Principal Investigator
Ramya Kumar, PhD
Colorado School of Mines
Office: 443 Alderson Hall
B.E. (Hons.) Chemical Engineering
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, 2009
Ramya Kumar was born in Madurai, India and raised in the coastal city of Chennai (Madras), where she completed her schooling.
Education and training
- Postdoc, Dept of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 2021
- PhD, Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2018
- B.E. (Hons.) Chemical Engineering, 2009
Professional Experience
- Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (Jan 2022 onwards)
Awards & Honors
Ramya was fortunate to be awarded the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship through a university-level competition, which allowed her to chart an independent and ambitious course of research in her final year. She also received a Procter & Gamble Team Innovation Award, the Towner Prize for Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor and several poster prizes.
- PMSE Future Faculty Scholar, 2019 [PMSE]
- Spring career development award, 2019 [UMN Postdoctoral Association]
- Finalist, AIChE graduate student awards, Biomaterials, 2017 [AIChE]
- Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, 2017-18, University of Michigan [Rackham]
- Departmental nominee, 2018, Richard & Eleanor Towner Prize for Outstanding PhD research, College of Engineering, University of Michigan
- Poster award, Second Place, Material Science & Engineering session, Engineering Graduate Symposium, 2016, University of Michigan [EGS UMICH]
- Procter & Gamble Team Innovation Award, 2016, 40th Annual Macro Symposium, Department of Macromolecular Science & Engineering, University of Michigan. Presented a poster that was recognized for innovative and collaborative research.
- Richard & Eleanor Towner Prize for outstanding Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), 2016, University of Michigan. For exceptional & innovative teaching. [UMich Engineering]
- Poster award, First Place, Material & Chemical Technology session,Engineering Graduate Symposium, 2014, University of Michigan [EGS UMICH]
- College of Engineering fellowship for incoming students from Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, September-December 2012.
- Monali Dey Memorial Award, BITS Pilani, December 2008, alumni memorial award for the most outstanding chemical engineering undergraduate in a graduating class
Current Lab Members
Visiting Scholar
High School Student
Undergraduate Student
ccastellion@mines.edu
Undergraduate Student
alex_dhupar@mines.edu
Undergraduate Student
jestridge@mines.edu
PhD Student
ahumpal@mines.edu
Adam graduated from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in spring 2022 with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering. While there he was involved in two research projects. The first involved the fabrication of printed radio frequency identification antennas using self-aligned capillarity-assisted lithography for electronics (Prof. Lorraine Francis and Prof. Daniel Frisbie). His second undergraduate research experience focused on the identification of Frank-Kasper phases in tetrablock copolymers (Prof. Frank Bates). Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science with research interests in developing versatile polymeric drug delivery platforms. His hobbies are cross-country skiing, rock climbing, camping, and hiking. Adam is co-advised by Prof. Anuj Chauhan.
Undergraduate Student
wkani@mines.edu
Wakana is an undergraduate student in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, minoring in Biomedical Engineering. Her research interests lie in the development of drug delivery systems and is planning on attending graduate school after graduating in 2025. In her free time, she loves to draw, bake, and play the piano.
PhD Student
jllawson@mines.edu
Jessica received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Materials Science and Engineering in Spring 2022. There, she performed undergraduate research in designing polymers for 3D printing using frontal polymerization (at Prof. Nancy Sottos’ lab). She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Materials Science, focusing on developing self-assembled polymer systems for biomaterial applications. Her research interests are primarily in polymer synthesis and characterization. Some of her interests outside of research include cooking, baking, playing soccer and volleyball with friends. Jessica was awarded an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship in 2023.
Visiting Scholar
High School Student
Gabby is a senior at Lakewood High School. She is planning on majoring in chemistry or chemical engineering in college. Outside of school, she is a competitive gymnast, enjoys spending time with her dog, hiking, and volunteering at a local hospital. She is spending the summer at lab as a high-school intern to learn how to synthesize and characterize polymers.
Undergraduate Student
gmoreau@mines.edu
Gautier is a junior majoring in Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering and minoring in data science and eventually plans on attending graduate school for bioengineering. Outside of undergraduate research, Gautier is involved in the Mines Activities Council, Peer Mentor Program, and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. In his free time, he enjoys skiing and running.
Postdoctoral Fellow
ramprasadsekar@mines.edu LinkedIn
Undergraduate Student
grantwheeler@mines.edu
Undergraduate Student
jyanes@mines.edu
Jillian Yanes is currently obtaining her undergraduate degree in Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering from Colorado School of Mines with two minors, one in Biomedical Engineering and one in Business and Entrepreneurship and is graduating in May 2025. She is originally from Georgia and is involved on campus with Intermural sports, Greek life, Society of Women Engineering, and Peer mentor program. In the lab she works alongside Ram Prashad to assist in the research of drug delivery through mixed micelleplexes. She loves being a part of research because it gives her the opportunity to help people and learn new things.
Lab Alumni
Name | Role in the lab | Where are they now? |
---|---|---|
Caleb McGrath | Undergrad researcher | Medical School Applicant |
Claire Nelson | Undergrad researcher | PhD student, Materials Science, UCSB |
Aryelle Wright | Masters thesis student | Research Associate, Abbvie Pharmaceuticals |