VINSE - Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

08/26/2026

New year, new VINSE shirt! Designed by Sarah Ross, this shirt puts nano at the center of what we do and highlights our key research thrusts: materials, energy, biology, medicine, computation, electronics, quantum science, and optics.

Shirts will be available to members of the Vanderbilt community this week as part of the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering Start Strong Community AY27 Kickoff Celebration!

08/25/2026

We are excited to introduce Alexis Alvarez, our newest member of the VINSE Tech Crew.

Alexis, Class of 2029, is majoring in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Nanoscience. He joined Tech Crew in Fall 2026 and is excited to deepen his understanding of nanoscience and explore how cutting-edge nanotechnology is shaping future innovations.

Outside of VINSE, Alexis is a member of the Vanderbilt Gymnastics Team, a POSSE Scholar, an IMPACT Scholar, and a member of the AIChE board. When he’s not studying or in the lab, he enjoys running and spending time with friends.

Welcome to the VINSE community, Alexis! We’re excited to see all that you’ll learn and contribute!

08/25/2026

Zane Parkerson, Ph.D., is a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering program, where he conducted research in the Jennings Research Group.

Zane’s research focused on developing spin-coated ring-opening metathesis polymerization (scROMP), a versatile method that combines polymer synthesis and film deposition into a single rapid process. The platform can produce a range of polymer coatings and membranes, with the potential to help researchers more quickly explore and develop new materials.

Throughout his time at Vanderbilt, VINSE provided Zane with access to critical characterization tools and a collaborative research community that supported his work. As he transitions to industry, Zane leaves behind a robust scROMP platform for future researchers to build upon.

Outside the lab, he enjoys kickball, Nashville Sounds games, live music, and exploring Nashville’s food scene.

Read more about Zane’s research and journey: https://bit.ly/4qyvzSq

08/11/2026

Asheley Chapman is an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Vanderbilt University, where her research focuses on understanding how vaccines work and designing better ways to prevent and treat disease.

Her work also explores antigen-drug conjugates designed to selectively eliminate harmful immune cells while preserving the rest of the immune system, with potential applications in autoimmune diseases and cancer.

Since joining Vanderbilt in January 2026, Asheley has found new opportunities through the VINSE community and its microfabrication capabilities. Inspired by a VINSE summer short course and collaborations across campus, her team is working to develop an engineered lymph node outside the body. The platform could provide new ways to study immune cell biology and responses to vaccines, adjuvants, and drugs.

Outside the lab, Asheley enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, traveling, hot yoga, reading, antiquing, gardening, and hiking.

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

08/05/2026

08/04/2026

VINSE is pleased to announce the promotion of two outstanding members of the Tech Crew in recognition of their contributions to research, education, and cleanroom operations.

Mica Gonzalez Mora has been promoted to Senior Tech Crew in recognition of her expertise and reliability on the cleanroom team. In her new role, Mica will help oversee Tech Crew activities by working closely with cleanroom staff to coordinate schedules and delegate tasks. She will also continue expanding her technical expertise in sputter deposition, electron beam ev***ration, parylene coatings, and a wide range of cleanroom fabrication and characterization processes.

Rylan Hunt has been promoted to Associate Tech Crew for his contributions to several of the cleanroom’s most heavily used systems, including the dicing saw and electron beam lithography. Rylan has demonstrated a strong aptitude for learning new tools quickly, performing routine processes, and developing and troubleshooting workflows, particularly for lithography applications. In his new role, he looks forward to working more closely with users while helping improve tool documentation and day-to-day operations.
About VINSE Tech Crew

The VINSE Tech Crew program offers Vanderbilt undergraduates hands-on experience in nanoscience and nanoengineering research, providing technical skills that prepare them for graduate school and careers in industry. Members gain expertise operating advanced instrumentation, performing nanofabrication and characterization processes, contributing to process development, and supporting VINSE’s research, education, and outreach missions.

Congratulations to Mica and Rylan on these well-deserved promotions.

07/31/2026

🎉Congratulations to our 2026 VINSE Undergraduate Research Symposium winners!

