The 10th annual Cornell Department of Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Research Symposium was held Aug. 19, 2025, in Kimball and Snee Halls. This year’s event was organized by symposium committee members Caitlin Li, M.S. class of 2026, and Ph.D. candidates, Kenny Loo and Evan Krysko.
The event began with research presentations provided by our Ph.D. students and concluded with a poster session where M.S. and Ph.D. students presented research across a wide range of materials science topics — from semiconductors and polymers to biomaterials and sustainable manufacturing. Industry partners from Avantor, Carrier, Corning Inc., Carbon to Stone, Xallent Inc., and Gallox Semiconductors led a panel discussion, followed by student organizations Lattice and JEDI showcasing their respective missions and visions.
The event was made possible with the support of industry sponsors Avantor, Corning, Andela, Carrier and Arkema. Special thanks to Lei Tian ’00, Ph.D., who provided funding for the student presentation awards.
Congratulations the 2025 award recipients:
The Lei Tian ’00 Best Presentation Award
- 1st Place – Jonathan Palumbo, Hanrath Group
Molecular Quantum Dot Electric Superlattices (MQDELS) - 2nd Place – Douglas Palumbo, Shepherd Group
Redox Flow Batteries for Use in Embodied Energy Systems - 3rd Place – Hongjin Du, Dshemuchadse Group
Understanding the Structural Origin of Chirality in Magic-Size Semiconductor Nanoclusters
The Best Poster Award
Wenxuan Lai, Donnelly Group
Enhancing Osteocyte Staining in Human Bone via Ligand-Functionalized core-shell fluorescent probe
