Pioneering Academics > Graduate Programs > Commencement

Seventeen CNSE students received graduate degrees in Nanoscale Science and Nanoscale Engineering during UAlbany’s spring commencement exercises on Saturday, May 18. Thirteen students were awarded Ph.D.’s and four received Master’s degrees.

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Nearly two-thirds of the graduates have accepted positions at leading high-tech companies and organizations with operations in New York, including CNSE, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, IBM, and ASML.

Aron J. Cepler, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Bradley Thiel
Constellation: Nanoengineering
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: Charged Particle Imaging Methods for CD Metrology of Sub 22nm 3D Device Structures
Native Country: United States

Joseph T. D’Avanzo, M.S.
Research Advisor: Unnikrishnan Pillai Sadasivan
Constellation: Nanoeconomics
Degree: M.S. Nanoscale Science
Thesis Title: The Impacts of Economic Policy on the Global Solar Market
Native Country: United States

Nicholas M. Fahrenkopf, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Nathaniel Cady
Constellation: Nanobioscience
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: Probe Immobilization Strategies and Device Optimization for Novel Transistor-based DNA Sensors
Native Country: United States
Has accepted a position as Derivatives Integration Engineer at CNSE

Daniel V. Greenslit, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Eric Eisenbraun
Constellation: Nanoscience
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Science
Thesis Title: RuCo to Extend the Scalability of Ultra-thin Direct Plate Liners
Native Country: United States

Xiaoli He, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Robert Geer
Constellation: Nanoscience
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Science
Thesis Title: Impacts of Ion Irradiation on HfO2-based Resistive Random Access Memory Devices
Native Country: China

Robin Jacobs-Gedrim, M.S.
Research Advisor: Bin Yu
Constellation: Nanoengineering
Degree: M.S. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: Synthesis of Topological Insulator Nanostructures by Chemical Vapor Deposition Approach
Native Country: United States
Currently enrolled in the CNSE Ph.D. Program

Nicholas A. Joy, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Michael Carpenter
Constellation: Nanoengineering
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: Plasmonic-Based High Temperature Chemical Sensing Using Gold Nanoparticles Embedded in Metal Oxide Thin Films
Native Country: United States

Isaac N. Lund, M.S.
Research Advisor: Robert Geer
Constellation: Nanoengineering
Degree: M.S. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: Heterogenous NiSi Nanowire Growth
Native Country: United States
Currently enrolled in the CNSE Ph.D. Program

Adam Lyons, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: John Hartley
Constellation: Nanoengineering
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: Local Area Mask Patterning of Extreme Ultraviolet Reticles for Defect Analysis
Native Country: Ireland

Has accepted a position as Senior Engineer at ASML

Argyrios Malapanis, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Ji Ung Lee
Constellation: Nanoscience
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Science
Thesis Title: Electrical and Optical Characterization of Carbon Nanotube Diodes
Native Country: Greece
Has accepted a position as Senior Engineer of TD Device Engineering at GlobalFoundries

Aaron P. Mosier, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Nathaniel Cady
Constellation: Nanobioscience
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Science
Thesis Title: Microfluidic-Assisted Atomic Force Microscopy for the Mechanical Characterization of Soft Biological Materials
Native Country: United States
Has accepted a Post-Doctoral position with CNSE

William L. Nicoll, M.S.
Research Advisor: Eric Eisenbraun
Constellation: Nanoengineering
Degree: M.S. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: Screening and Evaluation of Gases Used in Deep Silicon Etching Sidewall Passivation
Native Country: United States
Has accepted a position as Staff Engineer at IBM

Ananthan Ragaghunatathan, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: John Hartley
Constellation: Nanoengineering
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: Effects of Electron-Substrate Interaction on Pattern Resolution in Electron Beam Lithography
Native Country: India
Has accepted a position as Advisory Engineer of Computational Lithography at IBM

Philip Z. Rice, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Nathaniel Cady
Constellation: Nanobioscience
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: The Effect of Nanostructure on the Electrical Properties of Metal Oxide Materials
Native Country: United States
Has accepted a position as Process Engineer IMO-RA Module/Yield Engineer at Intel

Kevin J. Ryan, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Kathleen Dunn
Constellation: Nanoengineering
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Engineering
Thesis Title: Properties of PEG, PPG and Their Copolymers Influence on the Gap-Fill Process in Damascene Interconnects
Native Country: United States
Has accepted a position as Senior Engineer of Process Engineering at GlobalFoundries

William T. Spratt , Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Mengbing Huang
Constellation: Nanoscience
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Thesis Title: Ion Beam Modification of Single Crystal Sapphire for High Temperature Optical Waveguiding Applications
Native Country: United States
Has accepted a Post-Doctoral position at IBM

Lakshmanan H. Vanamurthy, Ph.D.
Research Advisor: Hassaram Bakhru and Mengbing Huang
Constellation: Nanoscience
Degree: Ph.D. Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Thesis Title: Understanding Defect Interactions in Si Ultra-shallow p-n Junctions Formed by Very Low Energy Boron Implantation
Native Country: India
Has accepted a position as Senior Engineer at GlobalFoundries