2020 iSURE Projects Online Version

Note: To ensure fairness of the admissions process, applicants should not contact faculty during the application phase
and may
be disqualified for this reason. Please contact globalprograms@nd.edu for any questions.
2020 iSURE PROJECTS

In the online application, applicants can select up to 2 research projects in Question 41 and 42 in rank order.
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

1. Polymers in Next-Generation Rechargeable Batteries
Advanced energy storage devices are sought after for use in electric vehicles and in conjunction with solar farms and wind farms
for load leveling of the electric grid. To meet the cost and performance requirements of these applications, new battery
chemistries are under development. Many of these battery designs incorporate functional organic components, such as polymer
electrolytes, polymer coatings at the electrode-electrolyte interface, and polymer binders in the electrodes. In this project, the
student will synthesize and characterize new organic materials for applications in rechargeable lithium or magnesium batteries.
Multiple opportunities are available. Research group website: www.schaeferresearch.com
Preferred disciplines: Students with backgrounds in chemical engineering, chemistry, polymer science or engineering, and
materials science or engineering are preferred.
Suggested readings:
1. J. Liu, P. D. Pickett, B. Park, S. P. Upadhay, S. V. Orski, and J. L. Schaefer, “Non-solvating, side-chain polymer electrolytes
as lithium single-ion conductors: synthesis and ion transport characterization,” Polymer Chemistry, 2019. (Special Issue:
Emerging Investigators) https://doi.org/10.1039/C9PY01035A
2. H. O. Ford, L. C. Merrill, P. He, S. P. Upadhyay, and J. L. Schaefer, "Cross-Linked Ionomer Gel Separators for Polysulfide
Shuttle Mitigation in Magnesium–Sulfur Batteries: Elucidation of Structure–Property Relationships," Macromolecules, 2018.
(Cover) https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.macromol.8b01717
3. C. T. Elmore, M. E. Seidler, H. O. Ford, L. C. Merrill, S. P. Upadhyay, W. F. Schneider, and J. L. Schaefer, "Ion Transport in
Solvent-Free, Crosslinked, Single-Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolytes for Post-Lithium Ion Batteries," Batteries, 4(2), 28,
2018. (Special Issue: Recent Advances in Post-Lithium Ion Batteries) https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries4020028
Ionic Polymer Actuators
An actuator is a device that has a mechanical response to an applied stimulus.

Next-generation actuators are desired that provide high displacement and/or force
generation with low power consumption. Ionic polymer actuators operate with small
applied voltages (< 3 V) and have the potential to enable advanced actuators with
enhanced performance for use in diverse applications such as prosthetics and miniaturized
robotics. In this project, the student will fabricate and test ionic polymer actuators.
Multiple opportunities are available. Educational backgrounds in chemical engineering,
chemistry, polymer science or engineering, and materials science or engineering are
preferred.
Note: To ensure fairness of the admissions process, applicants should not contact faculty during the application phase and may
2. Engineering Biomimetic Materials to Control Stem Cell Morphogenesis
Blood and lymphatic vasculatures are two important components of the tumor microenvironments. Blood vessels supply
nutrients important for tumor growth and serve as a conduit for hematogenous tumor spread, while the lymphatic vessels are
used by the cancer cells to interact with the immune system as well as for lymphatic tumor metastasis. Consequently, the growth
of blood and lymphatic vasculatures surrounding the tumor have been associated with tumor metastases and poor patient
prognosis. The objective of this project is to understand what governs the formation of blood and lymphatic vessels from stem
cells, how these processes are affected by the tumor microenvironment, and how we can use these insights to develop novel
therapies.
Student involvements: Student will synthesize and characterize biomaterials for in vitro evaluation using stem cell. Student is
expected to maintain stem cell culture, study cell-materials interaction using microscopy and molecular biology techniques.
Preferred disciplines: Students with backgrounds in mechanical engineering, chemical/bio-engineering, material science,
biochemistry is encouraged to apply. Prior lab experience is preferred.
3. Data-driven Approaches to Elucidating Molecular Design Principles for Nanostructured Membranes Capable of
Separating Similarly-Sized Molecules
The goal of the proposed research is to develop the fundamental scientific knowledge that informs the design and fabrication of
nanostructured membranes with pore wall chemistries tailored to facilitate the separation of molecules with comparable sizes,
especially rare earth elements (REEs). Membrane separations have demonstrated significant advantages in sustainability and
energy efficiency. However, the majority of state-of-the-art membranes are size-selective and unable to distinguish between
species of comparable molecular sizes. As such, there are significant opportunities for membranes that distinguish between
molecules based on chemical, rather than steric, factors. Unfortunately, knowledge regarding the molecular design features that
enable this class of transport mechanisms is lagging, which hinders the rational development of chemically-selective membranes.
Thus, there is a critical need to execute systematic, experimental studies on such membranes to elucidate the relationships
between their nanostructure, surface chemistry, and selective transport mechanisms. Here, this engineering opportunity will be
met by integrating membrane science and statistical learning paradigms into a convergent framework to develop the knowledge
that guides the molecular design of these membranes.
Self-assembled membranes that are amenable to post-assembly functionalization offer orthogonal control over membrane
nanostructure and chemistry such that a diverse array of interfacial and transport phenomena can be interrogated. It is
hypothesized that three molecular properties – solute-carrier affinity, spacer arm length, and pore diameter – control chemically-
selective transport mechanisms. Statistical learning and dynamic diafiltration experiments will be utilized to efficiently navigate
this vast molecular design space and to elucidate the desired structure-property relationships up to 100 times faster than
Edisonian searches. The work is organized in three objectives:

