Group Leader

Shekhar Bhansali, Ph.D.

Professor

Dr. Shekhar Bhansali is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing Research Center, University of South Florida. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering (1997) from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. His current research interests are bio-MEMS, nanostructures, micro-acturators and integrated systems.

email: bhansali@eng.usf.edu

Mr. Bernard Batson is the co-ordinator for NSF-IGERT Graduate Program, Bridges to the Doctorate Program and Sloan Minority Fellowship Program.

email: bbatson@eng.usf.edu

Post - Doctoral Fellows

Niranjan Ramgir, Ph.D.

Niranjan completed his PhD (Nanoscience and Nanotechnology) in 2006, from the Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India.  He has a vast experience in synthesis (both chemical and physical methods) and characterization of semiconducting oxide and metallic nanostructures for specific applications towards gas sensing and field emission. Presently, he is working in the field of electrochemical bio-sensors. More specifically, on the detection of ovarian and lung cancer cells (biomarkers) using Nano/Bio-MEMS, microfluidics and Electrochemistry.

email: nramgir@eng.usf.edu

Rakesh K. Joshi, Ph.D.

Rakesh K. Joshi received his Ph.D. degree in Physics from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India, in 2004, on semiconductor nanoparticles and p-n junctions. Soon after the PhD he moved to the University of Duisburg, Germany for Postdoctoral Research on Gas Sensors at the institute for nanostructure and technology. He studied various aspects of surface science and nanotechnology at Nano High Tech Research Center of Toyota Technological Institute Nagoya, Japan. Currently, he is working at BioMems Laboratory of the University of South Florida for studying chemical and biological sensors in Nanodimensions. His main research interests are on Band Gap Engineering, Nanoparticle Films, Carbon Nanotubes, and Sensor technology.

email: joshi@eng.usf.edu

Graduate Students

Puneet Khanna

Ph.D. Student

Puneet Khanna received his MS in Electrical Engineering from University of
South Florida in 2004. He is current pursuing a PhD in Electrical Engineering at USF. His research interests include microfluidics (lab-on-a-chip), microneedle fabrication and Bio-MEMS application of nanocrystalline diamond.

email: pkhanna@mail.usf.edu

Praveen Kumar Sekhar

Ph.D. Student

Praveen Kumar Sekhar received BE in electrical and electronics engineering with distinction from Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, India (2001), MSEE in microelectronics from the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of South Florida (USF),Tampa (2005) and currently pursuing his doctoral studies specializing in micro/nanosensors at USF, Tampa, FL. His interests are in the areas of smart materials and their processing with emphasis on MEMS related applications.

email: psekhar@mail.usf.edu

Subramaniam Krishnan

Ph.D. Student

Subramanian Krishnan received his B.E. degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from the University of Madras, India and M.S. degree in Microelectronics from the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of South Florida, Tampa in 2004. He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies in the University of South Florida, Tampa where his research focus is in the field of thin films and materials science. He is presently working in the areas of micro/nanofabrication and characterization of antenna coupled detectors for terahertz imaging.

email: skrishn4@mail.usf.edu

Dorielle Tucker-Price

Ph.D. Student

Dorielle Tucker Price is a PhD student in Electrical Engineering in the Bio-MEMS and Microsystems laboratory research group at USF.  She earned her B.S. in Electrical Engineering (summa cum laude) from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA in May 2005, where she participated in research and internship programs at General Electric, Inc., the University of Maryland, College Park, and Duke University.  Dorielle is a recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, NSF Graduate Research Supplement Fellowship, Ford Foundation Diversity Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, Richard B. Pride Fellowship, and McKnight Doctoral Fellowship.  Her research interests are the novel application and development of micro-scale and nano-scale technologies focused in bioengineering. 

email: dorielle@mail.usf.edu

Anne Shearrow

Ph.D. Student

Anne Shearrow received her B.S. degree in Chemistry in 2003 at the University of Central Florida (Magna Cum Laude). Her undergraduate research was focused on surface plasmon resonance of nanophotonic materials. Her current research Interests include persuing a doctorate in chemistry under the guidance of Dr. Abdul Malik and Dr. Shekhar Bhansali at the University of South Florida. Her research focus is on an integrated microchip- based electrochromatography (µ-EC) system utilizing the attributes of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and sol-gel technology.

