  Fall 2017
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Mechanics of fiber-reinforced tissues and tendinopathy
Research Adviser:  Dawn Elliott
Previous Degrees:  BBmE in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minnesota
Honors & Awards: 2017 Robert W. Gore Fellowship, 2017 Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship
Email:   etbloom@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: 160 (office)/148 (lab) DuPont

Ali Bozorgnezhad

Matriculated:  Fall 2016
Program: PhD (Mechanical Engineering)
Research Area:  Multiphase Flow, Microfluidics, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics
Research Adviser:  Dr. Jason Gleghorn, Dr. David Burris (ME)
Previous Degrees:  M.S. Mechanical Engineering, K.N.Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Email: abn@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Tech Park, 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Andrew Brown

Matriculated: Fall 2018
Program: PhD
Research Area: Applying droplet microfluidics to biological systems
Research Adviser: Jason Gleghorn
Previous Degrees: BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Lebanon Valley College
Email: brownaj@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Zheng Cao

Matriculated: Spring 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Engineering Biomaterials and 3D Tissue model to Study Cardiomyopathy
Research Adviser: Elise Corbin
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology; M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston
Email: caozheng@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park, 9 Innovation Way

Diego Caban-Rivera

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Anisotropic parameter estimation of brain and muscle
Research Adviser: Curtis Johnson
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering, Biomechanics concentration; Minor in Engineering Mechanics @ The Pennsylvania State University
Email: dacr@udel.edu
Location: STAR Campus, Suite 201

Megan Dang

Matriculated: Fall 2017
Research Area: Targeted nanomedicine for cancer therapy
Research Adviser: Emily Day
Previous Degrees: BS Bioengineering, University of Maryland
Honors and Awards: Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship 2017
Email: mndang@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Tech Park, 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Peyton Delgorio

Matriculated: Fall 2017
Program: PhD
Research Area: MR Elastography for Brain and Muscle Biomechanics
Adviser: Curtis Johnson
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Email: delgorio@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: STAR Campus, 540 S. College Ave, Room 125

Margo Donlin

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Gait Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Techniques
Research Adviser: Jill Higginson
Previous Degrees: BS in Engineering, Dual Concentration in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering @ Elizabethtown College
Email: donlinm@udel.edu
Location: STAR Campus, Suite 201

Roisin Donnelly

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Protein Biophysics
Research Adviser: Norman Wagner
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering and Mathematics @ Trinity College, Dublin
Email: roisind@udel.edu
Location: 047 Colburn Lab

Michael Donzanti

Matriculated: Fall 2018
Program: PhD: Biomedical Engineering
Research Area: Microfluidics, Organ-on-a-Chip Devices
Research Adviser: Jason Gleghorn
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering
Honors & Awards: 2018 Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship, 2018 Gore Biomedical Engineering Graduate Fellowship
Email: mdonz@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Cindy Farino

Matriculated: Fall 2017
Program: PhD
Research Area: Microfluidics and biomaterials
Research Adviser: John Slater
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University
Email: cjfarino@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park -5 Innovation Way

Margot Farnham

Matriculated: Fall 2016
Program: PhD
Research Area: Articular Cartilage Biomechanics
Research Adviser: Christopher Price
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering, minor in Mathematics from Bucknell University, PA
Honors & Awards: 2016 Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship
Email: mfarnham@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

 Andria Farrens

Matriculated: Fall 2016
Program: PhD
Research Area: Motor learning, functional MRI, MR compatible robotics
Research Adviser: Fabrizio Sergi
Previous Degrees: BS in Mechanical Engineering, Minor Biomedical Engineering
Honors & Awards: 2016 Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship; 2013 Harold Robert Grant Memorial Prize; 2013 Robert A and Denzil M Kepner Scholarship
Email: afarrens@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: STAR Campus, 540 S. College Ave., Suite 124

