2014 Invited Speakers


  • Budak Dr. Satilmus Budak Associate Professor Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Alabama A&M University Dr. S. Budak is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of the Alabama A&M University (AAMU). He has been currently working on high efficient thermoelectric devices from the nanolayered thin film systems modified by high energy ion beam bombardment and thermal annealing at different temperatures for energy harvesting from waste of heat since 2005. His group reached remarkable results on the efficient thermoelectric devices. His research background and studies include also colossal magneto-resistivity, Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and Ferromagnetic Resonance (FMR) Spectroscopy, magnetic properties of materials, semiconductor materials, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), pulsed laser deposition (PLD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD), thermoelectric materials and characterization techniques, Rutherford Backscattering (RBS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM+ EDS), high and low energy ion implantation, DC plasma processing, DC/RF magnetron sputtering, optical absorption spectroscopy, growth and characterization of semiconductor nanowires, Fluoro-polymer films and their modification with high ion beam bombardment, radiation effects on ETFE polymer, proton beam effects on Phenolic-based composites reinforced with nano-powders, polymeric thermal analysis of C+H ion implanted UHMWPE samples, cell adhesion study of the titanium alloys, surface morphology of UHMWPE for biomedical implants, microelectronic device and nano-bio sensor fabrication, microprocessors. He will give a talk on design of nanostructures for energy efficient devices including his current research and his colleagues’ research overviews from the Alabama A&M University. Abstract

  • Chopra Dr. Nitin Chopra Associate Professor Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Center for Materials for Information Technologies The University of Alabama

    Nitin Chopra earned his undergraduate engineering degree (Materials and Metallurgical Engineering) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (India) in 2001, and a doctoral degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Kentucky (2005). After completing his PhD, Nitin worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Kentucky (Department of Chemistry, 2005-2009) where he studied nanostructures and soft biomaterials for applications in drug delivery, chemical and biological sensors, supercapacitors, and biofuel cells. His research from 2001 led to several breakthroughs in the area of carbon nanotubes and nanomaterials, nanoporous membranes, and shadow lithography method. Nitin is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alabama and an Adjunct in Department of Biological Sciences. His research interests include development of nanoscale heterostructures, studying their growth mechanisms, materials characterization, and applications in biomaterials, sensors, complex architectures, and devices utilizing materials chemistry at nanoscale. Nitin is the recipient of The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS) Young Leader Professional Development Award in 2010, 2011 TMS Young Leader International Scholar Award, and was inducted into the 2010 class of Emerging Professionals in ASM International. He is an honorary fellow of the Australian Institute of High Energetic Materials. He is also the founding Editor-in-chief of “Nanomaterials and Energy” journal (ICE Publishing, UK). He serves on various technical and programming committees in TMS, ASM International, and serves ACS as the 2013 Past Chair of the local Alabama section. He has published more than 75 peer-reviewed research articles, including publications in Nature and Science, over 90 conference presentations, and 100 invited talks nationally and internationally. His work is cited more than 2500 times and have an h-index more than 20. He is also a recipient of the University of Alabama’s 2013 Faculty Fellow Service Learning Award. He also serves on industrial and technical advisory boards. Abstract

  • Duffy Dr. Carol Duffy Associate Professor Department of Biological Sciences The University of Alabama

    Dr. Carol Duffy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama. Dr. Duffy’s background is in molecular virology with both bacteriophage and animal viruses. Her lab is currently working on a number of projects to 1) elucidate the roles of tegument proteins in HSV-1 replication, and 2) determine the contribution of HSV-1 to chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, fibromyalgia, and chronic gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, the Duffy lab has been collaborating with Dr. Yuping Bao (UA) to develop methodologies for the biofunctionalization of inorganic nanoparticles and investigate the potential of HSV-1 as a multifunctional vector for medical applications. Her talk will focus on the development of HSV-1 as an inorganic nanoparticle delivery vector. Abstract

  • Feugangpng Dr. Jean M. Feugang Assistant Research Professor Facility for Organismal and Cellular Imaging Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences Mississippi State University

    Dr. Jean M. Feugang is a Research Assistant Professor in Reproductive Biology at Mississippi State University. He is an accomplished embryologist who started working in the reproductive area during his graduate studies at the French National Institute of Agriculture Research (INRA, Tours-Nouzilly, France) and Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) and postdoctoral fellowship positions at The University of Arizona, Tucson and Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS. His research career began in 1997 with the setup of the in vitro porcine embryo production at INRA, which led to the birth of the first piglets from totally in vitro-produced embryos (Marchal, Feugang, 2001). Currently, Dr. Feugang conducts various research projects on animal gametes and early embryo development at Mississippi State University. His research activities have generated numerous publications and he has been author and co-author of more than forty peer-review papers and abstracts. Dr. Feugang has also presented over than twenty oral presentations at national and international scientific meetings. This publication record built on (i) research activities funded by various agencies (e.g., internal funds of universities, NIH, and USDA-ARS), (ii) successful contribution of highly motivated students from various background and nationalities, (iii) and numerous collaborators from clinical, academic and private areas. Dr. Feugang is well-introduced in his area of research and actively contributes to the success of related professional societies. He has served either as reviewer or editorial member of prestigious scientific journals (i.e., Biomaterials, Journal of Biophotonics, Journal of In Vitro Fertilization, Human Reproduction, Reproduction, Fertility and Development, Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology) and meetings such as the International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS), the worldwide respected professional society in the field of animal reproduction. Dr. Feugang is also member of various professional organizations. Dr. Feugang and his colleagues at Mississippi State University (Dr. Scott T. Willard, Dr. Peter L. Ryan, and Dr. Mark A. Crenshaw) are now pioneering in a new research program with the aim of employing nanoparticles for non-invasive bio-imaging analyses of specific animal reproduction systems. With this ongoing research, Dr. Feugang is seeking for new collaborators with interdisciplinary interests. Abstract