email: ashearro@mail.usf.edu

LaTasha H. Lee, MPH

PhD Student (Moffitt)

Interests: Pathobiology of human cancers, especially those that pertain to women’s health. My goal is to understand the carcinogenic/tumorigenic mechanisms that lead to gender disparities in cancer. My dissertation research involves the detection and quantitation of high-risk or oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) nucleic acid species. I utilize epidemiologic and biomolecular techniques to identify susceptible subgroups, early disease identification, and targeted therapy for women. In addition, I have a special interest in public health & cancer control.

email: LaTasha.Lee@moffitt.org

Fedena Fanord

Ph.D. Student

Fedena Fanord received her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 2005 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). For her research, she analyzed the transport phenomena associated with a cantilever-based mass sensor, to be used for Tuberculosis detection. She is a participant of NSF-IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training), in the pursuit of a PhD in Chemical Engineering. Her current Research Interests cover Drug delivery, Biomedical systems and Bio-MEMS.

email: ffanord@mail.usf.edu

Al-Aakhir Rogers

Ph.D. Student

Al-Aakhir Grimes Rogers is a Ph.D. student in Electrical Engineering.  Al-Aakhir earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina.  His research interests are focused on the invention, design, fabrication, and optimization of Optical MEMS sensors (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) or MOEMS, and Optoelectronics.  Al-Aakhir is a recipient of an NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship and Alfred P. Sloan Minority Ph.D. Fellowship. 

email: aaroger4@mail.usf.edu

Ke Sun

Ph.D. Student

Ke Sun is currently pursuing his Ph.D in BioMEMS and Microsystem lab in Electrical Engineering at University of South Florida. His research interests include gold interactions with Si, gold affect on Si nanostructures, gold nanoparticles and their applications in physical, chemical, as well as biosensors.

email: ksun@mail.usf.edu

Geetha Vuppala

Ph.D. Student

Geetha Vuppala received her B.E. degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Osmania University, India in June 2006. Presently she is pursuing her doctoral studies specializing in BioMEMS at USF. Her research interests reside in the areas of Bioimpedance characterization of cell cultures using Microelectrodes. Geetha has been a recipient of the MEMS fellowship award since January 2007.

email: gvuppala@mail.usf.edu
 

Supriya Ketkar

Ph.D. Student

Supriya has a Masters degree (M.Sc.) in Electronic Science from the University of Pune, Pune, India. She worked at Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET), India for 3 years on the development of Photoimageable Thick Films in Electronic Packaging. She is currently working with Dr. Shekhar Bhansali towards her Ph.D. in MEMS. Her current research interests include MEMS, Pressure transducers, Packaging challenges in Harsh Environment and Microfluidics.

email: sketkar@mail.usf.edu

Chengyuan Zhang

Ph.D. Student

Chengyuan received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, in 2006. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. degree in University of South Florida, Tampa, with the focus on bio-impedance based flow-through biosensor for cell detection, identification and classification.

email: czhang2@mail.usf.edu

Pengzhi Cheng

Ph.D. Student

Pengzhi Cheng received his BS degree in Materials Science and  Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology in 2007. He has studied in Microfludics and Biosensor fields. Now his research is focused on Electrochemical biosensors for DNA detection.

email: pcheng3@mail.usf.edu

Abongwa Zony

I am Abongwa Zony, a master's IGERT fellow, department of Electrical Engineering. Undergraduate institution-Delaware State University.

email: azmaxplanet@yahoo.com

Kenny Zony

Master Student

Kenne received his B.S at Delaware State University in May 2007. He is currently enrolled as a graduate student at USF, in the Department of Electrical Engineering.

email: czony@mail.usf.edu

Carl Adams

Master Student

Carl Adams is currently working with Dr. Shekhar Bhansali towards his Masters in Electrical Engineering focusing in Bio-MEMS and microfluidics. He received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in August 2007 at the University of South Florida. His current research intrests are growth of Silicon nanowires, thin films, bio-sensors, and microfluidics. Worked for three years as Lab Manager for the Bio-MEMS and Microsystems Lab for Dr. Bhansali while studying for his Undergraduate. Designed and built a custom vacuum tube furnace and worked with other students building a sputtering system. Spent six years in the US Navy as a missle and gun fire controls technition.