Best Overall Poster:
Elena Harvey (Lipscomb University)
Shubh Patel (Vanderbilt University)
Paul Spang (Grinnell College)
Lydia Uptain (University of North Alabama)

Tech Crew Poster: Sonam Thukral (Vanderbilt University)

Best Layout: Noah Baker (Lewis University)

Best Graphics: Elena Selik (Lawrence Technological University)

Fan Favorite: Ryan Svenson (University of Delaware)

The symposium showcased 98 students from the following programs: VINSE NSF-REU, Chemical Biology/Chemistry NSF-REU, VINSE Tech Crew, VISE, VIBES, Vanderbilt Immersions, Wond’ry IMPACT, Vanderbilt ISIS, SyBBURE, and VUSE Undergraduate Summer Experience.

07/27/2026

Nanotweezers to Advance Label-Free Detection of Nanoplastics: Theodore Anyika is a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering in Professor Justus Ndukaife's lab, where his research sits at the intersection of nanophotonics and optofluidics. He has developed nanotweezers that use metallic and dielectric resonant nanostructures, along with various electrohydrodynamic phenomena, to trap objects far smaller than the wavelength of light. His goal is to trap and characterize nanoplastics and extracellular vesicles directly in solution, label-free and even at extremely low concentrations.

VINSE has been central to his work. Its cleanroom and characterization facilities are where he fabricates his devices, and its community has shaped how he thinks and collaborates as a researcher, including at NanoDay, where Theodore was fortunate to win first place for his poster in 2023. As a VINSE superuser, he also gives back to the community by leading user training and helping staff troubleshoot equipment. In the future, he aims to make nanoplastic characterization more cost-effective and efficient, even at low concentrations, to help overcome some of the current bottlenecks in the field.

Beyond his Ph.D., Theodore plans to transition into industry and apply the skills developed, and the VINSE Industry Affiliates mentorship program has been a great resource as he makes that move. Outside the lab, you can find him hiking, roller-skating, and seeking out daunting experiences like skydiving.

👉Link to article - https://bit.ly/3TrFug6

07/24/2026

Meet Şahpar Nil Özer, a junior at Vanderbilt University pursuing a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Economics, along with a minor in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Originally from Turkey, Şahpar first joined the VINSE Tech Crew in January 2025 and has been part of the team ever since, working through the academic year and now returning for her second summer on the Summer Tech Crew. Along the way, she has accumulated more than 1,000 hours of hands-on cleanroom experience spanning photolithography, chemical v***r deposition (CVD), thin-film deposition, plasma etching, and 2D material device fabrication.

A lot has changed since her first feature. Şahpar has stepped into a role where she now helps onboard and train new members while leading her own fabrication work, from developing a graphene growth recipe on the tube furnace CVD system to helping rebuild the system and significantly reduce its leak rate.

“Working on the graphene resistor project really changed how I think about device fabrication,” Şahpar said. “Seeing how CVD growth conditions translate directly into electrical behavior at the nanoscale, that connection between process and performance is what excites me most.”

Beyond the lab, she serves as president of the Turkish Undergraduate Student Association (TUSA), is a member of Delta Sigma Pi, Vanderbilt’s professional business fraternity, and contributes to Vanderbilt Fashion Week. In her free time, Şahpar enjoys playing Go (Weiqi), a game that reflects her strategic thinking and appreciation for complex systems.

The VINSE Tech Crew is a hands-on program for Vanderbilt undergraduates, offering training in nanoscience research and cleanroom operations. Through close collaboration with VINSE staff and researchers, Tech Crew members contribute to process development, education, and outreach while building a strong technical foundation and supporting the broader scientific community.

07/23/2026

This week we had a full house! Current graduate students from Vanderbilt's graduate programs joined us for an incredible panel discussion as part of the VINSE REU professional development series.
Thank you to Jacob Grayson, Elizabeth Hays, Thaissa Peixoto, Nicholas Pugh, Brandon Swartz, and Maxwell Ugwu for sharing your candid insights and inspiring stories. Our summer students asked thoughtful questions, and the panel delivered valuable advice on networking with potential P*s, spotting red flags when visiting programs, and, most importantly, reflecting on what they need to thrive in grad school. We're so grateful for your time, honesty, and wisdom!