Graduate Students
Graduate students in Clemson’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering engage in dynamic, research-driven learning alongside faculty supported by NSF and NIH funding. Their work spans diverse areas such as advanced materials and polymers, microfluidic cancer research, radiochemistry, and drug delivery.
Representing regions across the United States—from Alabama to California—and countries around the world, including Nigeria and China, these students bring a wide range of perspectives to collaborative projects that address some of today’s most complex scientific challenges. Each student works closely with a faculty advisor to develop innovative solutions and contribute meaningfully to the field.
Student Directory

Alexander Adogwa
Research Area: Environmental Catalysis
Advisor: Dr. Ming Yang
Home: Benue State, Nigeria
Degree: B.S. & M.S., Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria

Gideon Afful
Research Area: Catalysis for Energy and Environmental Applications
Advisor: Dr. Ming Yang
Home: Kumasi, Ghana
Degree: BSc, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi

Oreoluwa Agede
Research Area: Advanced Materials and Polymers
Advisor: Dr. Mark Thies
Home: Ondo, Nigeria
Degree: B.S., The University of Alabama

Noah Arnold
Research Area: Nanoparticle-Distributed Enzyme Replacement Therapy in the treatment of Gm1 Gangliosidosis
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Larsen
Home: South Carolina
Degree: B.S., Clemson University

Stephanie Beitle
Research Area: Cell Culture and Fermentation
Advisor: Sarah Harcum
Home: Arkansas
Degree: B.S., University of Arkansas

Anna Chadwick
Research Area: Microfluidic Cancer Research
Advisor: Dr. Adam Melvin
Home: Louisiana
Degree: B.S., Furman University

Colleen Clarke
Research Area: Proton-Exchange Membranes and Redox Flow Batteries
Advisor: Dr. Eric Davis
Home: New Jersey
Degree: B.S., Iona University

Kylie Folkes
Research Area: Radiochemistry
Advisor: Dr. Scott Husson
Home: California
Degree: B.S., University of Arkansas

Chloe Forenzo
Research Area: Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Larsen
Home: New Jersey
Degree: B.S., Clemson University

Karen Guillen Cuevas
Research Area: Membranes for protein separation
Advisor: Scott Husson
Home: San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Degree: B.S. Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi; M.S., Instituto Technologico de Celaya

Jefferson Giles
Research Area: Separation of Carbonaceous Compounds via Supercritical Extraction
Advisor: Dr. Mark Thies
Home: South Carolina
Degree: B.S., Clemson University

Franchesca Hauck
Research Area: Dual Function Materials for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Conversion
Advisor: Dr. Ana Alba-Rubio
Home: Georgia
Degree: B.S., University of Dayton

Zehua Jin
Research Area: Energy and Environmental Catalysis
Advisor: Dr. Ming Yang
Home: Zhejiang, China
Degree: B.S., Inner Mongolia University

Seoyoung Lee
Research Area: Stimuli-Responsive Polymersomes for Theranostic and Therapeutic Applications in GM1 Gangliosidosis
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Larsen
Home: Seoul, South Korea
Degree: B.S., University of Washington

Fatemeh Maddah
Research Area: Protein Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Cat Majors
Home: Iran
Degree: B.S., University of Tehran

Zachary Morocho
Research Area: Novel Protein Engineering to Build In Vitro Diagnostic Tools
Advisor: Dr. Cat Majors
Home: New York
Degree: B.S., Iona University

Sai Teja Nekkanti
Research Area: Heterogeneous Catalysis
Advisor: Dr. Ana Alba-Rubio
Home: Andhra Pradesh, India
Degree: B.S., Sri Venkateswara University

Braulio Andres Ortega Quesada
Research Area: Cancer and Microfluids
Advisor: Dr. Adam Melvin
Home: Costa Rica
Degree: B.S., Universidad de Costa Rica

Riley Osbourn
Research Area: Microfluidic Co-Culture Devices
Advisor: Dr. Adam Melvin
Home: South Carolina
Degree: B.S., Francis Marion University

Rachel Phillips
Research Area: Catalyst for Polymer Recycling
Advisor: Dr. Ana Alba-Rubio
Home: Virginia
Degree: B.S., West Virginia University

Srikanth Rapala
Research Area: Cell Culture Process Development Using CHO Cells for Therapeutic Protein Production
Advisor: Dr. Sarah Harcum
Home: Telangana, India
Degree: BTech, SASTRA University, India

Jack Schmidt
Research Area: Analysis and Simulation of Petroleum-Derived Carbonaceous Compounds
Advisor: Dr. Mark Thies
Home: Ohio
Degree: B.S., The University of Toledo

Isaac Kojo Seim
Research Area: Energy and Electrocatalysis
Advisor: Dr. Ming Yang
Home: Kumasi, Ghana
Degree: B.S., Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; MSc, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology

Afrid Mazhar Shirsekar
Research Area: Systems Biology
Advisor: Dr. Marc Birtwistle
Home: Mumbai, India
Degree: B.S., Institute of Chemical Technology; M.S., Clemson University

Chandler Solomon
Research Area: Ionomer Biocomposites for Redox Flow Batteries
Advisor: Dr. Eric Davis
Home: Texas
Degree: B.S., Spelman College

Missoury Wolff
Research Area: Polymer Membranes
Advisor: Dr. Eric Davis
Home: West Virginia
Degree: B.S., Olin College of Engineering