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Lab Alumni

Sharonda LeBlanc

Currently faculty member NC State
Postdoctoral Scholar at UNC-CH
BS in Chemistry, UNC-Charlotte
Ph.D. in Nanoscale Science, UNC-Charlotte

Favorite food: Seafood
Favorite sport: Track and Field


Andrew Hensley

Currently graduate student at Berkeley
Undergraduate Physics Major at NCSU

Favorite video game: Victoria 2
Favorite TV show: Louie
Favorite food: quesadillas
Favorite instrument: theremin


Ed Chan

Currently graduate student at Ga Tech
Undergraduate Physics Major at NCSU


Ruoyi Qiu

Currently, postdoc at Stanford University, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology
Ph.D in physics from NCSU in 2012
BS in Optical Information Science & Technology at Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, China 2007

Favorite course: Optics
Favorite soccer player: Robert Pires
Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting
Favorite food: Mashed Potato


John Sakon

Currently, postdoc at Penn after postdoc at NYU in the Suzuki Lab in the Center for Neural Science
Ph.D in physics from NCSU in 2011
BS in physics from the College of William and Mary, 2005

Favorite physics course: I don’t really like physics courses
Favorite non-physics course: The Shape of Things w/ Dr. Manos
Favorite sport: baseball
Favorite Physicist: Dr. Keith Weninger
Favorite Movies: Gattaca, Good Will Hunting, The Shawshank Redemption
Favorite Philosopher: Hobbes
Favorite Website: www.indiestreetcred.com


Elizabeth Sacho

Postdoctoral Scholar at NCSU 2011-2014
BS in Chemistry, Illinois Wesleyan
Ph.D. in Chemistry, U. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Postdoctoral Scholar, U. of Washington

Favorite Beer brewery: New Glaurus
Favorite Sports: Football, Roller Derby
Favorite Fiber: Alpaca
Favorite Ralph Wiggam quote: I bent my wookie


Yue Yang

Physics grad student in group NCSU 2013-2014
MS in Theoretical Physics at Fudan University 2013
BS in Physics at Fudan University 2010

Favorite hobby: Photography
Favorite soccer team: Germany
Favorite movie: Forest Gump
Favorite sport: Swimming


Dongfang Liu

Assistant Professor, (Link to webpage) , Baylor College of Medicine, 2012-???
Research Fellow, Harvard University School of Medicine, 2011-2012
Research Scientist, NIH, National Institute of allergy and Infectious Disease, 2005-2011
Regular visitor in our lab – 2011 and beyond?


Ucheor Brandon Choi

Currently – Faculty member, Biochemistry, West Virginia University
Postdoc, Stanford University, 2013 – 2020
Postdoc, Stony Brook University, 2009 – 2013
PhD in physics from NCSU 2009
BS in mathematics and physics from UNC-Greensboro, 2003
transferred from Dong-a University, Korea (department of international trades) as a sophomore

Favorite Physics course: Graduate E&M
Favorite course: English 101
Favorite Sports: tennis and soccer
Favorite soccer player: J.S. Park (#13 Manchester United)
Favorite car: Porsche
Favorite Channel: ESPN Classic


Laura Wessels

Assistant Professor of Physics, (Link to webpage) , Xavier University
Visiting Assistant Prof. at Univeristy of Mary Washington, Dept. of Physics, 2009 – 2012

PhD in physics from NCSU 2009
MS in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University, 1999
BS in mathematics and physics from University of Mary Washington, 1996
Physics graduate student at the University of Arkansas 1996-1997
Software Engineer with TRW and Raytheon E-Systems 1997-1998
Professor in CIS at Strayer University, 1999-present
Favorite physics course: Quantum Mechanics
Favorite non-physics course: Public Speaking
Favorite sport: Hockey
Favorite Athlete: Cal Ripken Jr.


Mary Williard Elting

Currently, Faculty member, NC State University
Postdoc, University of California – San Francisco 2012-???
Applied Physics graduate student at Stanford Univ. 2006-2012
BS in physics from NCSU 2006
Winner of the Garner Goldwater Scholarship, 2005, NSF graduate fellowship 2005
Favorite Musical Instrument: Piano
Favorite Technological Device: iPod
Favorite Shoes: Birkenstocks


Gongbo Wang

Currently working for Dupont China
Postdoc U. Texas – Galveston, 2008 – 2009
PhD in BioChemical Molecular Structures from NCSU 2008
BS in biological science from Fudan University in Shanghai, China 2003
Born in Shenyang, China
Favorite Course: Microbiology (but honestly I hate course work)
Favorite Foods: Hamburgers & Pizza
Favorite Sports: Basketball, Swimming, Jogging
Favorite Athlete: Yao Ming


