2025 Fall Group Photo |
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Top row, left to right: Clare Janas, Robert Davis, Banchhanidhi Prusti, Xiaocun Lu |
Current Members |
Xiaocun Lu
Postdoc, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL |
Banchhanidhi Prusti
Postdoc, National Institute for Materials Science, Ibaraki, Japan
Research Profile
Banchhanidhi Prusti was born and raised in Jayrampur, a culturally rich and vibrant region in Odisha, India. He earned his B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from R.I.H.S., Bhograi, followed by a master’s degree with a specialization in Organic Chemistry from Sambalpur University, Odisha. Driven by a strong passion for research and innovation, Banchhanidhi pursued his doctoral studies at BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, under the mentorship of Prof. Manab Chakravarty. His Ph.D. research focused on the design and synthesis of stimuli-responsive fluorophores. Following the completion of his Ph.D., he joined the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Namiki, Japan, as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the group of Prof. Masayoshi Higuchi. There, his work centered on the development of metallo-supramolecular polymers for visible-to-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) switching smart window applications. In January 2025, Banchhanidhi joined Prof. Lu’s research group, where his current research interests lie at the intersection of molecular design and materials chemistry. His work focuses on the design and synthesis of Vis-NIR switching mechanophores with potential applications in biomechanics, particularly in force-responsive molecular systems, where fluorescence and chemiluminescence are employed as optical transduction mechanisms for sensing and real-time visualization of stress and deformation at the molecular level.
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Krishna Pandey
Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Southern Illinois University,Carbondale, IL
Research Profile
Krishna Pandey was born and raised in Sota, a small village in Resunga Municipality of Gulmi District, located in the western region of Nepal. He received his B.S in 2013 with Chemistry and Microbiology major from Tri-Chandra College and M.S. in 2015 with specialization in organic chemistry from Tribhuvan University in Nepal. He obtained a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Southern Illinois University Carbondale under the supervision of Professor Kyle N. Plunkett in 2024. His dissertation title was “Hypervalent Iodine Based Macrocycles and Their Supramolecular Interactions With Guests.” Following the completion of his Ph.D., he joined Professor Xiaocun Lu’s research group as a postdoctoral scholar at Clarkson University. His research focuses on synthesis and characterization of small molecules and polymers for biomedical applications.
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Tonny Chowdhury
M.Sc. in Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Research Profile
Tonny Chowdhury completed her B.Sc. (2022) and M.Sc. (2024) degrees in Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. During her master’s studies, she conducted thesis research under Professor Md. Ibrahim H. Mondal on multifunctional biomaterials, titled “Zn-NPs Incorporated Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Based Biofilm Hydrogel in Promoting Wound Healing Activity with Multifunctional Character.” After completing her M.Sc., Tonny joined the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering at the European University of Bangladesh as an Adjunct Lecturer, contributing to academic instruction and research guidance. In January 2025, she began working as a Graduate Research Assistant in Professor Xiaocun Lu’s research group at Clarkson University. Her current research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of mechanoresponsive polymeric materials for biomedical applications.
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Simon Asare
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, Tulane University
Research Profile
Simon Oppong Asare completed his B.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering (2021) at the University of Ghana, Legon, where he conducted his undergraduate project under the supervision of Professor Kwofie Samuel titled “Molecular Modeling Approach to Identify Potential Hepatitis C Virus NS5B Inhibitors.” After graduation, he worked in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Tepa Government Hospital for one year (2022), providing clinical engineering support and equipment maintenance, and subsequently transferred to the Radiology Department for another year (2023), where he gained hands-on experience with medical imaging systems and clinical diagnostics. He later completed his M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at Tulane University (2025), where he conducted a project (non-thesis) under Professor Douglas B. Chrisey titled “Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids (PLAL): Effects of External Pressure on Cavitation Bubble Dynamics and Nanoparticle Nucleation and Growth.” In January 2026, he began working as a Graduate Research Assistant in Professor Xiaocun Lu’s research group at Clarkson University.
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Robert Davis
Mechanical Engineering, Honors Program
Research Profile
Robert is the Lab Manager of the Lu Research Group. His research focuses on the use of spiropyran mechanophores for real-time, microscale analysis of mechanical stress (manuscript in preparation), as well as the integration of spiropyran-based systems with ultrasound for imaging applications. He has presented his research at the International Mechanical Engineering Conference (2025).
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Karyssa Parker
Chemistry |
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Clare Janas
Chemical Engineering |
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Alumni
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Group Photo Gallery |
2022 Fall Group Photo |
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Left to right: Bailey Brennen, Otho Sandwick, Theodore Warfle, Max Lempert, Rachel Gentile, Robert Davis, Richard Chandradat, Nnamdi Ofodum, Xiaocun Lu |
2021 Fall Group Photo |
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Left to right: Xiaocun Lu, Bailey Brennen, Madison Tabor, James Lowe, Benjamin Ellis, Nnamdi Ofodum, Richard Chandradat, Catherine Bennett, Lindsey Dillenbeck, Raigen McGahey |
2020 Summer Group Photo |
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Top row, left to right: Qingkai Qi, Xiaocun Lu, Nnamdi Ofodum |
2019 Fall Group Photo |
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Left to right: Xiaocun Lu, Jeremy Maillet, Qingkai Qi, Nnamdi Ofodum, Justin Juan, Samantha Salim, Rachel Adams, Richard Chandradat |