● Identify molecular design strategies for copolymer membranes tailor-made to promote the efficient separation of REEs.
This effort which will generate a family of membranes with rationally-engineered nanostructures and pore wall
chemistries.
● Develop a statistical learning framework to identify the dominant transport and interfacial phenomena from dynamic
diafiltration experiments. Model-based design of experiments will be used to discern between model permutations in a
proposed model hierarchy.
● Utilize statistical learning to guide the development of structure-property relationships for chemically-selective transport
mechanisms that are capable of separating REEs.
As such, this research program presents an opportunity to make significant progress toward elucidating the critical
structure-property relationships for membranes capable of transporting target solutes based on chemical, rather than steric,
factor, with applications well beyond REEs.
In contributing to this ambitious, potentially transformative project, the student researcher will be asked to elucidate how the
nanoscale structure and chemistry of the membranes impact the observed transport properties through experimental water flow
and solute filtration tests. The student will also assist in developing new data analysis capability ultimately leading to new
optimal design of experiments capabilities. Self-motivated, independent student researchers will have the
ability focus their research efforts on the aspect of the project that appeals to their skills and interests. Chemical Engineers,
Mechanical Engineers, Environmental Engineers, Electrical Engineers, and Computer Scientists are well-suited to undertake this
research project.
Figure for the abstract (with caption) and/or link to publication.
a. A schematic showing the physical and chemical properties of the membrane that can be tuned easily. Exploring how
transport through chemically selective pores is affected when the physical and chemical interactions occur in confined
geometries is critical to this project. b. Parameter estimation for a single filtration experiment. The mass of the material that
permeated through the membrane was measured every 5s and is marked with red dots. Best fit parameters, directly to the
nanostructural features of the membrane, were computed by minimizing difference between data and predictions.
● Data science-enabled molecular-to-systems engineering for sustainable water treatment
● Fit-for-purpose block polymer membranes molecularly engineered for water treatment
In the past year, the faculty of this project have submitted 3 collaborative proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF) on
the data-driven design of nanostructured membranes and sorbent materials for water treatment. These proposals would be greatly
strengthened by the development of preliminary data and frameworks that an iSURE student would contribute. Beyond the NSF,
the fundamental science underlying the proposed concept could be supported by the DOE and DOD. As such, the strengthening
of ties amongst two junior researchers would formalize a collaboration that will help Notre Dame develop integrated proposals
that are responsive and competitive for forthcoming calls in water treatment and energy-efficient separations. Access to clean
drinking water is a human right, and the development of technologies that enable access to potable water aligns directly with the
mission of the University.
4. Binder Jet 3D Printing of Ceramics
Binder jet printing is an additive manufacturing process where a liquid is selectively inkjet printed onto a layer of powder to bind
the particles together. The process is repeated in a layer-by-layer fashion until a “green” part is developed that is ready for
sintering. The green part is fired in a furnace to densify the part. A significant challenge is producing fully dense parts. The goal
of this project is to advance print and post-print processing to maximize part density.
Student Involvement: Student will mix various powders to achieve various powder size distributions. The effect of powder size
distribution and binder percentage on the green strength, sintering behavior, shrinkage, microstructure and density of printed
parts will be studied. Sintering will be characterized as a function of binder percentage, ramp rate, maximum sintering
temperature and soak time. Studies will be performed using a dilatometer on small printed cylindrical pellets. If time permits,
microscopy studies will be performed to characterize grain and pore size, pore distribution and density, and correlate with
sintering cycle.(Optical Microscopy, SEM, CT xray)
Preferred disciplines: Materials science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering.
5. Molecular and Process Design Framework for the Separation, Recycling, and Reuse of Hydrofluorocarbon Mixtures
Refrigerators and heat pumps use a substance called a refrigerant to transfer heat between two spaces. Prior to the late 1980s,
refrigerants often contained chlorfluorocarbons, but these materials were phased out because of their high ozone depletion
potential. Mixtures of hydrofluorocarbons appeared on the market as replacement. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) do not deplete the
Earth's ozone layer, but many are potent greenhouse gases with much higher global warming potentials than CO2, prompting a
concerted effort to phase out the use of high global warming potential HFCs. The phase out of these materials is complicated by
the fact that there are thousands of tons of refrigerant mixtures that contain both low and high global warming potential
compounds, and there is no viable method for separating and reclaiming the components. The separation of low and high global
warming HFCs is complex because they are azeotropic or near-azeotropic materials, meaning they are chemically similar and
behave like a single (pure) fluid.
The goal of the project is to develop tools and processes that enable the separation of high and low global warming potential
HFCs, allowing the recovery and reuse of the low global warming potential HFCs. To accomplish this goal, an integrated
molecular and chemical process design framework will be developed to engineer novel ionic liquid-based HFC separation
technologies. The approach will unify "top-down" computer-aided molecular design with "bottom-up" experimentally-driven
approaches to more efficiently identify new separation agents for HFC azeotropic mixtures. The engineering framework will be
widely applicable to other chemical separation processes, including that of next-generation refrigerants such as
hydrofluoro-olefins and hydrochlorofluoro-olefins. The work is organized in four specific aims:
● Carry out pure and mixed gas solubility measurements of R-32, R-125 and R-134a in a wide range of ILs. (collaborator
at KU)
● Conduct high throughput molecular simulations of IL solvents for HFCs. (Notre Dame)
● Systematically screen process designs and determine IL physical property targets via rigorous mathematical modeling
and superstructure optimization. (Notre Dame)
● Demonstrate viability of most promising ionic liquid entrainers in lab-scale extractive distillation systems. (collaborators
at KU)
As such, this research program presents an opportunity to make significant progress towards integrating molecular design and
end-use application optimization. In contributing to this ambitious project, the student researcher will be asked to elucidate
molecular-level phenomena governing complex IL and HFC interactions. Specifically, the student will work with a ND graduate
researcher to conduct and analyze molecular simulations. Self-motivated, independent student researchers will have the ability
focus their research efforts on the aspect of the project that appeals to their skills and interests. Prior Python programming or
*nix command line experience will be helpful, but comfort with any computer programming language is sufficient.
Preferred disciplines: Chemical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Environmental Engineers, Electrical Engineers, and Computer
Scientists are well-suited to undertake this research project.
Figure for the abstract (with caption)

Figure 1. The proposed framework integrates mixture physical property measurements, atomistic molecular simulations,
process optimization, and demonstration to create innovative ionic liquid mixtures and separation processes that could enable
global recycling of HFCs. The student researcher will work with a graduate student on molecular simulations and data analysis
(Specific Aims 2 and 3).
6. Development of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Substrates for Operando Spectroscopic
Characterization of Gas Separation Membranes
The goal of this project is to develop new Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrates that will be used as
supports for thin film gas separation membranes and will provide strong enhancement of the Raman signal intensity for
characterizing the structure of the membrane in-situ under realistic operating conditions. The key feature of these new substrates
is that they will have plasmonic gold nanoparticles incorporated into the polymeric material to enhance the Raman signal
intensity. These substrates will enable new operando SERS measurements to be performed that will directly correlate the
structure of polymeric gas separation membranes to their performance. The student will be responsible for synthesizing gold
nanoparticles using wet chemistry techniques, depositing the gold nanoparticles onto a variety of porous polymeric substrates,
characterizing the optical properties of the SERS substrates, depositing thin film polymeric membranes onto the SERS
substrates, and finally performing SERS on the composite thin film structures. Laboratory experience, particularly in materials
synthesis, is preferred though not required.
7. Reverse Engineering Embryonic Regeneration
Specification of the correct spatial dimensions of tissues within embryos depends on a complex “symphony” of signals that
define cellular identities and properties. When subjected to environmental hazards or genetic defects, embryos exhibit
a remarkable ability to repair mistakes in specifying their size, either by re-specification of cell identity or the elimination of
cells through cell death (apoptosis). Understanding the mechanism of tissue size control is particularly challenging due to the
interconnected and complex nature of cell signaling and tissue mechanics. A high degree of nonlinearity in the system occurs
due to feedback between cell- and tissue-level processes. Previous studies documenting pattern repair in the embryonic
epidermis have principally focused on phenotypic data and tissue-level analysis. Very little is known about the dynamics at the
cellular level. The objective of this project is to bridge this knowledge gap by performing live imaging studies at cellular
resolution of the embryonic epidermis to track the dynamics of cell membranes during proliferation, apoptosis and cell
movement. This project is multi-faceted and includes the design and testing of novel microfluidic organ-on-chips, live-imaging
and imaging analysis and cell-based computational models of tissue mechanics. Experiments are compared to computational
simulation predictions to identify novel mechanisms of tissue morphogenesis and regeneration.
Prerequisite Skills: Basic biology background and interest in experiments. Image processing/computational work requires
previous MATLAB or other programming experience.
8. Investigating How Calcium Signaling Impacts Organ and Tumor Growth
Cells exhibit impaired calcium (Ca2+) signaling in many diseases including skin diseases, Alzheimer’s, and metastatic cancer.
The cell’s internal “computer” uses calcium ions as messengers to help calculate its response to environmental stimuli. This
requires regulation of Ca2+ concentrations in cells to coordinate cellular processes. However, much remains unknown about the
functions of time-varying Ca2+ signals in developing or regenerating organs. Our research program seeks to discover the
biochemical and mechanical basis of integrative cell communication mediated by Ca2+ signaling. In this team-based project,
students contribute toward a high content, genomic screen identifying and characterizing new calcium-related genes that impact
organ growth, regeneration or tumor growth. Students gain experience in functional genomics and quantitative image processing.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

