A computational framework for rational materials design and development.
The intellectual focus of this RIMSE Summer School is on understanding how nanoscale building blocks can be assembled into functional, tunable materials that operate at the meso- to macroscales. Such materials are broadly relevant to energy, environmental sustainability, and human health problems. Led by Professor Tod Pascal, the course provides training on the computational aspects of the self-assembly problem—students will learn how to deploy high-performance computing to build predictive models that capture the chemical and physical complexities of mesoscale materials and the dynamics of their formation. Students will be employ a multiscale theoretical framework to solving these problems, combining first-principles electronic structure calculations, atomistic and coarse-grained (CG) models. The structure and dynamics of these system will be explored by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, while Monte-Carlo (MC) simulations will be used to determine the long-term, thermodynamic behavior. Trainees will learn how to: (1) simulate assembly at atomistic, nanoscopic, and mesostructural scales; and (2) how to predict the properties of the resulting structures.
For questions, please contact mrsec@ucsd.edu
2026 SSPA Participants
Aussi, Zachariah (2026 REU Participant)
BIO: Zachariah is a first-year student studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He hopes to continue his education towards a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and pursue a career in attractions design. Zachariah is excited to begin his research journey at UC San Diego this summer.
ORCID: 0009-0006-5259-819X
Email: Zachariah_dot_Aussi_at_my_dot_utsa_dot_edu
Mentor:
Brewington, Lamadia
BIO: Lamadia is an undergraduate student at North Carolina A&T (class of 2027)double-majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Lamadia has previously interned at Medtronic as a quality engineer, but she wanted to gain more experience in the lab. Lamadia is very excited for her first research opportunity as a RIMSE SSPA participant. In her free time, she enjoys reading psychological thriller books and immersing herself in new tv shows.
ORCID: 0009-0008-4861-8295
Mentor:
Farrell, Spenser (2026 REU Participant)
BIO: Spenser is currently in his junior year in CSU East Bay's physics program, and is pursing minors in mathematics and chemistry. He intends to use his materials-research training to help make more sustainable energy infrastructure. Outside his career, he enjoys music, dance, and exercise.
ORCID: 0009-0009-5743-4866
Email: sfarrell3_at_horizon_dot_csueastbay_dot_edu
Mentor:
Funakoshi, Ryan Yuuki
BIO: Ryan Yuuki Funakoshi is a 4th-year student majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Mathematics at California State University Long Beach (CSULB). Ryan is an international student from Japan conducting research in quantum theory and statistical mechanics in application to computational and theoretical chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at CSULB with Dr. Enrico Tapavicza and Dr. Stephen P. Mezyk. He wants to gain capabilities as a theoretician who can describe physical and chemical systems and predict new phenomena for further expansion of scientific discoveries and the invention of new materials. Ryan's long-term goal is to become a professional researcher in condensed matter theory.
ORCID: 0009-0004-3396-0849
Email: yuuki_dot_funakoshi01_at_student_dot_csulb_dot_edu
Mentor:
He, Chloe (2026 REU Participant)
BIO: Chloe is a first year undergraduate transfer majoring in Chemistry. She is currently working in Professor Alina Schimpf's lab to investigate the nucleation mechanism of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), specifically WSe2, and layer expansion using different phosphine ligands during the colloidal synthesis. Chloe is looking forward to deepen her understanding for material chemistry over this summer!
ORCID: 0009-0001-8735-3591
Email: chh136_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Mentor:
Hu, Linyu
BIO: Linyu is a sophomore Physics major at UC San Diego. My academic interests lie at the intersection of nano-photonics and strongly correlated materials, specifically focusing on the manipulation of quantum mechanical ground states in hetero-structures.
ORCID: 0009-0009-2912-9880
Email: lih026_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Mentor:
Lovelace, Malcolm
BIO: Malcolm is a first-year transfer student from Los Angeles Pierce College majoring in Structural Engineering at UC San Diego.
ORCID: 0009-0008-3030-2110
Email: mlovelace_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Mentor:
Luo, Annie
BIO: Annie Luo is a rising senior at Canyon Crest Academy. She is passionate about exploring Materials Science and Chemistry. In her free time she enjoys folding origami, pining insects, and crochet.
ORCID: 0009-0006-1405-655X
Email:
Mentor:
Mahjouri, Samuel (2026 REU Participant)
BIO: Samuel is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego double majoring in Data Science and Nanoengineering. He conducts research in the Andrea Tao Lab, studying ligand-directed assembly of metallic nanoparticles and their resulting properties.
