Current Group Members

Dr. Russell J. Composto

Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Bioengineering,
and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering


Education:
PhD Materials Science and Engineering 1987 – Cornell University
MS Materials Science 1984 – Cornell University
BA Physics 1982 – Gettysburg College

Member of:
Nano/Bio Interface Center (NBIC)
Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM)
Institute for Medicine and Engineering (IME)
Penn Center for Energy Innovation

composto@seas.upenn.edu, LRSM 321, (215) 898-4451

Postdoctoral Researchers

 Hyun-Su Lee
Research Associate (MSE)

Hyun-Su.Lee@uphs.upenn.edu

Hyun-Su Lee received his Ph.D in Chemistry from North Carolina State University. He is currently studying the uptake and release of metals from oral-relevant surfaces, the impact of these metals on the viscoelasticity of the remaining surface, key fundamental interfacial effects of polymers on pellicle and biofilm binding to hydroxyapatite or enamel surfaces, as well as surface nano-coatings to optimize controlled drug-release, antibacterial and biocompatibility properties.

 

Ph.D. Students

Emmabeth Parrish
Ph.D Candidate (MSE)

emmabeth@seas.upenn.edu

Emmabeth Parrish received her B.S. in Material Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee. She is a recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. She is currently studying nanoparticle diffusion in polymer gels and cells.

Benjamin Lindsay
Ph.D Candidate

lindsb@seas.upenn.edu

Benjamin Lindsay received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University. He is currently studying the ordering of nanoparticles in nanocomposite films. He is co-advised by Dr. Robert Riggleman in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Boris Rasin
Ph.D Candidate (MSE)

brasin@gmail.com

Boris Rasin received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is currently studying….

Nadia Krook
Ph.D Candidate (MSE)

nkrook@seas.upenn.edu

Nadia Krook received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Lehigh  University. She is a recipient of the REACT Fellowship. She is currently studying the thermodynamics of plate nanoparticles within polymer nanocomposites and block copolymers. She is co-advised by Dr. Christopher Murray in Chemistry.

Katie Rose
Ph.D Candidate (CBE)

karose@seas.upenn.edu

Katie Rose received her B.S. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the Case Western Reserve University. She is a recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF-GRFP), REACT Fellowship, and has conducted research in Grenoble, France under the NSF Graduate Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) Fellowship. She is currently studying nanoparticle diffusion in polymer gels. She is co-advised by Dr. Daeyeon Lee in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Shawn Maguire
Ph.D Candidate (MSE)

Shawnmag@seas.upenn.edu

Shawn Maguire received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He is a recipient of the REACT Fellowship. He is currently studying the dynamics of nanoparticles within polymer nanocomposites.

Masters, Undergraduate and Visiting Students

Zhengdong Wu
Masters (MSE)

wuzhengd@seas.upenn.edu

Zhengdong Wu received his B.S. from Fudan University in Shanghai, China in Materials Science and Engineering. He is a first year Masters student at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, working with Hyun-Su on antibacterial polymer films.

Sarah Seeger
Undergraduate (MSE)

Seegs@seas.upenn.edu

Sarah is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She began research with the Composto Group in 2016. She is currently working under Emmabeth Parrish studying nanoparticle diffusion in temperature-responsive gels.

Carlos Medina
Undergraduate (MSE)

Medcar@seas.upenn.edu

Carlos is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. As part of the Rachleff Scholar Program, he began researching with the Composto Group in January 2017. He is currently working under Katie Rose studying nanoparticle modification and particle diffusion.

Teddy Kurkoski
Undergraduate (MSE)

Kurkoski@seas.upenn.edu

Teddy is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. As part of the Rachleff Scholar Program, he began researching with the Composto Group in January 2017. He is currently working under Nadia Krook studying hierarchical structures of two nanoparticle species in polymer nanocomposites.