VINSE - Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

VINSE - Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering VINSE’s mission is to drive innovation in nanoscience, nanotechnology, and education that benefits

VINSE is a multi-disciplinary institute that supports research, education, and K-12 outreach across science, engineering, and medicine. Housed in the Engineering and Science Building, VINSE facilities comprise a state-of-the-art cleanroom with hard and soft lithography, an imaging suite including a focused ion beam instrument, and a characterization laboratory (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/fac

ilities/index.php). VINSE researchers are using nanoscience and nanotechnology to enable new discoveries across a broad range of areas spanning drug delivery, cellular communication, metamaterials, sensors, batteries, and photodetectors (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/research/index.php). Educationally, VINSE has strong ties to the Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program for graduate students (https://engineering.vanderbilt.edu//materials-science/) and the undergraduate minor in Nanotechnology and Nanoscience (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/nano-minor.php). Students can also participate in a multi-year immersion in VINSE as part of the VINSE Tech Crew or enroll in one of several classes that have laboratory components in VINSE facilities (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/immersion.php). VINSE outreach activities include classroom visits, on-campus high school field trips, sponsorship of REU students, and laboratory modules for the Vanderbilt Summer Academy (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/outreach.php). VINSE has current users from Vanderbilt, other external academic institutions, and industry. VINSE staff are available to train new users, assist in process development, and to carry out processes for researchers as a service. If you are interested in more information about our core facilities, capabilities to support various research initiatives, educational opportunities, or outreach events, please email [email protected].

Unlocking New Reactivity in Organometallic Chemistry: Michael McNeill, a graduate student in Chemistry, conducts researc...
06/02/2026

Unlocking New Reactivity in Organometallic Chemistry: Michael McNeill, a graduate student in Chemistry, conducts research to synthesize novel organometallic molecules and leverage mechanochemistry to enhance their synthesis and reactivity.

As part of the Hanusa Lab here at Vanderbilt, Michael's work leverages mechanochemistry to access novel organometallic compounds and explore their reactivity under solvent-free conditions.

Outside of the lab and classes, Michael has taken up weightlifting, running, and cycling. He's now biking to the lab, completed his first 5K and half-marathon, and enjoyed exploring the city along the way.

👉Link to article - https://bit.ly/4umcSlq

Congratulations to Ruijian Ge and team members in the D**g lab! Ruijian Ge is currently a 2nd-year PhD student of Mechan...
06/01/2026

Congratulations to Ruijian Ge and team members in the D**g lab! Ruijian Ge is currently a 2nd-year PhD student of Mechanical Engineering in the Miniature Robotics Lab led by Prof. Xiaoguang D**g. This article has been selected as a VINSE spotlight publication.

Authors: Ruijian Ge, Yusheng Wang, Carlos Negron, Hanwen Fan, Fabien Maldonado, Caitlin T. Demarest, Victoria Simon, Yuxiao Zhou & Xiaoguang D**g
👉Link to article - https://bit.ly/4dI4rf5

Check out this week’s VINSE Spotlight Publication from the Lippmann Lab featuring Dr. Daniel Chavarria and former School...
05/26/2026

Check out this week’s VINSE Spotlight Publication from the Lippmann Lab featuring Dr. Daniel Chavarria and former School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV) student Immanuel Ojetola, who served as the paper’s second author while conducting this work at Vanderbilt. Their paper, “Tolerances in microfluidic master molds: a comparison of 3D printing and micromilling,” was published in RSC Advances.

Authors: Daniel Chavarria, Immanuel Ojetola, Maria L. Russotti, Alexis K. Yates and Ethan S. Lippmann

👉Link to article - https://bit.ly/3S4resQ

Congratulations to Chloe Frame, Ph.D., a former member of the McCabe Lab in VINSE! Chloe’s paper, “Multiscale simulation...
05/18/2026

Congratulations to Chloe Frame, Ph.D., a former member of the McCabe Lab in VINSE! Chloe’s paper, “Multiscale simulation of stratum corneum lipid mixtures: effects of ceramide headgroups on structural organization and hydrogen bonding networks,” was selected for a special issue honoring pioneer skin lipid researcher Professor Joke Bouwstra.