ORCID: 0009-0003-4175-4992
Email: smahjouri_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Mentor:
Nickel, Linus
BIO: Linus Nickel is an incoming UCSD PhD student to the Inorganic Track (B.S. Molecular Synthesis UCSD 2023). His research experience includes investigating MCOF design for multivalent binding to proteins of interest.
ORCID: 0009-0008-3344-7788
Email:
Mentor:
Picard, Quinn
Bio: Quinn is an incoming Master’s student in the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of California, San Diego, where he will conduct research under the guidance of Prof. Frano. He earned his BS in computational physics from UCSD, developing a strong background in energy-efficient neuromorphic computing and quantum materials. Quinn is deeply passionate about working at the intersection of materials science, sustainability, and technology.
ORCID: 0000-0002-4174-5856
Email:
Roop, Jonathan
BIO: Jonathan Roop is a Junior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
ORCID: 0009-0002-8194-6393
Mentor:
Wong, Jalen (2026 REU Participant)
BIO: Jalen Wong is a fourth-year student at Chabot Community College majoring in Chemical Engineering, and transferring in Fall 2026. He is a passionate chemistry tutor, an uplifting officer for his chemistry club, and an active member in the Chabot College Engineering Club contributing to numerous projects.
ORCID: 0009-0000-7591-8674
Mentor:
2026 SSPA Mentor Participants
Akhtar, Mohd
BIO: Mohd is pursuing an MS in Chemical Engineering at UC San Diego. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from NIT Karnataka, India. In Andrea Tao’s Lab, his research focuses on the synthesis, self-assembly, and surface modification of inorganic nanocrystals, with an emphasis on their characterization and functional applications.
ORCID: 0009-0006-7750-1876
Email: msakhtar_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Chan, Titus
BIO: Titus is an undergraduate student at University of California, San Diego. In addition to learning and exploring, he enjoys making and drinking coffee.
ORCID: 0009-0005-4700-0942
Email: tic039_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Dey Baksi, Sourajit
BIO: Sourajit is currently conducting postdoctoral research under the guidance of Prof. Alina M. Schimpf in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at UC San Diego. Before joining UC San Diego, he earned his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry under the mentorship of Prof. John A. Gladysz at the department of chemistry of Texas A&M University. His current work focuses on utilizing colloidal and solution-phase synthesis methods to produce phase-pure tungsten and molybdenum diselenides, with an emphasis on designing suitable precursors for these materials.
ORCID: 0000-0002-0455-1817
Email: sdeybaksi_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Herman, Luke
Bio: Luke is a PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC San Diego and received his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. He is currently working in Prof. Zhaowei Liu's lab to develop novel quantum metamaterials for extreme nonlinear optics.
ORCID: 0000-0001-7198-4527
Email: laherman_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Huang, Lucy
BIO: Lucy is an incoming electrical engineering student at UCLA, returning to RIMSE Summer School of Predictive Assembly 2026 as a mentor. Previously, she has been a RIMSE mentor in 2025 and participant in 2024. She is passionate about advancing semiconductor technology through the discovery of new materials, and enjoys conducting research both in the lab and computationally.
ORCID: 0009-0003-7072-6368
Lewis, Kaniyah
Bio: Kaniyah is a junior Mechanical Engineering student from Raleigh, NC. She attends NC Agricultural and Technical University and enjoys playing in the marching band there. She was participant in the RIMSE 2025 Summer School on Silicon Nanotechnology and is returning this summer (2026) as a mentor participant in the Summer School on Engineered Living Materials.
ORCID: 0009-0001-0202-2188
Email: kllewis1_at_aggies_dot_ncat_dot_edu
Mann, Kenzington
Bio:
ORCID:
Email: klmann_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Robinson, Breanna
BIO: Breanna is a Sophomore Physics Engineering major at the illustrious North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She is from Augusta, Georgia, and hobbies include but are not limited to playing tennis, reading, and crocheting. She is excited to apply her Physics to living materials this summer.
ORCID: 0009-0008-4552-3282
Mentor: Tejas Nivarty
Varshney, Shalaka
Bio: Shalaka is a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Andrea Tao's group in the Department of Nanoengineering at UC San Diego. She obtained her Ph.D. in Nano Chemistry in 2021 from Ariel University, Israel. Before joining UC San Diego, she pursued postdoctoral research at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. She received her Dual Degree B.Tech and M.Tech in Nanotechnology from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India in 2016. Her current research focuses on polymer-grafted copper oxide nanocrystal synthesis, surface modification, assembly experiments, and mesoscopic characterization.
ORCID:
Email: svarshney_at_ucsd_dot_edu