Ibrahim Adediran
Ibrahim Adediran is a PhD candidate in Structural Engineering in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research focuses on computational and fracture mechanics in composite joining, with expertise in finite element analysis of adhesive-bonded joints, cohesive-zone modeling, and thermomechanical behavior during curing. Within CHMI, he has contributed to an NSF-supported collaboration with Georgia Tech to detect and quantify kissing-bond defects in composite panels (CHMI-01), and investigated fiber-optic strain sensing embedded in joints (CHMI-08) to calibrate damage models and link processing protocols to joint strength and durability.
He joined CHMI in Fall 2022 and expects to graduate in Fall 2025. Proficient in Abaqus, ANSYS, MATLAB, and Python, he is passionate about translating advanced simulations into industry-ready designs for aerospace, automotive, and heavy machinery applications. A U.S. lawful permanent resident, he welcomes collaboration and technology-transfer opportunities.
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=VupqPRAAAAAJ
Email: iadedira@vols.utk.edu
Jong-Hwa Ahn
Jong-Hwa Ahn is a Ph.D. candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, advised by Dr. Christopher Muhlstein and Dr. Donggang Yao. He joined the Center for Hybrid and Multiscale Innovation (CHMI) in Fall 2022 and is expected to graduate in Fall 2026. His research focuses on composites, adhesive bonding, fracture mechanics, and the development of diagnostic methods using digital image correlation (DIC) and spatial statistical analysis of strain fields. Within CHMI, Jong-Hwa contributed to the inaugural CHMI-1 project and is currently engaged in CHMI-24-05. He is passionate about translating academic findings into practical solutions for aerospace and defense, with the long-term goal of improving the safety and reliability of aircraft structures.
Email: jhahn89@gatech.edu
Ifeoluwa Arogundade
Ifeoluwa Arogundade is a master's student in Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He joined the CHMI I/UCRC Center in Spring 2025 and is currently working on the CHMI-24-06 project, which focuses on adhesive bonding and sustainability. His research interests include design and manufacturing, fluid manufacturing, and data analytics, with a particular emphasis on developing sustainable alternatives to traditional joining methods. Originally from Nigeria, Ifeoluwa earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial and Production Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Akure. He anticipates graduating with his master’s degree in Fall 2026. Beyond academics, he enjoys playing soccer and engaging in collaborative projects that merge engineering practice with data-driven insights.
Email: iarogundade3@gatech.edu
Morgan DeCroix
Morgan DeCroix is a master’s student in Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University. She was the first student at OU admitted to the combined M.S./B.S. program for Mechanical Engineering. Advised by Dr. Marco Gerini Romagnoli, she began working at the Fastening and Joining Research Institute (FAJRI) as she completed her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in Winter 2025. During this semester, Morgan was brought onto her inaugural CHMI-24-06 project. Her current research focuses on improving sustainability of adhesive joints via reversible adhesives for structural applications. Her other academic interests include additive manufacturing, composite structures, and solid mechanics. Morgan expects to graduate in Winter 2026 with a plan to pursue her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering to find further answers in her research.
Email: mdecroix@oakland.edu
Siyuan Fang
Siyuan Fang is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University (OU), advised by Prof. Lianxiang Yang. He received a B.Eng. in Measurement and Control Technology and Instrumentation from Hefei University of Technology in 2018. His research focuses on non-destructive evaluation (NDE), developing and applying digital image correlation (DIC), digital shearography, and digital holography for material characterization and defect detection. Siyuan joined CHMI in Spring 2025 and is currently working on the CHMI-24-03 project. He anticipates graduating in Summer 2026.
Email: siyuanfang@oakland.edu
Niloofar Fani
Niloofar Fani is a Ph.D. student in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she joined the CHMI I/UCRC Center in Summer 2025. She holds a B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering from Isfahan University of Technology, Iran, and an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Her doctoral research focuses on the mechanochemical surface functionalization of thermoplastic polymers, and she is currently working on the CHMI-24-01 project. Her broader interests include additive manufacturing, bio/nanomaterials, ceramics-polymer composites, and drug delivery systems. Niloofar has authored several peer-reviewed publications in biomimetic materials and polymer engineering, and she holds a national patent in Iran for electrospray-based nanoparticle production. Her previous research includes bioinspired structural design using stereolithography and the encapsulation of bioactives in nanocarriers. She anticipates graduating in Spring 2029. Niloofar is passionate about translating nature-inspired designs into advanced engineering applications and has presented her work at major conferences such as MS&T and TMS.
Email: nfani7@gatech.edu
Sarah Hohensee
Sarah Hohensee is a first year Ph. D student in the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Oakland University. After receiving her B.S.in Bioengineering and B.S.E in Mechanical Engineering from Oakland University, she will be continuing her studies through to her Ph. D. in the field of Mechanical Engineering under the John F. Dodge Doctoral Fellowship. Sarah joined CHMI in the Summer of 2025 and is currently assisting with the CHMI-24-07 project. Her previous research focused on formulating an environmentally friendly adhesive and application system with the ability to bond metal substrates. Her interests include problem solving applications in the field of engineering. She enjoys designing and building to improve current applications. She is planning to expand her knowledge into medical field applications throughout her time at Oakland. She anticipates graduating in the Winter semester of 2028.
