Past Events

Chris Depcik, University of Kansas

Mar 11, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Dr. Christopher Depcik is a Professor of Mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas (KU) with a courtesy appointment in Aerospace Engineering. His research focuses on reacting flow modeling and energy systems, emphasizing reduce dimensional (1-D and 1+1-D) formulations of chemically reacting flows in catalytic reactors, particulate filters, gasification units, desiccant wheels, shock tubes, and pulse detonation engines.

Samantha A. Meenach, University of Rhode Island

Mar 4, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Dr. Samantha Meenach is a Professor at the University of Rhode Island (URI), with joint appointments in the Departments of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering and Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. A first-generation college student from rural Kentucky, she earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky. Her doctoral research focused on the development of magnetic hydrogel nanocomposites for cancer treatment through hyperthermia and drug delivery.

Ni Su, Department of Biomedical Engineering, UKY

Feb 25, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Dr. Ni Su is an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Kentucky, where she began her appointment in August 2024. She previously completed her postdoctoral training in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University. Dr. Su's lab engineers biomaterials that actively modulate immune responses to improve tissue repair for skin wounds and critical-sized bone defects. Her team also develops complex in vitro disease models to enable mechanistic studies and higher-throughput therapeutic testing.

Syed Z. Islam, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Feb 18, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Dr. Syed Z. Islam is a Staff Scientist in the Chemical Sciences Division at the U.S Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He joined ORNI in 2018 after completing postdoctoral training at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Islam earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky (2017), M.S. from North Carolina A&T State University, and B.S. from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Dr.

Shengli Jiang, Princeton University

Feb 11, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Dr. Shengli Jiang is a postdoctoral associate at Princeton University, working with Professor Michael Webb to integrate simulation and machine learning for polymer design. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the supervision of Professor Victor Zavala, focusing on machine learning applications in sensor design, solvent systems, electrochemistry, and sustainability. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, where he worked with Professor Zheng Chen on lithium-ion battery cathode design.

Michael Chen

Feb 9, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Michael Chen is an independent postdoctoral fellow in the Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry at New York University. He received his Bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and computer science from UC Berkeley before going on to conduct his PhD in chemistry at Stanford University where he was a fellow in the Center for Molecular Analysis and Design and received the Centennial Teaching Assistant Award.

Dr. Haoming Ma

Feb 4, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Dr. Haoming Ma is a Staff Research Scientist at the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources and Hydrogen Energy Research Center, where he is involved in multiple DOE-funded projects on carbon management, hydrogen production, and energy system analysis. Prior to that, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin.

Rick Honaker, University of Kentucky

Dec 3, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Dr. Rick Q. Honaker is Professor of Mining Engineering and University Research Professor at the University of Kentucky. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mining & Minerals Engineering from Virginia Tech. His research in extractive metallurgy has advanced technologies for concentrating and purifying critical materials, supported by more than $40 million in funding. He has authored over 260 publications, including 153 peer-reviewed journal articles, and holds eight U.S. patents and applications. A Fellow and Distinguished Member of SME, Dr.

Ashland Lecture Series Piran R. Kidambi, University of Florida

Nov 19, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Dr. Piran R. Kidambi is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida. After receiving his PhD from the University of Cambridge, he pursued postdoctoral research at MIT through a Lindemann Trust Fellowship. Kidambi's research leverages the intersection between (i) nanomaterial synthesis, (ii) process engineering, and (iii) in situ meteorology, to enable bottom-up materials design for energy, separations, and healthcare applications. His research has been recognized via several awards and honors including ASME Rising Star (2024), 2024 Donald D.

Timothy N. Lambert, Sandia National Laboratories

Nov 11, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Dr. Timothy N. Lambert (Tim) is the Energy Storage Materials Thrust Lead in Sandia National Laboratories’ Grid Energy Storage Program and a Distinguished R&D staff scientist in the Department of Photovoltaics & Materials Technology at Sandia National Laboratories, where he engages in basic and applied research.

Past Events

Ashland Lecture Series Piran R. Kidambi, University of Florida

Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering