2009 Faculty Mentors

Dr. Jun Jiao: Principal Investigator

Dr. Jun Jiao holds an M.S. in Physics and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona, and is currently a professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering. She is also the director of the Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication at Portland State University (PSU). Dr. Jiao's principal research interests concern nanoscale materials and the application of analytical techniques of electron microscopy.  Since joining PSU in 1999, Dr. Jiao has successfully initiated several major research activities that have provided a strong foundation for her own research as well as for research and education at PSU. Her devotion to undergraduate research and education includes advising more than 90 undergraduates on NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) projects during summers at PSU, and involving high school students in cutting-edge nanoscience research--earning her recognition as the Outstanding Mentor of 2003-04 by Siemens Westinghouse Competition of Math, Science, and Technology.

Dr. Erik Sánchez: Co-PI

Dr. Sánchez earned his Ph.D. at the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) in Near-Field Microscopy (ESR/Physics) while attending Portland State University. After graduating, he continued at Harvard University in the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department. Dr. Sánchez's Nano-Development Lab focuses on the development and implementation of nano-scale imaging techniques. His current research encompasses a variety of fields including Near Field optics, Charged Beam technology, and 3D FDTD Electromagnetic Modeling. During the summer months, he co-directs the PSU REU program with Dr. Jiao.

Dr. Rolf Könenkamp: Professor of Physics

Dr. Könenkamp earned his Ph.D. at Tulane University in 1984. He has been teaching at Portland State University since 2002. His current research focuses on the fabrication of nano-structured devices as well as the growth of highly structured semiconductors. During the summer months he mentors REU participants.

Dr. Radu Popa: Associate Professor of Biology

Dr. Popa earned his Ph.D. in ecology at the University of Bucharest in Romania. In 2000, he received his second Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Popa has been teaching at Portland State University since 2005. His research projects include a study of the life cycle of magnetic bacteria, microbial biosignatures in silicate minerals from Earth and Mars rocks, as well as several astrobiology projects.

Dr. William Wood: Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Prof. Wood attended the University of Notre Dame and the University of California, Berkelely. In 2002, he played an integral role in the establishment of the first major materials science laboratory at Portland State. Prof. Wood encourages collaborative research both with at the university and companies in the region.

Dr. Rajendra Solanki: Professor of Physics

Raj Solanki is a professor in the Department of Physics and has a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Portland State University. After receiving his Ph.D. from Colorado State University, he was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at The Johns Hopkins University. His research has covered several aspects of optics and microelectronics, including flat panel displays and topics related to down-scaling of electronic devices. Current research in his lab includes nanoelectronics and electrical detection of biological molecules.

Dr. Andrea Goforth: Signature Research Fellow & Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Dr. Goforth joined the chemistry faculty at Portland State University in August of 2008 after a joint post-doctoral appointment with the Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis. She is a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Careers at the Scientific Interface award recipient and an Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) Signature Research Fellow. Dr. Goforth also has interests in solid-state and materials chemistry, and the application of inorganic nanoparticles for technological applications, e.g., device minaturization.

Dr. Sarah Eppley: Assistant Professor of Biology

Dr. Eppley joined PSU in 2005 after spending two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. She earned her master's degree in population biology from the University of California, Davis, and later earning her Ph.D. in 2000. Dr. Eppley has taught college-level courses for almost twenty years in such positions as research assistant, teaching assistant, and postdoctoral fellow.

Dr. Catherine deRivera: Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences/ Engineering & Computer Science

Dr. deRivera is a member of the ESR faculty with the Aquatic Bioinvasions Research and Policy Institute. She studies the ecology and behavior of intertidal and nearshore marine and estuarine animals. She earned her Ph.D. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Dr. deRivera joined PSU in 2005 and teaches courses in marine ecology, bioinvasions, and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Mingdi Yan: Professor of Chemistry

After receiving her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry in 1994 from the University of Oregon, Professor Mingdi Yan took a position at Ikonos Corporation where her focus was on developing chemical sensors. In 1998, recognizing that she also had a passion for teaching, Professor Yan joined the faculty of the Chemistry department at PSU where she teaches organic chemistry and also supervises organic chemistry labs.

Past Faculty Mentors

Dr. Yangdong Pan: Associate Professor of Environmental Science

Dr. Yangdong teaches environmental science at Portland State University. His research projects include "A comparison of periphyton assemblages generated by two sampling protocols." Dr. Yangdong is interested in aquatic ecology and the ecology of freshwater benthic algae.

