People Spotlights

AMA Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Penn University

Ottman Tertuliano

From West Africa to the West Coast, Ottman Tertuliano's (MS '15, PhD '19) journey in materials science has brought him to the intersection of nanoscience, biomechanics, and biology. Now the AMA Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at Penn University, Tertuliano's research group explores how mechanics can combine with biology, leading to enhanced outcomes for musculoskeletal diseases and tissue engineering.

Aakash Indurkhya

Aakash Indurkhya (BS '16) is a trailblazer in the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI), which continues to spark conversations (and heated debate) in the scientific and political realms. As the co-head of AI at Virtualitics, a Pasadena-based advanced analytics company, Indurkhya is focused on ways to make AI for analytics more effective, ethical, and relevant for real-world use cases.

Jen Dionne

Jennifer (Jen) Dionne (PhD '09) channels the principles of nanophotonics to engineer new solutions for global health and sustainability. Growing up in Rhode Island, her inspiration to pursue science came from watching the X-Files, where she saw how interdisciplinary teamwork could tackle unsolved mysteries. Currently an Associate Professor of Materials Science and Radiology at Stanford, Dionne's research is focused on creating impactful and innovative solutions for growing existential threats, like antimicrobial resistance. Outside of her research group, Dionne also served as the Senior Associate Vice Provost for research platforms/shared facilities at Stanford, a role informed by her involvement with Caltech's Kavli Nanoscience Institute (KNI), and is currently co-founder of Pumpkinseed and Deputy Director of a DOE National Quantum Science Center, Q-NEXT.

Tim Chung

Tim Chung's (MS '02, PhD '07) growth as a robotics enthusiast and innovator, from his early days working with soccer-playing robots to his revitalization of robotics at Microsoft, is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary learning and curiosity. Fueled by a Caltech background without departmental boundaries, Chung's foray into the field of robotics has furthered the frontier both above and below, from controlling robot swarms in intricate urban situations to improving search and rescue operations in underground locations.

Juliane R. Sempionatto

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Medical Engineering Department at Caltech, working with wearable biosensors for health monitoring. Before that, I did my PhD in Nanoengineering at UCSD. My research interests involve the development of non-invasive biosensors for the continuous and real-time self-monitoring of health. My job is to develop biosensors that can be worn as a skin patch to read the molecular information in your sweat. These wearable biosensors can replace finger pricking and implantable needles used by diabetes patients. In April 2024, I will be joining Rice University in Houston, TX as an assistant professor to continue pursuing the goal of developing affordable medical devices. After working with sweat, I really got interested in any activity that makes you sweat. I like hiking, running, lifting, volleyball, etc. During my PhD, I lost 22lb (10 kg)! Sweat sensors are making me healthier already ;) But don’t worry, I can also induce sweating using the sensors, so you don’t need to exercise at all!

Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow, Mechanical and Civil Engineering

Marlini Simoes

I finished my PhD in Physics at the Cavendish Laboratory of the University of Cambridge, UK, and joined Caltech as a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow this year. During my PhD, I developed new additively manufactured smart cellular material structures to be used as reusable energy absorbers for vehicle landing impacts and to offer self-healing protection against space debris impact – this research was awarded a grant from the European Space Agency. My PhD thesis led me to be the winner of the UK Doctoral Researcher Awards 2022 in Engineering. My research aims at developing a new generation of material-structures that can provide hitherto mechanical behavior by expanding the frontiers of manufacturing engineering for space applications and beyond. To achieve this, I combine computational modeling, a large range of material characterization techniques and mechanical testing, as well as additive manufacturing technologies. Outside of research, I go jogging and I do race walking training.

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