(4hs) Soft Material Engineering for the Environment, Health, and Sustainability

Revolutionary polymers, liquid crystals, and surfactants played a significant role in the developments of 20^th century. However, we have understood that there are serious health risks associated with such soft materials, often due to their hydrocarbon origin, threatening water resources, ecosystems, and biodiversity. To sustainably develop in the 21^st century, we must seek the use of soft materials that are derived from renewable resources—and this will be the main goal of my future research. For example, using biomass resources, we will design and fabricate functional membranes using structured nanocolloids to decontaminate water or we will produce thermo-responsive microgels to capture carbon dioxide. Moreover, we will develop strategies through which lipid nanoparticles with desirable internal structures will be produced to establish innovative drug delivery techniques in healthcare settings.

Research Interests:

I hold a Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo (UW) where I focused on improving the fundamental understanding and engineering applications of colloidal ethyl cellulose (EC) nanoparticles. For the first time, I revealed the dynamics of irreversible adsorption of nanoparticles at fluid interfaces and rationalized the preparation of emulsions stabilized by EC nanoparticles to produce green membranes for water clean-up applications.

I am currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Princeton University. Here, I have explored the mechanism behind the phase transition of thermo-responsive natural biopolymers to produce the next generation of hydrogels. Moreover, using Flash NanoPrecipitation (FNP) frameworks, I have designed and produced a wide range of structured polymer colloids (Janus, patchy, and core-shell) sourced from biomass. Using the FNP frameworks together with microfluidics, I am also formulating lipid nanoparticles to further be used in mRNA encapsulation and vaccine development. Finally, with a unique experimental approach, I have visualized the transport of microplastics in model porous media to reveal the extent to which microplastics spread in aquifers and soils.

Teaching Interests:

I have taught undergraduate and graduate courses as a course instructor, guest lecturer, teaching assistant, lab mentor, and private tutor during my graduate and postdoctoral trainings. I acquired advanced teaching skills by completing the Fundamentals of University Teaching (FUT) program at UW. Through mock teaching mini sessions in the FUT program, I practiced strategies and ideas to keep the class engaged, plan to receive feedback effectively from the class, and build a constructive relationship with students.

I am equipped with multiple skills to design and deliver courses effectively, reflected in my previous course evaluations. Teaching, however, is a challenging task that requires continuous improvement over years. Following the Student-Centered Learning teaching philosophy, I design my classes to be collaborative for which I will consider the class size and course level. As an educator, I will be excited to teach undergraduate- and graduate-level core courses in chemical engineering, including Chemical Engineering Fundamentals, Separation Processes, Transport Phenomena, and Thermodynamics, as well as elective courses in Green Engineering, Fate and Transport of Environmental Contaminants, Soft Materials, Transport in Porous Media, and Colloids and Interfacial Phenomena.