NSM Graduate Student Advisory Board
The NSM Graduate Student Advisory Board serves as a liaison between the NSM graduate students and the Dean’s Office. It provides a safe platform where graduate student issues can be discussed freely and where two-way communication between the College and the graduate student community can occur efficiently. Members of the advisory board also help organize events and initiatives to enhance the graduate experience in the College.
Michael Daniel
Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
I’m a first-year Ph.D. student working under the tutelage of Dr. Mike Murphy. I graduated from the University of Arizona in 2020 with a B.S. in geology and received my M.S. in geology from University of Houston in 2022, working with Dr. Mike Murphy. My research interests are centered on active tectonics, integrating thermochronology and structural mapping; so far, I have worked in the Chiricahua’s of southeastern Arizona, the Red Rocks Fault in SW Montana, and the Western Nepal Fault System, in the central Himalaya. My master’s and doctoral research projects focus on active strike-slip tectonics in western Nepal. My role, doing field mapping and structural analysis, is part of an interdisciplinary effort involving research groups from universities in America and Nepal, with an overarching goal of assessing seismic hazards in villages located in areas which could, potentially, be affected by ground shaking
Roshni Jaffery
Department of Biology & Biochemistry
Roshni is a fourth-year graduate student in the Cell and Molecular Biology Ph.D. program at the University of Houston. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Baylor University. Her research focus is the role immunology plays in Parkinson’s Disease, particularly exploring whether (1) the LRRK2 G2019S mutation promotes neuron damage induced by T cells and whether (2) the LRRK2 G2019S mutation has an effect on T cell differentiation and function. Her hobbies include binging TV shows “The Office” and “Friends” for the millionth time, baking, gardening, painting, crocheting, sculpting, journaling, and traveling.
Saba Khan
Department of Computer Science
I am a second-year Ph.D. student in the Computer Graphics and Interactive Media (CGIM) Lab, working under the supervision of Prof. Zhigang Deng. I earned my master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Bonn, Germany. My research currently involves developing an interactive AI system for collaborative X-ray diagnosis. My interests include human-computer interaction, deep learning for vision systems, and computer graphics.
Łukasz Krzywon
Department of Mathematics
I am a fourth-year Mathematics Ph.D. student working with Dr. Climenhaga. I study nonuniform hyperbolic dynamics. So far, I have studied dynamical maps on the interval with a single singularity (the derivative goes to infinity). I will soon turn my attention to dynamical billiards. This semester (Fall 2024) I am an instructor for College Algebra.
Rutik Manikandhan
Department of Physics
I am a third-year graduate student working in particle physics under the guidance of Dr. Rene Bellwied. I graduated from the Indian Institute of Science and Research in Mohali, India in 2020 with a Bachelors and Masters in physics. Currently I’m collaborating with Brookhaven National Lab’s STAR experiment in finding the critical point of the QCD phase diagram. During my free time I like to play badminton and travel to new places and trying out new food.
Anuththara Yoshini
Department of Chemistry
I am a third-year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry. I received my B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Chemistry from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Currently, I am working in Dr. Scott Gilbertson’s research group, and I am specialized in both small drug molecule synthesis and total synthesis including novel allosteric KRAS inhibitors to treat pancreatic, colon and lung cancer. I am close to completing synthesis of an iridoid type natural product and its derivative compound which shows promising inhibitory activity against relapse and refractory Ewing Sarcoma.