Wor Thongthai

MS in Physics from NCSU 2008
Favorite physics course: Electricity and Magnetism
Favorite non-physics course: Advanced Calculus
Favorite Movie: Independence Day
Favorite sport: Soccer
Favorite animal: cat
Favorite Peice of Lab Equipment: Pipet
Favorite Athlete: Peter Schmeichel


David Murray

Postdoc at NIH
Biophysics grad student at UVA 2005-present
BS in physics at NCSU 2005
Favorite Physics course: Quantum Mechanics
Favorite course: Partial Differential Equations
Favorite Sports: Hockey, Running and non-US Football
Favorite Athlete: Lance Armstrong
Favorite Car: 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra
Favorite TV Show: The Daily Show with John Stewart


Guilhem Ribeill

NCSU Undergraduate Student 2005-2009
Physics Grad student, Univ. of Wisc – Madison
Favorite class: PY203 Modern Physics
Favorite food: Eggplant Parmesan
Favorite sport: Fencing
Favorite nanocrystalline film surface: diamond


Colleen Lanz

Physics grad student at NCSU 2010-2012; currently in physics education research
BS in Physics and Math, Canisius College, 2008
MS in Applied Math, Va. Tech., 2010

Favorite website: Reddit.com
Favorite instrument: piano
Favorite thing to do on a Wed. night: Bar trivia
Favorite band: Radiohead
Favorite team: Buffalo Sabres


Na Zhang

Postdoctoral Scholar 2010
Ph.D. Chemistry, UNC-Chapel Hill
BS University of Science and Technology of China, 2003
Favorite sport: Badminton
Favorite food: Sea food
Favorite movie: Inception
Favorite career: Modeling (too hard to make come true, so I became a scientist)
Favorite man: My fiance


Trevor Anderson

BS in physics from NCSU in 2007
MS in physics from NCSU in 2009
Favorite Singer: John Sakon
Favorite anime character I’ve never heard of: Genkai
Favorite cell provider: Verizon
Favorite hairstyle: unkempt
Favorite gender: androgynous
Favorite Movie: Crouching Tigger Hidden Woozle


Dominic Scimeca

Favorite Movies: Crash, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Favorite Musical instrument: guitar
Favorite Hobby: web design
Favorite Animal: puppy
Favorite Sport: tennis
Favorite Band: Dave Matthews Band
Favorite people: Small People


Eric Lownes

Favorite course: Modern Algebra
Favorite meal: salmon
Favorite Sport: water skiing
Favorite Car: BMW
Favorite Movie: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Favorite Hobbies: playing piano and writing music


Mo Bell

Favorite Car: Maserati
Favorite Food: lasanga
Favorite Hobby: cooking
Favorite Animal: cat
Favorite Hangout: Irish Pubs
Favorite Stupid Hat: Dr. Suess hat


Kris Vorren

UNCA physics & math undergrad 2004-present
Favorite physics course: Electromagnetism
Favorite non-physics course: Vector Calculus
Favorite ice cream: Anything from Marble Slab
Favorite sport (to participate in): Swimming
Favorite Movie: Golden Eye
Favorite Video Game: Counterstrike


Chris Moncsko

Favorite hand: right
Favorite milk: skim
Favorite food: Fettucine Alfredo
Favorite night-time snuggly toy: Carebears
Favorite anime character: Rurouni Kenshin
Favorite Physicist: Nikola Tesla


Josh Schipper

NCSU Doctoral Student 2007-present in Biochemistry
BS from Grand Valley State University, Michigan
Favorite video game: Halo
Favorite hobby: photography
Favorite movie: Shawshank Redemption, and The Game
Favorite band: “Eddie From Ohio”
Favorite food: Italian, greek, french
Favorite subjects: Biochemistry, Physics, and Philosophy
Least favorite subjects: History


Heath Tilley

NCSU Undergraduate physics major
Favorite past time: Billiards
Favorite book: Physics for Poets
Favorite movie: Paprika
Favorite video game: Final Fantasy Tactics
Favorite food: Ramen
Favorite beverage: Blue moon


David Wyatt

Undergraduate Biochemistry Major NCSU
Favorite Band: The Beatles
Favorite TV show: Weeds
Favorite Sport: Disc golf
Favorite Form of transportation: Longboard
Favorite Beatles Movie: Yellow Submarine
Favorite Class: Principles of Biochemistry


Nathaniel Sorenson

NCSU undergraduate Student 2007-2011
Favorite sport: baseball
Favorite dynasty: Red sox
Favorite band: Pearl Jam
Favorite movie: Shawshank Redemption
Favorite car: Porshe Boxter