9. Synthesize Hyperbranched Polymers with Well-Defined Structures for Controlled Delivery and Release
Recently, several synthetic methods are developed in our research group that successfully produces highly ranched polymers
with high molecular weight and uniform structure. The current project is to fully investigate the features of these robust
techniques and explore functional materials for potential application in controlled delivery and encapsulation of drug molecules
and catalyst species.
List of preferred skills: Polymer synthesis and characterization
10. Develop Efficient Coupling Reactions to Produce Linear Polymers for Membrane Applications
Recently, a new type of Friedel-Crafts hydroxyalkylation reaction is developed in my lab that takes advantage of consecutive
acceleration reaction of one monomer to prepare linear polymers with rigid backbone and high molecular weights regardless the
stoichiometric balance of monomer. The current project is to study the reaction mechanism, understand the underneath
structure-reactivity relationship in order to explore the full potential of this method to prepare reactive polymers for membrane
applications in gas separation and ion separations.
List of preferred skills: Polymer synthesis and characterization
11. Modular Routes to Deliver Drugs to Sites of Need
The Webber lab (http://www.webberlab.com/) is interested in new, modular routes to deliver drugs to sites of need. By using
high-affinity interactions, nanoparticle drug carriers and hydrogel depots can be designed to facilitate drug localization and
controlled release in combating cancer. These approaches are intended to be “mix-and-match” where a series of drugs could be
combined with different delivery platforms to enable patient- and disease-specific therapeutic intervention.
Department of Computer Science and Engineering

12. AI + VIS
Students familiar with programming in PyTorch, TensorFlow, OpenGL/GLSL/WebGL, or D3.js will assist in the design and
implementation of AI-enabled visualization and analytics programs for analyzing and understanding a wide variety of data and
models (e.g., scientific simulation data, learning analytics data, deep learning models), and for teaching and learning essential
visualization concepts and techniques.
13. Toward Domain-Specific Intelligent Assistance
Thanks to recent advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and data mining technologies, intelligent personal assistance
(IPA) has been turned into products (e.g., Cortana, Alexa, M, Siri) that can automatically complete tasks in general domains
(e.g., purchasing an item, making restaurant reservation). The intelligence is measured by many factors, including but not limited
to (1) problem solving, (2) learning, and (3) language processing. Unfortunately, when it comes to some specific domains, IA
becomes challenging with all the factors: Problems are too complicated to understand; domain knowledge is too limited to learn;
and responses are too long to generate. For example, almost all tech companies (e.g., Microsoft, IBM Lenovo, SONY) have tech
support forums on which users can report their tech issues and find solutions; however, it is expensive, or sometimes impossible,
to have timely and professional responses. Existing AI methods could not solve the domain-specific IA problem well -- User
needs depend on particular problems of particular products from particular companies; to answer the user's question, we need
relevant information from specific knowledge bases; and professional responses on the forums are styled and relatively longer
than IPA answers. Another IA example is to generate timely and helpful responses to Reddit users who post about their mental
health problems (r/MentalHealth) or suicidal thoughts (r/SuicideWatch). The user needs, required knowledge, and helpful
responses must be tightly related to psychology or its sub-domains. We need new approaches for domain-specific IA.
To achieve effective domain-specific IA, and to address the challenges on the three factors, this lab proposes a novel paradigm
that includes three subtasks/research topics in NLP and data mining. First of all, user modeling is to identify user needs by
discovering patterns from question content (e.g., forum posts) and behavioral context (e.g., location, time). Second, knowledge
curation is to collect, extract, and share domain-specific knowledge structures such as product ontologies and
attributed/relational graphs. Third, text generation is to generate text responses with the goal of appearing indistinguishable to
expert-written text (e.g., tech company employee's response, psychologist/clinician's response, or highly liked/voted responses).
All the subtasks are challenging in the domain-specific setting though have been studied individually. Our philosophy is that
approaches of user modeling, knowledge curation, and text generation can mutually enhance each other when designed to
achieve the same goal. As shown in the above diagram, there are four focused research problems: (1) User needs and pattern
discovery with knowledge graphs; (2) Information extraction from user-generated content; (3) Answer generation based on user
needs and curated knowledge; (4) Knowledge graph population with machine-generated content.
14. Scalable, Dynamic and Constraint-Aware Social Sensing System
While significant progress has been made to build reliable social sensing system, some important challenges have not been well
addressed yet. First, existing social sensing systems did not fully solve the dynamic truth estimation problem where the ground
truth of claims changes over time. Second, many current solutions are not scalable to large-scale social sensing events because of
the centralized nature of their data analytics algorithms. Third, the transition of true values of measured variables is constrained
by some physical rules that must be followed to ensure correct estimation. In this project, we developed a scalable streaming
social sensing system with explicit consideration of the physical constraints on the measured variables to address the above
challenges. We evaluated our framework through real world social sensing applications.
15. Segmentation Problems in Medical Images
Neutrophils are a primary type of immune cells, and their identification is critical in clinical diagnosis of active inflammation.
However, in H&E stained histology tissue images, the appearances of neutrophils are highly variable due to large variations in
morphology, staining, and locations. Further, the noisy and complex tissue environment causes artifacts resembling neutrophils.
Thus, it is challenging to design, in a hand-crafted manner, computerized features that help identify neutrophils effectively. To
better characterize neutrophils, we propose to extract features of neutrophils in a machine learning manner, by developing a new
deep neural network model for identifying neutrophils. In addition, in clinical practice, neutrophils are identified not only based
on their individual appearance, but also on the context formed by multiple related types of cells in their neighborhood. It is not
straightforward for deep learning to capture precisely the complex cell context. Hence, we further propose to combine deep
learning with a context model of cell clusters, to extract needed context. Experiments on clinical data will be conducted to
evaluate the combination of our deep learning model and context model.
Department of Biological Sciences