Dr. Kevin Reynolds: Professor and Chair of Chemistry

Dr. Reynolds earned his Ph.D. at the University of Southampton and then received a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Washington. His major research area focuses on microorganisms that produce secondary metabolites or natural products. Since 2005, Professor Reynolds has been a professor and chair of the chemistry department. Prior to work at PSU, Dr. Reynolds served as an associate professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Maryland at Baltimore.

Dr. Ken Stedman: Associate Professor of Biology

Dr. Stedman earned his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Stedman has been teaching at PSU since 2001. He was awarded the John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teacher Award for the 2003-2004 school year for his outstanding work with students. Dr. Stedman's research focuses on extreme viruses of the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus and gene regulation in these organisms.

Dr. Mark Weislogel: Associate Professor in the Thermal and Fluid Sciences Group

Dr. Weislogel teaches Applied Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics at Portland State University. His particular interests focus on analytical and experimental research of capillary dominated flows. He also researches thermal systems for spacecraft. Dr. Weislogel's work has been published in numerous journals and influenced the scientific endeavors at NASA.

Dr. Sherry Cady: Associate Professor of Geology

Professor Cady earned her Ph.D. in Geology from the University of California Berkeley. Her post doctorate research took her to NASA Ames Research Center where she became a principle investigator of the SETI Institute. In 1998, Prof. Cady joined the Portland State staff as an assistant professor and quickly became an associate professor in 2002. She is the founding editor and serves as the editor-in-chief of Astrobiology, which is entering its ninth year of publication.

Dr. Carl Wamser: Professor of Chemistry

After earning a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, Dr. Wamser received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. He then studied as a post doctoral researcher at Harvard University. Since teaching at California State University, Fullerton, Dr. Wamser has held adjust faculty positions at the University of Southern California, the University of Hawaii, and the California Institute of Technology to name a few. Dr. Wamser has been a professor of chemistry at Portland State University since 1986. He teaches organic chemistry, and his current research involves solar energy.

Dr. Martin J. Streck: Professor of Geology

Prof. Streck primary research interest concerns the evolution of magmas. In this context, he has been using mainly field-based chemical and mineralogical data as tools to delineate and quantify the acting processes. Prof. Streck’s research topics include the spectrum from source areas of magmas, shallow magma chamber levels, to surficial phenomena such as emplacement and cooling of ignimbrites.

Dr. Branimir Pejcinovic: Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Prof. Pejcinovic earned a master’s and soon after Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His research is centered on simulation of specific devices such as III-V compound HBTs and MESFETs, Silicon/Germanium devices and various models needed for their proper simulation. Within this area, his group is looking into a variety of effects and issues related to device operation and optimization.

Dr. Anna-Louise Reysenbach: Associate Professor of Biology

Prof. Reysenbach is a microbial ecologist with special interests in the ecology of terrestrial and deep-sea hydrothermal vents and in the evolution of biogeochemical cycles. Her lab uses observations of temporal and spatial patterns of microbial diversity in hydrothermal environments to explore the physiological ecology of key populations.

Dr. Niles Lehman: Associate Professor of Chemistry

After earning a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, Prof. Lehman was involved with post doctoral research at The Scripps Research institute, La Jolla and the University of Oregon. He then taught at California State University, Long Beach and the University at Albany, SUNY before arriving at Portland State in 2001. He is interested in molecular evolution and the biochemistry of catalytic RNAs. Research in Dr. Lehman’s lab utilizes powerful in vitro evolution techniques to discover RNA sequences with new or improved functions, for example, in regard to RNA-metal ion interactions.

Dr. Jonathan J. Abramson: Professor of Physics

Prof. Abramson holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Rochester. Research in Prof. Abramson’s laboratory is aimed at understanding the molecular mechanism underlying contraction and relation in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Special attention is focused on the calcium release protein of the sacoplasmic reticulum.

Dr. Andrew Rice: Assistant Professor of Physics

Prof. Rice graduated from the University of California, Irvine, earning a Ph.D. in chemistry. His research interests include using small variations in naturally occurring stable isotopes to trace the sources and sinks of reactive trace gases, which is important to the climate and chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere. Future forecasting of the Earth’s climate relies heavily on our ability to predict concentrations of atmospheric trace gases.