- Jacob Cultrera Successfully Defends Master’s Thesis
Dr. RPS and Jacob Cultrera following his thesis defense. Congratulations to Jacob Cultrera on a successful defense of his MS! His thesis titled “Development and Characterization of Microbial Fuel Cells Containing a Polymer-Coated Anode” focused on a recent thrust in our group of collecting power from living biofilms on an anode surface. His work optimized the fuel cells to greatly improve their power output and identified operating conditions that could maximize this energy output.
Jacob will be continuing his studies as part of the Dual Degree program between URI and TU Braunschweig.
- RPS Receives URI Excellence Award
Dr. RPS with President Marc Parlange and VPR Bethany Jenkins receiving the award. Dr. RPS had the honor of receiving the Early Career Faculty Research & Scholarship Excellence Award from University of Rhode Island.
This award reflects the countless hours and dedication of the students in the RPS group – both undergraduate and graduate – as well as immensely supportive and creative collaborators.
- RPS Lab Alumni Earn NSF GRFP
David Amirsadri – URI CHE ’25 
Colby Constantine – URI CHE ’25 Two RPS Lab alumni – David Amirsadri and Colby Constantine – earned the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship award, which sponsors their graduate studies and research. Congratulations to both of these young researchers! The award is truly deserving, and our lab cannot wait to see their growth in the near future.
During their time in my group, David conducted measurements of the phase behavior and aggregation of polymer grafted nanoparticles (link) with impressive synthesis and characterization skills. He is now a student at University of Michigan working with Drs. Christopher Browne and Ron Larson to continue researching soft matter systems.
Colby ran particle tracking measurements to determine how nanoparticles transport through polymer-linked emulsions, helping to identify spatiotemporal heterogeneities in the system (link) and biomimetic dynamics (link). In addition, he independently created a multilayer mimic of mucosal layers to identify mechanisms of nanoparticle uptake. He is currently at the University of Delaware with Drs. Cathy Fromen and Victoria Muir where he continues to investigate transport properties and delivery.
- Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
Hao Chen, Chemical Engineering, University of Houston 
Rowan Bixler, Physics, Amherst College 
Gabriel Stradtman, Mechanical Engineering, URI 
Liam Kennings, Biomedical Engineering, URI The RPS Lab had the pleasure of hosting multiple undergraduate students this summer. Today, they presented their work during the RI Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium.
I am always impressed with the hard work and dedication these students bring to the programs and was even more impressed with the amount of progress they have all made!
The projects presented from our group include:
- Hao Chen, Chemical Engineering, University of Houston: Solvent and Temperature Effects on the Stability of Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles with Varying Polymer Molecular Weights
- Rowan Bixler, Physics, Amherst College: Developing an Optical Microscopy Method for Identifying Microplastics in Environmental Samples
- Gabriel Stradtman, Mechanical Engineering, URI: Elucidating the Printability of Soft Materials in 3D Printing
- Liam Kennings, Biomedical Engineering, URI: Conductive Liquid Crystal Elastomers for Soft Actuators
- Congratulations, Kylie Hartley, MS ’25
Last Friday, Kylie successfully defended her Master’s thesis! She has been an incredible asset to the group over the last two years, combining her backgrounds in cellular and molecular biology with chemical engineering to explore the potential of polymer-based anodes for microbial fuel cells.
We are sad to have her leaving but we are incredibly proud of how much she has grown during her time here, the beautiful experimental set ups she has developed, and her ability to connect fundamental insights to clear applications. We cannot wait to see what the future has in store for her!
Thesis Title: Development and Optimization of Polymer-Anode Microbial Fuel Cells from Wastewater Bacteria for Eco-Friendly Energy Generation and Applications in Low Current Systems