Authors: Chloe Frame, Christopher Iacovella, David J. Moore, Annette L. Bunge, and Clare McCabe

👉Link to article -https://bit.ly/4tH79Gm

Spaces are still available in upcoming VINSE summer short courses at Vanderbilt University. These hands-on courses are d...
05/14/2026

Spaces are still available in upcoming VINSE summer short courses at Vanderbilt University. These hands-on courses are designed for beginners - no prior experience required. All courses are in person; remote attendance is not available.

📅 Upcoming courses:
• June 11-12 – Atomic Force Microscopy
• June 17-18 – Microfluidic Device Fabrication
• June 22 – Quantum Computing Workshop (morning, afternoon, or full day options)
• June 22-23 – Electron Microscopy
• June 25-26 – Introduction to Microfabrication

Some courses are nearly full, so if you are interested, please register soon.
Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/4nqWgH6

Huijin (Ginny) An, a graduate student in Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University and a member of th...
05/12/2026

Huijin (Ginny) An, a graduate student in Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Sharon Weiss Lab, has been awarded the Parkhutik Prize for the most outstanding poster at the recent Porous Semiconductors Science and Technology (PSST) conference in Naples, Italy.

She was recognized for her work, “Control of Fluid Flow in Paper-Based Porous Silicon Biosensor for Enhanced Sensor Performance.” Her research shows how controlling fluid flow in paper-based porous silicon sensors can significantly enhance detection efficiency. By optimizing microchannel design, her approach achieved more than a twofold increase in signal for protein detection within a 20-minute testing window.

This recognition highlights Ginny’s contribution to advancing rapid, sensitive diagnostic technologies.

Congratulations to Emma Bartelson and the team members in the Caldwell lab!  Emma's paper,  “Multiresonant Nondispersive...
05/12/2026

Congratulations to Emma Bartelson and the team members in the Caldwell lab! Emma's paper, “Multiresonant Nondispersive Infrared Gas Sensing: Breaking the Selectivity and Sensitivity Trade-Off” has been featured as a VINSE Spotlight publications and published in ACS Photonics

Authors: Emma R. Bartelsen, J. Ryan Nolen, Christopher R. Gubbin, Mingze He, Ryan W. Spangler, Joshua Nordlander, Cassandra L. Bogh, Katja Diaz-Granados, Simone De Liberato, Jon-Paul Maria, James R. McBride, Joshua D. Caldwell

👉Link to article - https://bit.ly/3QYcFqw

Meet Ryan Anthony Kowalski, from Taunton, Massachusetts, this year’s Founder’s Medalist for the Graduate School. He is g...
05/11/2026

Meet Ryan Anthony Kowalski, from Taunton, Massachusetts, this year’s Founder’s Medalist for the Graduate School. He is graduating with a doctor of philosophy in interdisciplinary materials science. Kowalski is the first student from the interdisciplinary materials science (IMS) program to receive this honor.

Kowalski also received a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities award. In addition to his research, Kowalski was president of the Engineering Ambassadors Network for five years. He taught six engineering disciplines to more than a hundred seventh graders. He also mentored prospective students and did outreach to underserved communities.

After completing his doctorate in fall 2025, Kowalski accepted a postdoctoral position at the University of Maryland Laboratory for Physical Sciences. He continues to develop quantum light sources for applications in computer and secure communications—extending the impact of his Vanderbilt training.

Read more about all Founder’s Medal winners: https://bit.ly/3R58x82

Congratulations to the latest PhD graduates of the Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University: Sajal I...
05/08/2026

Congratulations to the latest PhD graduates of the Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University: Sajal Islam, Ph.D., Aditha Senarath, Kellen Arnold, Alexis Yates, PhD, Brayden Terry, and Ryan Kowalski.

Earning a PhD in materials science takes years of focused work, persistence, and a real commitment to advancing the field. It is great to see this group reach that milestone and begin the next phase of their careers.

A special congratulations to Ryan Kowalski, who received the Vanderbilt University Graduate School Founder’s Medal, the university’s highest honor for a PhD graduate. He is the first IMS student to earn this distinction.

👉More photos: https://bit.ly/48Kl4E4

DISSERTATION DEFENSETao Hong, Interdisciplinary Materials Science*under the supervision of Jason Valentine“Metasurface-o...
05/06/2026

DISSERTATION DEFENSE

Tao Hong, Interdisciplinary Materials Science
*under the supervision of Jason Valentine

“Metasurface-on-chip Flow Cytometer for Fluorescence Quantification”

5.13.26 | 9:30 am | 306 FGH

Address

1212 25th Avenue South
Nashville, TN
37212

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