Elahe Ganji

Matriculated:  Fall 2016
Program: PhD (Mechanical Engineering)
Research Area:  Overuse Biomechanics, Musculoskeletal Tissue Mechanics
Research Adviser:  Dr. Megan Killian
Previous Degrees:  B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
Email: elaganji@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

 Rachel Gilbert

Matriculated: Fall 2015
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Regenerative Medicine/Mechanics of Development
Research Adviser:  Jason Gleghorn
Previous Degrees: B.S. Cornell University – Major: Biological Engineering Minor: Biomedical Engineering  M. Eng. Cornell University – Biomedical Engineering
Honors & Awards: 2015 NSF GRFP Honorable Mention 2015 Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship 2015 Gore Fellow 2016 NSF GRFP Honorable Mention
Email:  rgilbert@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Elise Hoover

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Targeted nanomedicine for triple negative breast cancer therapy
Research Adviser: Emily Day
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering @ University of Virginia

Honours & Awards: 2019 Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship, 2019 Gore Biomedical Engineering Graduate Fellowship
Email: ehoover@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park, 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Jeongmin Hwang

Matriculated: Fall 2017
Program: PhD
Research Area: Biomaterials, Gene/drug delivery, Regenerative medicine
Research Adviser: Kristi Kiick and Millicent Sullivan
Previous Degrees: BS in Chemistry, University of Utah; MS in Bioengineering , University of Utah
Honors & Awards: 212 Mack Thomas Rozelle Scholarship, 2017 Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship
Email: jmhwang@udel.edu
Location Office: 253 Colburn Lab (Office)
Location Office/Lab: 243, 256, 260 Colburn Lab and 227 Dupont Hall (Lab)

N’Dea Irvin-Choy

Matriculated: Fall 2018
Program: PhD
Research Area: Drug Delivery
Research Adviser: Emily Day
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Rowan University
Honors & Awards: Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship 2018, UD; University of Delaware Graduate Scholar, 2019, UD
Email: irvinchn@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park, 5 Innovation Way

Aditya Jagarapu

Matriculated: Fall 2015
Program: PhD
Research Area:  HIV Modeling
Research Adviser:  Ryan Zurakowski
Previous Degrees: Bachelor of Technology, Chemical Engineering, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India Masters of Engineering, Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Ohio
Email:  srihari@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Patricia Johnson

Matriculated:Fall 2013
Program: PhD
Research Area: N/A
Research Adviser: N/A
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Biochemistry from Michigan Technological University, M.S. in Business Administration from Texas A&M University, Emphasis: Systems Engineering
Email: pjohns@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: N/A

Keely Keller

Matriculated: Spring 2014
Program: PhD
Research Area: Microfluidics and biomaterials
Research Adviser: John Slater
Previous Degrees: BS in Bioengineering and MS in Chemical Engineering from Oregon State University
Honors & Awards: 2015 Laird Fellowship
Email: kheintz@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Meghan Kupratis

Matriculated: Fall 2018
Program: PhD
Research Area: Articular cartilage biomechanics and biotransport
Research Adviser: Christopher Price
Previous Degrees: B.S. Biomedical Engineering from Boston University
Email: kupratis@udel.edu 
Location: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Emily Lambeth

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Multiscale Biomechanics of Fibrous Soft Tissues
Research Adviser: Dawn Elliott
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering @ North Carolina State University

Honours & Awards: Unidel Distinguished Scholar Award
Email: eplambet@udel.edu
Location: 160 DuPont Hall

Connor Leek

Matriculated: Fall 2016
Program: PhD
Research Area: Biomechanics
Research Adviser: Megan Killian
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering
Email: connorle@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park, 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Ryan Locke

Matriculated: Fall 2016
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Tendon-to-bone interface
Research Adviser:  Megan Killian
Previous Degrees:  B.S. Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware
Email:  rlocke@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way

Benjamin Luo

Matriculated: Fall 2017
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Elucidating intracellular trafficking of nanoparticles
Research Adviser:  Emily Day
Previous Degrees:  BS, Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley
Email:  bluo@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way Suite 200