16. Novel Therapeutic Targets and Innovative Combination Therapy Strategies
The goal of this lab (https://biology.nd.edu/labs/lu-lab/)is to identify novel therapeutic targets and realize innovative combination
therapy strategies to benefit cancer patients, through mechanistic investigation, functional genomics, mouse modeling and
therapeutics development. Located at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame and affiliated with
Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, the lab is investigating one or more of the following areas: (1) Cellular, biochemical or
metabolic mechanism of cancer progression and metastasis, especially for but not limited to prostate cancer and breast cancer.
(2) Tumor microenvironment, tumor immunology and/or cancer immunotherapy (including combination immunotherapy). (3)
Computational cancer bioinformatics, integrated analysis of oncogenomics and/or proteomics data and functional validation in
cell culture and animal models. A range of available projects includes: (1) Mechanistic understanding of immunosuppressive
myeloid cells; (2) Metabolic reprogramming to enhance cancer immunotherapy; (3) Molecular mechanism of prostate cancer
bone metastasis; (4) Anti-metastasis and pro-metastasis functions of neutrophil subsets in breast cancer; (5) Gene identification
and therapy development to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer or triple negative breast cancer.
17. The Evasion of Detachment-Induced Metabolic Defects in Breast Cancer
Metastasis, the spread of cancer from the site of the primary tumor to distant locations in the body, is responsible for 90% of
cancer deaths, yet the molecular mechanisms governing this extraordinarily complicated process remain poorly understood. It
has become clear that an important barrier to metastasis is the induction of anoikis, a cell death process that is induced when
epithelial cells lose attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM). During the course of tumor progression, cancer cells will
typically acquire resistance to anoikis which can facilitate the spread of these cells to distant sites. In addition to the induction of
the anoikis program, we have discovered that ECM-detached cells are metabolically compromised in a fashion that prohibits
their survival. Thus, ECM-detached cancer cells need to inhibit anoikis and rectify their metabolic deficiencies in order to
survive. Despite its importance, there is a striking lack of information on how cancer cells successfully evade the induction of
anoikis and overcome metabolic deficiencies. The overarching goal of our lab is to examine and characterize the biological
mechanisms that permit cancer cell survival in the absence of ECM attachment. It is our hope that a better understanding of these
mechanisms at the molecular level will reveal novel chemotherapeutic targets or approaches that may serve to compromise the
survival of ECM-detached cancer cells and thus prevent tumors from successfully metastasizing.
Department of Psychology
( statistics, mathematics, or computer science)

18. Statistical Social Network Analysis for Behavioral Research
Network analysis is becoming a popular interdisciplinary research topic in computer science, statistics, sociology, political
science and psychology. In our Lab for Big Data Methodology, we study the covariates that are related to the formation and
development of networks, such as a friendship network, as well as how a network is related to behavioral outcomes such as
smoking and alcohol use. We develop new models and software using both Bayesian and frequentist’s methods for better
network data analysis. We welcome students with strong background in any of the areas - statistics, mathematics, or computer
science - to join our lab.
Department of Electrical Engineering

19. Nanoelectronic Devices and Circuits
As transistors and memory reach their size limits, devices incorporating ionic and ferroelectric materials are being developed to
enhance device and circuit performance. These materials are enabling new approaches for analog memory for learning networks,
neuromorphic devices for brain-spired circuits, selectors for cross-bar memory addressing, steep subthreshold swing transistors
for ultralow voltage computing, and zero bias rectifiers for energy harvesting.
The expected and/or anticipated involvement of the REU student in the research: Expect to work on device characterization and
analysis problems in close collaboration with graduate students in a team environment. Students can expect to increase their
understanding of electronic circuits, devices, materials, chemistry, and physics as they explore future paths for electronics.
Preferred discipline(s), expertise, lab skills, etc.: Students from all engineering and science disciplines are invited to apply.
20. Design and Analysis of High-Performance Compound Semiconductor Devices
Numerical simulation and optimization of high-performance III-V compound semiconductor devices will be performed.
Specific devices include photovoltaics, high-speed transistors, high voltage diodes and transistors, and novel devices for
low-power digital and signal processing.
21. Fabrication Process Development for High-Performance Devices
Student will contribute to development of fabrication processes for high-performance III-V compound semiconductor devices,
working in Notre Dame’s cleanroom facility. Specific devices include high voltage diodes and transistors, as well as
RF/microwave devices.
22. Adiabatic Capacitive Logic for Ultra-Low Power Electronics
Anyone who owns a laptop knows that power dissipation and the associated heat are a problem for the microelectronics industry.
As electronic devices scale down in size, they use less power (and hence energy), but is there a lower limit to the energy that
must be dissipated by each device? Are there devices other than transistors that able to dissipate less power. This project will
investigate adiabatic capacitive logic (ACL), which uses variable capacitors are used in pull-up and pull-down networks to form
a voltage divider that be used to as a logic element. The variable capacitors will be built using micro-electro-mechanical
structures (MEMS) to make nano-relay like devices. These devices map well onto adiabatic reversible computing approaches
that can reduce power dissipation far below that possible with conventional approaches.
Students will work in the cleanroom on fabrication of devices, and on measurements of devices.
Preferred Disciplines: Electrical Engineering, Physics, and Computer Science students are preferred. Some knowledge of
programming and soldering is helpful.
Cross-section of MEMS ACL structure to be fabricated.
23. Micromachining of High Speed Charge Sensitive Scanning Probe for Studies of Nanomaterials
We are developing a charge sensitive scanning microscope to map charge distribution at the surface of quantum dots containing
the so-called “Wigner crystals”– a curious phenomenon where electrons in the solid state are predicted to form spatial
arrangements (e.g. triangular lattice). We place a tiny electronic device – “single-electron box array” (SEBA) very close to the
tip of the scanning probe which then flies a few nanometers away from the surface and senses the electron distribution in the
sample. The electrical probing of the SEBA is done by using radio-frequency reflectometry enabling its fast and sensitive
operation. The tiny chip containing SEBA needs to be glued to the tuning fork – an actuator that enables the scanning of our
sensor in a very close proximity to the sensor. We demonstrated the electrical operation of the SEBA sensor, but the now the
challenge is to carefully carve out the chips containing SEBA out of the substrate, so they can be then attached to the tuning fork.
It can be done using a smart combination of lithography and etching, and this will be the #1 target of the project. Once we meet
this challenge, this unique probe can be transferred to the tuning fork and put to action!
Student Involvement: Students will work in the cleanroom on

