Get to know our Faculty and Staff
Dr. Raj K Vinnakota
Interim Director of the CMMS
Assistant Professor & EET Program Coordinator
Troy University
123 Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS)
Troy, AL 36082
rvinnakota@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-808-6277
http://spectrum.troy.edu/rvinnakota/
Dr. Vinnakota is an Assistant professor and an EET program coordinator. His research largely emphasized on designing and study of light coupling with nanoscale, semiconductors with direct application in novel, high speed processors and sensors. After completing his postdoctoral work from Computational Electromagnetism Research Lab (CERL) and Institute of Micro Manufacturing (IFM), at Louisiana Tech University he joined the department of Chemistry and Physics at Troy University in the Spring of 2020. Research interests include: Novel Optoelectronic Devices, Metal and Semiconductor based Plasmonics and enhanced light matter interactions, Nanophotonics, Heat Transfer.
Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Chair, Dept. of Chemistry and Physics
Troy University
315 McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
wangz@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-670-3573
His current research interest is in using Organic Chemistry as a tool to explore two areas: 1) The rational construction of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for clean energy-related applications including methane storage, hydrogen storage, and carbon dioxide capture; 2) The genetic incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins and labeling of proteins with small molecule probes.
Dr. Shaoyang Liu
Professor of Chemistry
Troy University
130 Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS)
Troy, AL 36082
lius@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-808-6556
https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/rid/C-3417-2012
He received his B.S. in Applied Chemistry and later earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). After graduation, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher and later as a Research Fellow at Auburn University. In 2012, he joined the faculty at Troy University. His research endeavors are primarily centered on the application of diverse advanced analytical instruments in the realms of plastic recycling and the development of innovative materials.
Dr. Mojtaba Enayati
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Troy University
129 Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS)
Troy, AL 36082
menayati@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-670-3577
He received his Ph.D. in polymer chemistry from the University of Tehran. After graduation, he worked for 5 years as an assistant professor. He then joined the University of Pennsylvania as a postdoctoral research associate (2015-2017), followed by another postdoc and a senior research associate position at Cornell University (2017-2020). His research was focused on controlled (living) radical polymerizations, surface-initiated Cu(0)-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (Cu(0)-RDRP), synthesis and characterization of polymer beads and ion-exchange resins, microencapsulation of active ingredients, and waste to value-added products. By joining Troy University in 2021, his research will be focused on “polymer recycling”.
Dr. Arun Ghosh
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Troy University
122 Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS)
Troy, AL 36082
aghosh@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-808-6758
http://spectrum.troy.edu/aghosh/
Dr Ghosh has received his Bachelor and Master in Chemistry from the University of North Bengal (India) and PhD in Polymer science from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. After graduation he worked as post-doctoral researcher and scientist in various universities and R&D labs in North America and New Zealand. Dr Ghosh joined the Troy University in August 2019. His research interests include processing, characterization and application of different synthetic and natural polymers and their composites.
Dr. Amanda Kennell
Assistant Professor of Physics
Troy University
121 Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS)
Troy, AL 36082
akennell@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-808-6759
Dr. Kennell received her PhD in physics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research is multifaceted in material fabrication through nanofibers and study of the material's properties and behavior in a physiological environment. Dr. Kennell's research interests are in electrohydrodynamics, tissue engineering, biomechanical engineering, and filtration.
Dr. Aboulfazl Barati
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Troy University
119 Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS)
Troy, AL 36082
abarati@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-670-5939
He earned his Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Petroleum University of Technology (Iran), and later his Master and Ph.D. in Chemical (Polymer) Engineering at the Tarbiat Modares University (Iran). His educational background, graduate, and postgraduate training and research represents his expertise in polymer science and engineering, recycling and sustainability, and process-structure-property relationships. Dr. Barati commenced his role as a postdoctoral research associate at Troy University in June 2022. His research interest is focused on developing new methods for recycling/upcycling of polymer materials. This involves exploring various facets, such as processing, characterization, and application of synthetic, natural, and hybrid (composite) polymers.
Dr. Brooke Otten
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Troy University
002B Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS)
Troy, AL 36082
botten@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-670-3576
Dr. Otten has received her Bachelor and PhD in Chemistry from the University of North Texas. After graduation she worked as visiting assistant professor at Vassar College in New York. Dr. Otten joined Troy University in August 2021. Her research interest include catalytic and structural studies of Au(I) compounds through both computational and experimental means.
Dr. Shaimum Shahriar
Assistant Professor of Electronics Engineering Technology
Department of Chemistry and Physics
Troy University
University Park, 518 S Brundidge St, Suite #120, Room #101A
Troy, AL 36081
sshahriar@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-808-6723
Dr. Shahriar received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The University of Texas at El Paso in December 2019. During his doctoral studies, he studied organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells. He worked with Dr. Deidra Hodges, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, to fabricate and characterize perovskite thin films and perovskite solar cells with a planar structure. Before joining the Department of Chemistry and Physics at TROY University in Fall 2023, he was a Post-Doctoral Scholar working with Dr. Stephen Kuebler, Professor of Chemistry and Optics, on bioinspired spatially-varying photonic crystals (SVPCs). SVPCs are fabricated by multi-photon lithography (MPL) to support the development of chemical warfare agent (CWA) sensors based on artificial substrates inspired by nanophotonic structures found in nature. His current research interests include flexible solar cells, energy-harvesting materials and technologies, nano-mechanical energy harvesting, and photonic sensors.
Dena G Byars
Assistant to the Director
Troy University
321C McCall Hal (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
dbyars@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-808-6721
Emily Sustarich
Laboratory Technician
Troy University
002A Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS)
Troy, AL 36082
esustarich@troy.edu
cmmslabtech@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-670-3574