Meet the Scientists - Team 3
What are materials scientists? Well, they’re scientists and engineers who work together to understand the building blocks of matter. They’re constantly trying to create new matter that can help save our planet and build better lives.
But who are materials scientists? Good question. They come from all sorts of different scientific backgrounds and interests. But beyond that, they’re also moms and dads, students, musicians, and athletes—even foodies and movie buffs.
Scroll down to get to know the team of scientists and engineers from Penn State University, and the STEM Scholars program at The Franklin Institute who helped to create these missions.
Katherine Thompson
Katherine loves figuring out how changing a material's recipe can totally transform its properties. When she's not mixing up new material "ingredients," you might catch her rock climbing or hiking outdoors with friends. Katherine grew up in Pennsylvania.
Sai Venkata Gayathri Ayyagari
Sai is from Neyveli, India, known for its large lignite reserves. She uses electron microscopy to uncover tiny details in materials and how those details affect their properties. In her free time, she enjoys painting, pottery, and dancing.
Gaurav Dey
Gaurav is from Kolkata, India. He enjoys playing board games, cooking, and spending time with friends.
Kalana Halanayake
When Kalana is not in the lab studying how nanoparticles form, he enjoys photography, editing photos, watching movies, and hiking. Kalana grew up in Sri Lanka.
Arpit Jain
Arpit is from Punjab, India and he enjoys science outreach. He focuses on the atomic structure of two-dimensional materials and how that affects their properties. Outside the lab, he likes cooking, baking, gardening, and listening to music and podcasts.
Nestor Marquez Rios
Nestor is from Puerto Rico and has always been fascinated by how the world works. He enjoys working out, hiking, listening to music, and watching anime.
Emilee Fortier
Emilee is from Maine and focuses on electronic materials. When she’s not working, she enjoys hiking and reading.
Nathan McIlwaine
Nathan is from central Virginia, just outside Richmond. He studies materials with high strength and heat resistance that can handle extreme conditions, like those found outside a spacecraft or inside nuclear reactors. He enjoys watching movies with friends and family, playing piano and Pokémon, and staying active with rock climbing or soccer.
Ben DeBastiani
Ben is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He’s curious about the world around us and how it works. When not exploring, he enjoys playing and listening to music and spending time with friends and family.
Christine Keating
Christine is from a small town in northern Pennsylvania. She’s fascinated by how living systems organize themselves to do so many amazing things. Christine enjoys baking cookies and breads and exploring the woods with her dog.
Dharani Abeysinghe
Dharani is from Colombo, Sri Lanka. She’s curious about the psychological and neurological factors that shape who we are. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and practicing self-care.
Haritha DeSilva
Haritha is from Kandy, Sri Lanka. He’s excited about how artificial intelligence could revolutionize the future. When he’s not exploring AI, he enjoys photography, watching TV shows, playing video games, and learning new skills.
Sean Zsoldos
Sean is from Frederick, Maryland. He’s fascinated by how life might survive on other planets. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, reading, and watching football with friends.
Ken Knappenberger
Ken is from Lehighton, Pennsylvania. He studies how energy moves through molecules and materials. When he's not doing science, he’s likely out running, swimming, or biking, and sometimes all three in a triathlon.
Nicholas Miller
Nicholas is from Chicago, Illinois. He’s passionate about fundamental physical chemistry and its role in shaping future technologies. In his free time, you’ll find him gaming with friends online, playing disc golf, or catching a good sports game.
Aaron Oakes
Aaron is from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. He studies how energy moves through gold and silver nanoclusters. When he’s not in the lab, he enjoys cross-country skiing and reading.
Daniel Heintzelman
Daniel is from Durham, North Carolina. He explores how energy moves through materials using ultrafast spectroscopy. He enjoys music, baseball, and spending time with friends playing sports.
Juniper Foxley
Juniper is from Richmond, Virginia. Juniper studies how electrons behave in materials when exposed to magnetic fields. Juniper likes to crochet, play music and read.
Nate Smith
Nate is from Indiana and studies how energy flows in nanoparticles. When he’s not in the lab, he enjoys playing board games and taking walks with his dog.
Tao Wang
Tao is from China and is fascinated by the world of nanoscale science. Tao enjoys doing yoga, playing piano, and reading books.
Jon-Paul Maria
Jon-Paul's lab group pursues new materials discovery, property engineering, advances in synthesis science, and new integration strategies to merge diverse materials.
Lilly Clarke
Lilly is from Philadelphia and is interested in neuroscience. She’s also a Franklin Institute STEM Scholar, and spends her free time painting and writing.
Ciaran Yudiono
Ciaran, a Franklin Institute STEM Scholar from Philadelphia, has a passion for photography, particularly sports photography. Ciaran attends Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School.
Trent Rodgers
Trent is from Philadelphia and is a Franklin Institute STEM Scholar. He wants to explore how electrical systems are created. He enjoys kayaking and working out.