Maximilian Marek

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Photoresponsive nanomaterials for anti-cancer therapy
Research Adviser: Emily Day
Previous Degrees: BS in Chemical Engineering with a Biochemical Engineering concentration @ University of Massachusetts

Email: maxmarek@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park, 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Ryan McDonough

Matriculated: Fall 2015
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Cartilage Mechanotransduction Engineering
Research Adviser:  Christopher Price
Previous Degrees:  Honors B.S. in Computer Engineering with minor in Biomedical Engineering – University of Delware
Email:  ryanmcd@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Robert McGrath

Matriculated: Fall 2016
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Wearable robotics
Research Adviser:  Fabrizio Sergi
Previous Degrees:  Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
Email:  rmcgrath@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: STAR Campus, 540 S. College Ave, Suite 124

Grace Mcilvain

Matriculated: Fall 2017
Program: PhD
Research Area: Pediatric Magnetic Resonance Elastography
Research Adviser: Curtis L Johnson
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware; Masters of Business Administration, University of Delaware; Masters of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware
Email: gmcilvai@udel.edu 
Location: STAR Campus, 540 S. College Ave,Office Suite 201

Kyle Meadows

Matriculated: Fall 2017
Program: PhD
Research Area:  MRI and biomechanics of fibrous soft tissues
Research Adviser:  Dawn Elliott
Previous Degrees:  B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University
Honors & Awards:  2018 IBBM Fellow
Email:  meadowkd@udel.edu
Location Office: 160 DuPont Hall
Location Lab: 148 DuPont Hall

Catherine Millar-Haskell

Matriculated: Fall 2016
Program: PhD
Research Area: Tissue Engineering
Research Adviser: Jason Gleghorn
Previous Degrees: Biomedical Engineering, M.S., B.S.
Email: cmillarh@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way

Daniel Minahan

Matriculated: Fall 2017
Program: PhD
Research Area: Regenerative Medicine, Translational Medicine
Research Adviser:  Jason Gleghorn
Previous Degrees: BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University

Honors & Awards: 2017 Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship, 2017 Gore Biomedical Engineering Graduate Fellowship
Email: dminahan@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Saurabh Modi

Matriculated: Fall 2015
Program: PhD
Research Area:  HIV Modeling
Research Adviser:  Jason Gleghorn
Previous Degrees:  BS & MS in Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute Tech-Bombay
Email:  saurmodi@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Evans Hall

Harrah Newman

Matriculated: Summer 2018
Program: PhD: Biomedical Engineering
Research Area: Spine Biomechanics
Research Adviser: Dawn Elliott
Previous Degrees: BS Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester

Email: harrah@udel.edu
Location: Dupont 160

Rebecca Nikonowicz

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Targeted nanomedicine for triple negative breast cancer therapy
Research Adviser: Fabrizio Sergi
Previous Degrees: BS in Mechanical Engineering @ Rice University

Email: rnikon@udel.edu
Location: STAR Campus, Suite 124A

Ashutosh Parajuli

Matriculated: Fall 2012
Program: PhD
Research Area: Mechanotransduction in bone
Research Adviser: Liyun Wang
Previous Degrees: BS in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University, UT.
Honors & Awards: 1st place prize for podium presentation at 2015 CBER Biomechanics Research Symposium, 2012 Gore Fellowship
Email: parajuli@udel.edu
Location: 206 Spencer Lab

Babak N. Safa

Matriculated: Fall 2014
Program: PhD, Mechanical Engineering
Research Area: Tissue damage mechanics and inelasticity
Research Advisers: Professors Dawn Elliott and Michael Santare (ME)
Previous Degrees: B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, 2014
Email: safa@udel.edu
Location: 160 Dupont Hall

Laurel Schappell

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Tissue Morphogenesis
Research Adviser: Jason Gleghorn
Previous Degrees: Bachelors of Biomedical Engineering @ University of Delaware

Honours & Awards: NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Email: lschapp@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park, 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Mackenzie Scully