fabrication of devices, and on measurements of devices in the
cryogenic Nano electronics lab (B9 Stinson-Remick).
Preferred Disciplines: Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical

Engineering, and Chemical Engineering students are preferred. Some
knowledge of material science, and electronics is helpful.
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

24. Quantitative Molecular Imaging with Photon-Counting Spectral Computed Tomography and Nanoparticle Contrast
Agents (Co-supervised by faculty from the Department of Electrical Engineering)
X-ray imaging has been the primary means of imaging in clinical

medicine, security screening, and non-destructive testing (NDT) for
the last century. Radiography was revolutionized in the 1970s by
the advent of three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) which
has been continuously and incrementally improved to the present.
However, a new revolution in CT is underway with the advent of
photon-counting spectral CT, which enables multi-energy image
acquisition for quantitative material decomposition of multiple
materials and/or tissues within a single image data set. Quantitative
molecular imaging of multiple, spatially coincident material
compositions is not possible with other non-destructive molecular imaging modalities, such as conventional CT, nuclear imaging
and magnetic resonance imaging, and will be transformative for diagnostic medical imaging, security screening, NDT, and as a
research tool. Students on this project may investigate novel nanoparticle contrast agents that leverage the capabilities of spectral
CT, and/or novel methods for combined image reconstruction and material decomposition that capitalize on data-rich spectral
CT images.
Students will utilize a prototype preclinical photon-counting spectral CT system which is available only at Notre Dame and one
other institution in North America.
25. Phononic Nanoparticles for Low-loss, Tunable Nanophotonics in the Mid and Far-IR (Co-supervised by faculty from
the Department of Electrical Engineering)
Phononic nanoparticles are a new class of optical materials with untapped potential for realizing new mid- and far-infrared
detection and sensing nanotechnologies that are functionally
analogous to ultraviolet and near-infrared plasmonic
nanotechnologies but with even greater sensitivity. Phononic
nanotechnologies have potential application in analytical
chemistry, biomedicine, environmental science, homeland security,
astrophysics, and geology. However, basic scientific knowledge of
the governing structure-property relationships for engineering the
optical properties of phononic nanoparticles are not well
understood or developed. Therefore, students on this project will
investigate the optical properties of candidate phononic materials
using both modeling and experimental characterization of
synthesized nanoparticles. As such, this interdisciplinary research
experience will cut across both materials science and optical
science.
26. Noble Metal Nanostructures for Harsh Environments
Material stability, be it photo, thermal, chemical, mechanical, or a combination thereof, is a ubiquitous subject of fundamental
importance. It often decides whether a technology is viable, reliable, and sustainable and where the outcomes have economic,
environmental, and social impacts. Noble metal nanostructures (e.g., Au, Ag, Pt, Pd) are functional materials that are used in
numerous applications such as catalysis, energy, sensors, and optoelectronics. The tendency for such structures to
morphologically reconfigure when heated can, however, disrupt or destroy the properties that were so carefully engineered in the
first place and, in doing so, puts important applications (e.g., heat-assisted magnetic recording, high temperature plasmonic
sensing, solar thermophotovoltaics, and laser optics) at risk. With the understanding that temperature-induced shape changes
originate from the diffusion of atoms, the goal of this project is to synthesize gold nanostructures with an oxide skeleton where
the skeleton’s purpose is to obstruct the most at-risk diffusion pathways so as to achieve a more stable configuration. The student
working on this project will carry out various solution-based syntheses, characterize nanostructure properties, and test whether
these properties can be maintained when the structures are exposed to heat treatments.
Skills/Disciplines of Interest: Strong background in Chemistry or Materials Science.

