TMI Newsletter | April & May 2025
From the TMI Graduate Advisor
Dear TMI Students,
Thank you for all the hard work, creativity, and resilience you bring to our community. As students from diverse backgrounds working across departments, you are what makes TMI such a vibrant and inspiring place to learn and grow.
Looking ahead, I encourage you to keep building connections, supporting one another, and embracing the opportunities that come with interdisciplinary collaboration. Your dedication shapes the future of TMI. I’m grateful to be part of this journey with you.
Best wishes,
Yuebing Zheng
The Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) program is celebrating the remarkable achievements of its graduate students, who were honored at the TechConnect World 2025. This international recognition highlights the innovative research from Jiazheng Bao, Pablo Vidal, and Ming-Feng Hsieh.
Jin Yang, an assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, was selected to receive a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award for 2025.
A group of researchers, led by David Mitlin and Yixian Wang, have recently published impactful research in Advanced Materials and in Angewandte Chemie, both articles making the journals’ front cover. Their work addresses critical challenges related to premature failure in anode-free solid-state batteries and in anode-free sodium metal batteries, both technologies promise to tremendously improve how society stores renewable energy.
Researchers have discovered a temporary version of this film that appears at rapid discharge speeds and dissolves back into the battery when the process finishes. This transient solid-electrolyte interphase (T-SEI) promotes a smoother surface of the metal anode than the permanent version, offering protection while avoiding harmful abrasiveness and resulting long-term issues.
Spring 2025 Graduates
Graduate Student Appreciation Week Highlights
This April, we celebrated our amazing graduate students with a special lunch during Graduate Student Appreciation Week. Thank you to all who joined us and continue to make our community stronger every day!
2025 Cockrell School of Engineering Student Leadership Awards!
Congratulations to Prince Alvin Fofanah on being selected as one of eight undergraduate recipients of the 2025 Cockrell School of Engineering Student Leadership Awards!
Established in 1970 by the Student Engineering Council, this prestigious honor recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding commitment, leadership, and service to the Cockrell School community.
We’re proud to celebrate Prince Alvin Fofanah!
Staff Updates at the Texas Materials Institute
We’re pleased to highlight two important role changes within our team:
Ihor Zhuk is now Senior Administrative Associate. and Dr. Raluca Gearba-Dolocan is now Associate Director of TMI.
Congrats to both on their new roles!
2025 Graduate Student Spotlight: Hyungmok Joh
What have been some of your most significant accomplishments during your time here?
On a personal note, meeting my now-wife here in Austin and getting married has been a highlight! Professionally, I am proud to have published and submitted my research to top-tier journals like Advanced Materials. This has been a rewarding validation of my work in materials science.
What advice would you give to current students from a graduating student's perspective?
A PhD is a marathon, not a sprint. Burnout is natural, so don’t hesitate to take a step back and recharge when needed. It’s better to work fewer hours with full focus and productivity than to push through exhaustion with diminished results. Quality always outweighs quantity.
Looking back, what has been the most rewarding part of your graduate experience?
Attending conferences and presenting my research to scholars worldwide has been incredibly rewarding. It allowed me to exchange ideas, receive feedback, and learn about cutting-edge research from other groups.
What are your plans after graduation?
I plan to continue working with Dr. Fan for the time being to complete my current research projects. After that, I aim to explore opportunities at national labs where I can further develop my research career and gain more hands-on experience.
What will you miss most about your time here?
I’ll definitely miss Austin—it’s a city that strikes the perfect balance between being lively yet not overly crowded. I’ll also miss discussing research with my colleagues and friends, who have been an integral part of my journey.
Spring 2025 Professional Development Awards
Aniket Marne
Dr. Jose Alvarado lab
Nicolas Molina
Dr. Mangolini lab
Kwangrae Kim
Dr. Yuanyue Liu lab
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Graduate School May Events
- Beyond the Professoriate Annual Online PhD Career Conference: May 05, 11am| Virtual
- Grad Students & Postdocs: Empowering Chronic Illness Communication: Apr 22, 5PM | Virtual
Spring 2025 Academic Dates
- Final exams: May 1 - 5
- University Commencement: May 10
- First day of classes for First Term, Nine-week Term, and Summer Term: June 5
- Payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. CST for graduate and law students: June 10