  • Hosur Dr. Mahesh Hosur Professor Department of Materials Sciences & Engineering Tuskegee University

    Mahesh Hosur is a Professor in Materials Science and Engineering department at Tuskegee University. He has led research efforts in advanced fiber reinforced composites, sandwich composites, nanophased composites, advanced green composites in areas of processing, process sensing, low-cost manufacturing, static and dynamic characterization, fatigue and fracture, structural analysis, development of characterization of flexible armors for extremities protection, repair of thick section composites, damage tolerant design, environmental effects, morphological characterization, microstructural characterization, nondestructive evaluation in particular ultrasonic and thermography techniques. To date he has led research efforts worth over $22M as PI and over $31.5M as Co-PI. He has supervised about 50 graduate students and nearly 50 undergraduate students besides mentoring junior faculty members. He has authored or coauthored 3 books, 3 book chapters, over 275 articles in journals and conference proceedings besides numerous technical reports. He has received many honors which includes recognition as Fellow of American Society for Mechanical Engineers. Abstract

  • Irwin Dr. Michael H. Irwin Research Associate Professor Department of Pathobiology College of Veterinary Medicine Auburn University Abstract

  • Kharlampieva Dr. Eugenia Kharlampieva Assistant Professor of Polymer Chemistry Department of Chemistry The University of Alabama at Birmingham

    Eugenia Kharlampieva is an Assistant Professor of Polymer Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She received her Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the Stevens Institute of Technology and postdoctoral training in Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research centers at the intersection of polymer chemistry, nanotechnology, and biomedical science and includes synthesis and assembly of polymers and nanostructures as novel platforms for therapeutic applications such as controlled delivery and regenerative medicine. She has authored more than 60 articles and has been recently awarded NSF CAREER. Abstract

  • Myers Dr. Richard M. Myers President and Science Director HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Huntsville, Alabama

    Banquet Keynote Speaker Abstract

  • Ng Dr. Joseph D. Ng Associate Professor Director of the Biotech Science & Engineering Program Department of Biological Sciences & Lab of Structural Biology The University of Alabama in Huntsville

    Dr. Ng, a biotechnology scientist, received his Doctorate in Biochemistry from the University of California, Riverside in 1992 and did his postdoctoral work studying protein crystal growth and X-ray crystallography of macromolecules at The National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Ng was contracted with the French Space Agency (CNES) to work with NASA on biological experiments in space where he was responsible for coordinating scientists all over Europe to conduct biological experiments on the International Space Station. In 1998, Dr. Ng joined the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) as a faculty member in the Department of Biological Science. Presently, Dr. Ng is the Director of the Biotechnology Science and Engineering Program at UAH and a principal investigator for a research team studying structural and synthetic biology. He has over 60 research publications, won several research awards and has been recognized for academic excellence in the scientific community including being a member of the U.S. National Committee for Crystallography of the National Academies. Dr. Ng is also a co-founder and President of iXpressGenes Inc. He has been instrumental in advancing the Biotechnology community in Huntsville AL in his involvement and partnership with the UAH business school, private companies and government laboratories. Abstract

  • Nikles Dr. David E. Nikles Professor Department of Chemistry and Center for Materials for Information Technology The University of Alabama   Abstract

  • Palanki Dr. Srinivas Palanki Professor and Chair Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of South Alabama

    Dr. Srinivas Palanki joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of South Alabama as Professor and Chair in 2007. Prior to joining USA, he was a Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at Florida State University. He has been a visiting professor at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Ecole Nationale Superieure Des Industries Chimiques (France) and National University of Singapore (Singapore). He obtained his Ph.D in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi). His research focuses on the application of systems analysis tools to problems in engineering and biology. Abstract

  • Penman Andrew D. Penman, Ph.D., FRSC Vice President Drug Development Southern Research Institute Lunch Keynote Speaker "In November 2008, Andrew D. Penman, Ph.D., was named Vice President of the Drug Development Division at Southern Research. In this position, he leads the preclinical contract research operations in toxicology, bioanalytical sciences, infectious diseases, cancer therapeutics, and immunology. Before joining Southern Research, Dr Penman served as vice president of Preclinical Development for Angiotech Inc. in Canada where he directed the company's global preclinical research and development activities focusing on a number of different therapeutic areas. He also led the company's Vascular WrapTM project team for a product in Phase III clinical trials. Prior to that, Dr Penman was President of Preclinical Technologies at Aptuit. He also held scientific management positions at Pharmacia (now part of Pfizer) in the US, Cephac Europe SA in France, and Quintiles in the UK and US. Dr. Penman earned his Bachelor's degree in chemistry from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and his Doctorate degree from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, has made numerous scientific presentations and is author or co-author on a number of scientific publications."

  • Dr. Jacob Jordan Contractor Support, DARPA/BTO Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office

    Formed in April 2014, the mission of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Biological Technologies Office (DARPA/BTO) is to foster, demonstrate, and transition breakthrough fundamental research, discoveries, and applications that integrate biology, engineering, and computer science for national security. This presentation will provide an overview of the BTO vision, general strategies for innovation within DARPA programs, and a few specific examples of ongoing work within the field.