27. Electrical and Optical Characterization of a Plasma Jet Acting on a Printed Silver Thin-Film: One Step Closer to
Wearable Electronics
Thermoelectric materials (TE) utilize a temperature difference to generate electricity directly from heat. This unusual property
enables new ways for energy harvesting, such as integrating electrical devices into your clothes by using the temperature
difference between your body and the surroundings or building little circuits on objects talking with each other (Internet of
Things) that can be powered by small temperature differences. Recent developments in additive manufacturing have enabled
printing thermoelectric materials, but they must be then processed in a high-temperature oven to be sintered and become active.
This limits the materials that they can be printed on.
Here, we’re developing an atmospheric pressure plasma jet system to sinter thermoelectric materials at room temperature,
enabling printing on plastics and other flexible materials. The first step is understanding the mechanism for the induced
room-temperature sintering, and thus we are starting with a simpler material: silver. Specifically, we will be using 1-layer silver
thin films (1-2 micron of thickness) printed with Clariant's PRELECT® TPS Nano Silver Conductive Ink (30-50 nm particles) to
explore and study how plasma jet sintering works.
The objectives of this study are:

● To build a plasma jet system for sintering thin films that has in situ plasma characterization
● To conduct electrical measurements on the printed films (voltage/current measurements via oscilloscope, conductivity
measurements with 2-probe or 4-probe method)
● To make in situ and time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy (OES) to probe plasma parameters (temperature,
density) during the process
The student should be able to run tests independently after the training. At the end of the research period, it is expected to submit
a 5-10 page document describing the purpose, process, and results of this study.
Preferred skills: The effective use of MATLAB will be necessary to analyze electrical data. This also requires a moderate
knowledge of electrical circuits (AC power sources, resistors, capacitors). Someone who is good at summarizing useful
information in compact graphs/charts/slides would be appreciated.
28. Additive Manufacturing of Flexible Devices for Energy Harvesting and Sensing
The goal of this project is to develop an innovative additive printing method to fabricate flexible and multifunctional devices for
Energy Harvesting and Sensing.
Research includes flexible film printing followed by a novel pulsed thermal sintering process. We aim to achieve over two-fold
increases in thermoelectric figure of merit ZT compared with state-of-the-art flexible films fabricated by printing process, along
with 90% cost reductions in printed film based thermoelectric devices vs. bulk devices fabricated by conventional
manufacturing. It is notable that the success of this project could result in a disruptive manufacturing approach for large scale,
low cost and flexible materials for broad applications beyond thermoelectrics.
This research will have broad impact on materials engineering across length scales and energy conversion and electronics
technology. It will: (1) offer fundamental knowledge on the additive processing of colloidal nanocrystals and their structure and
property evolutions across length scales, (2) provide a scalable and low-cost manufacturing process to fabricate efficient and
flexible materials for broad applications including thermoelectrics, electronics and others, (3) increase energy efficiency and
reduce emission through wide implementation of these low-cost and flexible materials, and (4) advance fast growing technology
areas of sensors, energy harvesters, and flexible and wearable electronics.
29. Fabrication of Ductile yet Tough Polymer Composites
The purpose of this project is to create a polymer composite material with great ductility yet high tensile strength. It is
uncommon for a material to exhibit both of these properties, as high strength is generally accompanied by a low ductility.
However, the possible combination of these two properties is desirable as it would allow for a material to undergo significant
strain without the risk of failure. This would be especially useful in the area of flexible electronics as it would allow for the
development of reusable devices. Therefore, the focus of this project is to develop and optimize a procedure which would allow
for the extreme flexibility of polymer film to be combined with the high tensile strength of molecularly aligned polyethylene
films.
30. Functional Chemical Sensor and Coating for Fluid Dynamic Applications
This project is an interdisciplinary topic on chemistry and fluid dynamics. The spectrum of this project has three steps:
development, characterization, and
application. Depending on a topic involved, a
research focus for an applicant will be varied
within these three steps. A luminescent
chemical sensor and hydrophobic coating are
focused on the development step. In
characterization step, sensor and coating
performances will be related to fluid
dynamic quantities, such as static and
dynamic changes in pressure and
temperature. Application step will be
performed using a shock tube.
A student will be involved in a chemical

sensor and/or coating development, the
characterizations of the developed sensor/coating using spectrometer and pressure/temperature-controlled device. The developed
senor will be tested in a shock tube.
Preferred discipline, expertise, lab skills: A student from the following discipline is preferred: chemistry, chemical engineering,
industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, and aerospace engineering.
#31 - #37 are for students who can participate in the 5/31 - 7/25 time frame ONLY.
Projects in Computational Social Science

At the Center for Research Computing
31. Predicting Triggers of Mass Atrocities
The main goal of the proposed research is

