A distinguished group of Judges from industry, academia, and government laboratories had the task of determining the winners of the PMSE Best Poster Competitions at the Spring ACS Meeting in San Diego. Congratulations to our winners, who were also recognized at the POLY/PMSE Awards Reception.
Graduate Student Best Poster Award Winners
JASON M. KRONENFELD
Stanford University
Scalable microparticle fabrication via r2rCLIP: Enabling a new era of advanced particle applications
Jason M. Kronenfeld is a Chemistry PhD candidate at Stanford University, planning to graduate in August 2025. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from The University of Arizona in 2021, where he trained with Dr. Benjamin J. Renquist on developing a novel treatment for type two diabetes mellitus. At Stanford, Jason is a member of Dr. Joseph M. DeSimone’s research group, focusing on 3D printing research utilizing high-resolution continuous liquid interface production (CLIP). His work spans printer and resin development, roll-to-roll CLIP for scalable micro-fabricated particle production, and enabled translational applications for precisely fabricated components. His research is supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Outside the lab, Jason serves as a graduate student representative for the Stanford Committee on Research, is a waltz dance instructor, and is a member of the Stanford Viennese Ball Opening Committee (a student-led waltz performance group). Post-graduation, Jason plans to apply his expertise in polymeric materials to science policy, 3D printing in industry, or a start-up role.
GAYATRI PRAKASH
University of Toronto
Ionic crosslinking of hyaluronic acid into hydrogels using bivalent cations without chemical modification
Gayatri Prakash is a PhD candidate in the Frank Gu Lab at the University of Toronto in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry. After receiving her Bachelor’s in Biochemistry from the University of British Columbia, Gayatri worked in the biopharmaceutical industry for two years developing purification processes for the manufacture of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Her research interests now focus on developing a new method for ionically crosslinking hyaluronic acid into hydrogels for biomedical applications. To support her research, Gayatri was awarded the Canada Graduate Scholarship-doctoral, and the Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s. Her research was also awarded the Connaught Innovation Award. Beyond the lab, Gayatri likes macro photography, enjoys climbing and spending time outdoors hiking.
MIKAELA SADRI
University of Southern Mississippi
Controlling polyolefin-derived vitrimers via crosslinker identity beyond small molecules
Mikaela Sadri is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she works under the advisement of Dr. Zhe Qiang. She received her bachelor’s degree in Plastics and Composites Engineering from Western Washington University 2020. Her current areas of research include understanding the fundamental structure-property relationships within complex polyolefin-derived vitrimer systems.
PAUL G. H. SMITH
University of Southern Mississippi
Additive manufacturing of carbon materials using polyolefin precursors
Paul G. H. Smith received his Bachelors of Science degree in Plastics and Composites Engineering from Western Washington University in 2019. Currently he is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering under the advisement of Dr. Zhe Qiang. His current areas of research focus on upcycling polyolefins into structurally complex carbon-matrix composites through additive manufacturing.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS BEST POSTER WINNERS
DELANEY E. MILLER
University of Utah
Tuning crystallinity and uncovering the role of the electrolyte in organic mixed conductor polythiophenes with carboxyl-alkyl side chains
Delaney Miller is a senior undergraduate student majoring in chemistry at the University of Utah. Under the mentorship of Dr. Connor Bischak, her research investigates the structure-property relationships of organic mixed-ionic electronic conductors (OMIECs) for sustainable and biological electronic applications. Committed to science education and outreach, she serves as the President of the ACS Student Chapter at the University of Utah and co-founded a student organization dedicated to increasing diversity in STEM. Delaney plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry, focusing on electrochemistry to develop advanced materials for energy conversion and storage while promoting accessibility in science education.
XI YING
Georgia Institute of Technology
Programmable release of antibody from Oxanorbornadiene-based injectable hydrogels
My name is Xi Ying, and I am a senior undergraduate student at Georgia Tech studying biochemistry. My research focuses on biomaterials and drug delivery, specifically injectable hydrogels for sustained antibody release. My award-winning poster, “Programmable Release of Antibody from Oxanorbornadiene-Based Injectable Hydrogels”, explores the use of OND-based small cross-linkers to enhance hydrogel performance. I am passionate about developing innovative therapeutic solutions and hope to continue exploring biomaterials in future research. Outside of academics, I enjoy traveling and experiencing different cultures, jewelry making and crocheting.
EARLY CAREER RESEARCHER BEST POSTER WINNER
MICHAEL C. BURROUGHS
Stanford University
Hybrid synthesis of bottlebrush DNA polymers for direct visualization at fluid–solid interfaces
Dr. Michael C. Burroughs is an Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. His current research explores the multi-scale dynamics of polymers with complex architectures for applications pertaining to human health and sustainability. Prior to Stanford, Mike obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. While at UCSB, he pioneered advanced rheological techniques to enable simultaneous velocity and concentration measurements of entangled polymer liquids in shear flows. Mike received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University, where he received the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department’s Senior Award for Scholarly Achievement. Recently, he was named a Future Faculty Scholar by the ACS PMSE Division, a 2023 Distinguished Young Scholars Seminar Speaker by the University of Washington’s Department of Chemical Engineering, the Invited Postdoc Talk Competition Winner for Georgia Tech’s Student Polymer Network, and a Rising Star in Soft and Biological Matter by the UChicago and UCSD MRSECs.