2023
(December)
Brendan, Otmi, and Egan’s paper titled “Evolution of Free Volume Elements in Amorphous Polymers Undergoing Uniaxial Deformation: A Molecular Dynamics Simulations Study” was recently accepted in Molecular Systems Design and Engineering as part of the themed collection, Emerging Investigator Series. Congratulations!
Janani won the ACS PRF DNI Award. Congratulations Janani!
(November)
Otmi’s paper titled “Structure, Dynamics, and Hydrogen Transport in Amorphous Polymers: An Analysis of the Interplay between Free Volume Element Distribution and Local Segmental Dynamics from Molecular Dynamics Simulations“ was accepted in Macromolecules. Congratulations!
We welcome Diana Aponte to the research group. Diana is a first-year PhD student in the department and a former REU student of the group. Diana is supported by an NSF GRFP. Welcome back, Diana!
Janani delivered two invited talks at 2023 AIChE. Awesome, Janani
Otmi, Taofeek and Yinhao gave oral presentations at the 2023 AIChE. Otmi, Yinhao, Clare and Katelynn gave a poster presentation. Congratulations to Clare for winning 3rd place in the Computing and Process Control division in the undergraduate session. Good job everyone!
(July)
Yinhao and Adam published a paper titled “PEGylation of Insulin and Lysozyme To Stabilize against Thermal Denaturation: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study”. This is the first research paper from the Sampath group. Congratulations!
Check out Kate and Clare’s REU videos about how they spent their summer at UF! We’re so proud of all that they accomplished this summer!
We celebrated Kate and Clare’s fantastic summer, and Yinhao’s first paper by having Dosa and Boba Tea!
(June)
Janani received the RALPH E. POWE JUNIOR FACULTY ENHANCEMENT AWARD . CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Janani presented a talk titled “Moving through voids: Influence of free volume on the properties of amorphous polymers” at the Molecular Engineering of Soft Matter: Spanning Small Molecules to Macromolecules workshop at the Telluride Science and Innovation Center meeting.
We hosted 8 middle school students, and taught them how to perform simple MD simulations!
(May)
Taofeek joined Dow Chemical for a three-month summer internship as an ADISE 2023 summer research and development intern within the packaging and specialty plastic division.
The Sampath Research Group welcomes two REU students - Kate Horvath from the University of Connecticut, and Clare Cocker from the University of Virginia! We are excited to host you!
Timothy Rigaurd, Adam Fernandez, and Brendan Wernisch defended their undergraduate thesis and graduated from the chemical engineering program. Congratulations!
The group celebrated the end of spring and the start of summer by going axe-throwing!
(April)
Big congratulations to Brendan and Diana, who were awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship! Brendan is a UF Department of Chemical Engineering senior in the group. Diana is a former REU student.
(March)
Janani gave a talk titled “Structure, Dynamics and Hydrogen Transport in Amorphous Polymers“ at the 2023 APS March meeting in Las Vegas.
Janani presented at the Department of Chemistry, Jackson State University, titled “Polymer Simulations: Picking the Best Model for the Problem at Hand“.
(February)
Otmi has been selected as one of the three recipients of the prestigious Elias Klein Founder’s travel supplement award by the North American Membrane Society. This will allow him to present his current work on Modeling Gas Permeation in Amorphous Polymer Membranes Using Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Simulations. CONGRATULATIONS!!!