to advance our understanding of the
timing and dynamics of political violence
escalation, by examining systematically
how certain types of political events may
catalyze a government's policy of mass
killing of civilians. The project will also
provide pathways for the general
application of promising NLP and
statistical methods to the analysis of
social event triggers as gleaned from big
data repositories. Students will learn and
apply Natural Language Processing and
Machine Learning techniques to help
machines analyze millions of global news
articles with potential triggers.
32. Data Mining Large-scale Educational Assessment Data
This research project lies in data mining on large-scale educational and psychological assessment data, such as, the Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data from over 60 countries, with about 4,000 participants in each
country answering questions about their knowledge on math and science. This requires sophisticated statistical models to
account for sampling characteristics, missing data, the multilevel structure in the data (i.e., participants nested in classes, classes
nested in schools, and schools nested in countries), and linking and scaling (as the TIMSS runs a 4-year cycle).
33. Framing of Masculinity
Research focuses on the construction of masculinity in various media platforms including the “branded masculinity” of men’s
magazines, the critique of men not fulfilling traditional gender roles as found in advice columns in women’s magazines, the
“masquerade of masculinity” in Halloween costumes, the historical shift in boyhood masculinities as seen in Boy’s Life
magazine, and “hyperauthentic masculinities” in reality television programs. The most current research project is an analysis of
masculinity in white supremacist discourses as found in hate music videos since the 2016 presidential election. Social media,
notably YouTube, is the most frequently used method for recruiting white supremacists today. The goal for REU students will be
to develop a media based research project examining masculinity in white supremacist discourse in a media platform of their
choosing (e.g. Internet memes, Twitter, YouTube, an Alt-Right social media sites such as Gab, or a gaming site like Discord)
using one or more of the data mining techniques learned over the summer.
34. NetHealth: Modeling to Co-Evolution of Social Networks and Health Behaviors

This project, funded by a multi-year grant from NIH, examines student’s social networks and two important health-related
behaviors – physical activity and sleep habits. Social network data is collected through capturing information on people’s
communications through their smartphones while sleep and activity data are collected through Fitbits. Seven hundred first-year
students were enrolled in the study in 2015, resulting in over two years of data. With these two streams of data we are (1) testing
theories about the mechanisms linking networks and behaviors and (2) assess the extent to which social influence processes
within networks lead to changes in these two important health-related behaviors.
35. Economics of the Family
This research project is in the area of the economics of the family, including work on marriage and fertility decisions. The
professor’s previous work includes research on the role of marriage in improving infant health outcomes and on the effects of
public policy on the effects of spacing between siblings on their academic outcomes. She has also explored the timing of fertility
within the year and across women’s careers. Research with Professor Buckles in the summer of 2017 would involve creating and
working with various data sets in Stata (a statistical software package) to aid in research related to families and child well-being.
36. Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO)
The Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) is a research center in the Department of Economics at the
University of Notre Dame. Through rigorous impact evaluations, LEO aims to identify the innovative, effective and scalable
programs that help people move out of poverty. LEO focuses its evaluations on innovative and scalable initiatives that have the
potential to reduce domestic poverty. Our current evaluations span a wide range of anti-poverty initiatives.
37. Simulation and Data Analytics of Complex Global Social Systems
Interest lies in leveraging modern computational interfaces (such as Jupyter) and machine learning tools (such as Natural
Language Processing) to study complex global social systems. The professor currently has active work in global migration and
global news bias research. A new research initiative includes the development of a high performance yet accessible, multi-scale,
human well-being simulation tool on the scale of 7 billion humans. Students participating in research on global social systems
will study tradeoffs in social model/data complexity with computational performance limitations.
Special Project: PODEMOS and Others

38. Special Project: For directly nominated students or PODEMOS applicants only. Please do not select this project
unless told to do so.

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2020 iSURE PROJECTS

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Ionic Polymer Actuators

An actuator is a device that has a mechanical response to an applied stimulus.

2. Engineering Biomimetic Materials to Control Stem Cell Morphogenesis

Edisonian searches. The work is organized in three objectives:

Figure for the abstract (with caption) and/or link to publication.

4. Binder Jet 3D Printing of Ceramics

Preferred disciplines: Materials science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering.

Figure for the abstract (with caption)

7. Reverse Engineering Embryonic Regeneration

8. Investigating How Calcium Signaling Impacts Organ and Tumor Growth

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

List of preferred skills: Polymer synthesis and characterization

applications in gas separation and ion separations.

List of preferred skills: Polymer synthesis and characterization

11. Modular Routes to Deliver Drugs to Sites of Need

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

13. Toward Domain-Specific Intelligent Assistance

14. Scalable, Dynamic and Constraint-Aware Social Sensing System

15. Segmentation Problems in Medical Images

Department of Biological Sciences

17. The Evasion of Detachment-Induced Metabolic Defects in Breast Cancer

(​ statistics, mathematics, or computer science​)

Department of Electrical Engineering

20. Design and Analysis of High-Performance Compound Semiconductor Devices

21. Fabrication Process Development for High-Performance Devices

22. Adiabatic Capacitive Logic for Ultra-Low Power Electronics

Cross-section of MEMS ACL structure to be fabricated.

Student Involvement: Students will work in the cleanroom on

Preferred Disciplines: Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical

Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

X-ray imaging has been the primary means of imaging in clinical

26. Noble Metal Nanostructures for Harsh Environments

Skills/Disciplines of Interest: Strong background in Chemistry or Materials Science.

The objectives of this study are:

areas of sensors, energy harvesters, and flexible and wearable electronics.

29. Fabrication of Ductile yet Tough Polymer Composites

A student will be involved in a chemical

Projects in Computational Social Science

31. Predicting Triggers of Mass Atrocities

The main goal of the proposed research is

32. Data Mining Large-scale Educational Assessment Data

33. Framing of Masculinity

34. NetHealth: Modeling to Co-Evolution of Social Networks and Health Behaviors

35. Economics of the Family

36. Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO)

37. Simulation and Data Analytics of Complex Global Social Systems

Special Project: PODEMOS and Others

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( statistics, mathematics, or computer science)