email: carlxa@yahoo.com

Joe Register

Undergraduate Student

email: jjr@tampabay.rr.com

Joe Johns 

Undergraduate Student

email: borderline128@gmail.com

Brandon Henry

Ph.D. Student

Brandon Henry is a Ph.D. student in Biomedical Engineering.  He earned his B.S. degree in Biology (summa cum laude) from Albany State University, in Albany, GA, in May 2004.  His research interests include tissue engineering, biomaterials, and the engineering cell-surface interactions to inhibit immune responses from implantable medical devices.  In the BioMEMS and Microsystems Group, he is working with to develop a “smart interface between non-living and living tissue for in vivo biosensing.  Brandon is a recipient of a NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship, McKnight Doctoral Fellowship, and Alfred P. Sloan Minority Ph.D. Fellowship.  Prior to his enrollment at USF, he  completed an NIH supported internship at the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin,-Buch, Germany and has  presented national conference papers at the 2005 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority students (Atlanta, GA) and the2002 Minority Trainee Research Forum (San Diego, CA).

email: bhenry@mail.usf.edu

Past Members

Sangchae Kim, Ph.D.

Sangchae Kim received the Ph.D. Degree in Mechanical Engineering from KAIST, S. Korea, in 2000. From 2000 to 2004, he researched MEMS devices as a research staff member at Samsung Electronics. In 2004, he joined in MEMS group, University of South Florida. His interested research areas include MEMS design and modeling, fabrication technologies, optical switches, piezo inkjet print heads, RF resonators and filters, MEMS coolers, and biochips.

email: sckim@eng.usf.edu

Sheetal Patil, Ph.D.

Dr Sheetal Patil received her Ph.D. (2004) in Electronics Science from University of Pune, Pune, India. She worked as Senior Research Fellow in Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-Bombay), Mumbai, India. She is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow of Department of Mechanicall Engineering at University of Maryland, Washington D.C.

email: sheetal@eng.usf.edu 

Senthil Sambandam, Ph.D.

Dr. Senthil Sambandam is currently a process engineer in Albany, New York.

email: N/A

Vedvyas Mangasuli, Ph.D.

Dr. V. Mangasuli is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow of Dept of Electrical Engineering at Universita' di Pisa, Italy.

email: N/A

Shyam Aravamudhan, Ph.D.

Shyam Aravamudhan received his BE degree in electrical and electronics engineering from University of Madras, India and MS in electrical engineering from University of South Florida (USF), Tampa, FL in 2003. He finished his PhD in 2007, and is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Georgia Institute of Technology.

email: saravamu@mail.usf.edu

Abdur Rub Abdur Rehman, Ph.D.

Abdur R.A. Rehman is currently a Post-Doctroal Fellow of Department of Electrical Engineering at Clemson University.

email: aabdurra@eng.usf.edu

Rahul Agarwal, Ph.D.

Rahul Agarwal received his M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in Dec. 2003 at USF and finished his PhD in 2007. His areas of interests are in designing and fabrication and packaging of MEMS devices. He is currently working for IMEC at Belgium.

email: agarwalr@imec.be

Marcus Marley, M.S.

email: mmarley@mail.usf.edu

Altagrace Sine, M.S.

Altagrace Sine received her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in December 2005 at the University of South Florida. She is currently enrolled as a graduate student at USF where her current focus of studies is in porous Silicon-based gas sensors. She hopes to complete her M.S.E.E. in 2007. Her current research interests include Porous-silicon and nanowires based gas sensors.

emai: asine@mail.usf.edu

Karthik Sriram Lakshmi Narasimhan, M.S.

email: klakshmi@mail.usf.edu

Angela Aker (REU)

email: N/A

Ryan Alkire (REU)

email: N/A

Clarice Richardson (REU)

email: N/A

Juan Jackson (REU)

email: N/A

Mark Oliver (RET)

email: N/A

Jessica Weiss (RET)

email: N/A