Email: sehohensee@oakland.edu
Suhyeon Kim
Suhyeon Kim is a Ph.D. student in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, advised by Dr. Chuck Zhang. He received both his B.S. (2023) and M.S. (2025) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology. He began his Ph.D. study at Georgia Tech in Fall 2025. His current research focuses on optimizing advanced composites manufacturing processes using physics-informed deep learning for in-situ defect prediction and control. He joined the CHMI in Fall 2025 and anticipates graduating in Fall 2030.
Email: suhyeonkim@gatech.edu
Yichen Ma
Yichen Ma is a second-year Ph.D. student in Industrial Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, advised by Dr. Jianjun Shi. He earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech. He began his Ph.D. study in Fall 2024. His research focuses on 3D machine learning and system informatics for advanced manufacturing, with an emphasis on developing data-driven methodologies to improve efficiency and quality in complex systems. Yichen joined the CHMI in Summer 2025 and is currently contributing to the CHMI-24-03 project. He was supported by CHMI as a Graduate Research Assistant in Summer 2025 and anticipates graduating in 2029 Spring.
Email: yma447@gatech.edu
Hannah Maeser
Hannah Maeser is a PhD student in Engineering Science in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned her BS in Materials Science and Engineering with a polymers concentration from Clemson University in 2018. Her research interests include thermomechanical analysis of composites, polymers, metals, and hybrid materials; nondestructive evaluation of composites to assess damage, defects, and fiber alignment; and the development of rapid testing methods to validate low-cost composite parts for structural automotive applications. Within CHMI, she has worked on the inaugural project CHMI-08, focused on smart processing and sensing of composite and hybrid joints, and is currently contributing to CHMI-24-01 on joining carbon fiber thermoplastics to dissimilar materials.
Hannah joined CHMI in Spring 2023 and anticipates graduating in Fall 2025. She is passionate about advancing adhesive joining between composites and metal substrates to enable broader applications in transportation. Her interest in composites stems from years of competitive rowing, where repairing carbon fiber racing shells sparked her pursuit of materials science. She further developed hands-on experience with composites research and testing through internships with IACMI—The Composites Institute and Oak Ridge Associated Universities. These experiences led her to join Dr. Dayakar Penumadu’s research group at UTK, where she now focuses on thermomechanical characterization and nondestructive evaluation of composites for next-generation automotive applications.
Email: hmaeser@vols.utk.edu
Dhilan Nanji
Dhilan Nanji is a Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, advised by Dr. Christopher Muhlstein. He received a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at the same university in Spring 2025. He joined CHMI in late Summer 2025 and plans to graduate in the Spring 2030 semester. His current research is on the curing kinetics and fracture mechanics of adhesive joints. At present, Dhilan is involved in the CHMI-24-05 project. His passions include teaching other students about material testing methods to conduct their own research, and providing opportunities to develop practical experimental skills.
Email: dnanji3@gatech.edu
Adwoa Owusu
Adwoa Kyeiwaa Owusu is a PhD student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville majoring in Mechanical Engineering. She joined the Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility and the Center for Composites and Hybrid Materials in Fall 2022 under the supervision of Dr. Uday Vaidya. She currently works on CHMI-11 an CHMI-24-09.
Her research interests lie in the manufacturing of multifunctional composites, mechanical characterization and Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of composites and additive manufactured components. She uses techniques such as Phased Array Ultrasound, Acoustic Emission, Thermography and Vibration Analysis to evaluate structural integrity and critical properties of components. She is passionate about creating advanced composites that will drive composite applications beyond structural functionalities.
Adwoa anticipates graduating in Fall 2026 and is always open to collaborative work and idea sharing.
Email: aowusu3@vols.utk.edu
Akash Phadatare
Akash Phadatare is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, USA since Spring 2022. He works under the guidance of Prof. Uday Vaidya at the Fibers and Composite Manufacturing Facility and Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL, USA. His research focuses on developing fastener-less joining technologies for composite materials. Akash joined CHMI in Spring 2022. He has worked on the CHMI-11 project. Additionally, he supports the research projects in fiber sizing, additive manufacturing, etc. He anticipates graduating in Spring/Summer 2026.
Email: aphadata@vols.utk.edu
Lilly Schroer
Yifeng Wang
Yifeng Wang is a Ph.D. candidate majoring in Industrial Engineering in H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, advised by Dr. Chuck Zhang and Dr. Jianjun Shi. He received a B.Eng. degree in Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2021. He began his Ph.D. study at Georgia Tech in Spring 2022. His research focuses on developing engineering-informed learning and data analytics for quality prediction and control in advanced composite manufacturing and joining systems. Yifeng joined CHMI since Spring 2022. He has worked on CHMI-07 project and currently is working on CHMI-24-03 project. He anticipates graduating in Spring 2027.
Email: ywang3989@gatech.edu