Matriculated: Fall 2018
Program: PhD
Research Area: Biomimetic nanotechnology for cancer therapy
Research Adviser: Dr. Emily Day
Previous Degrees:B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Biomaterials and Tissues Concentration, University of Miami
Honors & Awards: 2018 Gore Biomedical Engineering Graduate Fellowship, 2018 Outstanding Graduate Student Service Award from the Biomedical Engineering Department
Email: mkscully@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

 Jasmine Shirazi

Matriculated: Fall 2015
Program: PhD
Research Area:  3D Organotypic Models
Research Adviser:  Jason Gleghorn
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University MS in Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University
Honors & Awards:  2016 IGERT Fellow
Email:  jshirazi@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Daniel Smith

Matriculated: Fall 2016
Program: PhD
Research Area: MR Elastography of Anisotropic Tissue
Research Adviser: Curtis Johnson
Previous Degrees: BS Mechanical Engineering, Minor Biomechanical Engineering from University of Delaware
Email: drsmitty@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: STAR Campus, 540 S. College Ave, Suite 125

John Sperduto

Matriculated: Fall 2016
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Metastatic Cancer, Microfluidics, in vitro Disease Models, Organ-on-a-Chip Devices
Research Adviser:  John H. Slater
Previous Degrees: BS in Mechanical Engineering, The College of New Jersey
Honors & Awards: 2017 IGERT Fellow, 2016 Gore Fellowship, 2016 Chair’s Fellowship
Email:  jsperdu@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Wade Stewart

Matriculated: Fall 2015
Program: PhD: Biomedical Engineering
Research Area:  Mechanical regulation of induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes for in vitro disease models of cardiovascular disease and corresponding regenerative therapies.
Research Adviser:  Dr. Elise Corbin
Previous Degrees:  M.S. Biomedical Engineering University of Delaware, BSE in Biomedical Engineering and Minor in Polymer Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
Honors & Awards: 2018 Best Biomedical Engineering Graduate Teaching Assistant
Email:  wadegs@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: 9 Innovation Way Rm 276; Lab: 9 Innovation Way Rm 286

Ryan Taitano

Matriculated: Fall 2018
Program: PhD
Research Area: Biomaterials and microfluidics for vascular dementia research
Research Adviser: John Slater
Previous Degrees: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware
Email: rtaitano@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

 Nicholas Trompeter

Matriculated: Fall 2015
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Cytomechanics and regenerative medicine
Research Adviser:  Randall Duncan
Previous Degrees:  Bachelor of Science, Penn State University, Biology
Email:  ntromp@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park, 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Danielle Valcourt

Matriculated: Fall 2015
Program: PhD
Research Area:  Nanomedicine for cancer therapy
Research Adviser:  Emily Day
Previous Degrees:  BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Biomolecular Engineering concentration, University of Notre Dame
Honors & Awards: 2016 George W. Laird Merit Fellow, 2015 Biomedical Engineering Chair’s Fellowship
Email:  dvalcour@udel.edu
Location Office/Lab: Delaware Technology Park – 5 Innovation Way, Suite 200

Connor Virgile

Matriculated: Fall 2019
Program: PhD
Research Area: Cell & Tissue Engineering, Sepsis, Biomaterials
Research Adviser: Elise Corbin
Previous Degrees: BS in Biomedical Engineering, minor in Economics @ University of Rochester

Email: cvirgile@udel.edu
Location: Delaware Technology Park, 9 Innovation Way, Suite 276

Andrea Zonnino

Matriculated: Fall 2016
Program: PhD: Biomedical Engineering
Research Area: MRI-compatible robotics
Research Adviser: Fabrizio Sergi
Previous Degrees: MSc Biomedical Engineering, Universita Campus Bio-Medico di Roma; BSc Industrial Engineering, Universita Campus Bio-Medico di Roma
Honors & Awards: University Dissertation Fellowship
Email: zonni@udel.edu
Location: STAR Campus, 540 S. College Ave., Suite 124