Four Students Awarded 2025–26 Mazilu Engineering Research Fellowship

Oct 23, 2025 | by Catha Mayor

Calista Adler '26, Jake Crawford '27, Jeremy Wang '27, and Nayeli Yanez '27 were each awarded a Mazilu Engineering Research Fellowship for 2025–2026. The award will support their work in nanoparticle medicine, semiconductor materials, sustainable energy systems, and biomedical therapeutic scaffolds, respectively.

Mazilu Fellow Calista Adler '26

Calista Adler '26

Project: "Muco-penetrative nanoparticle platform for tobramycin delivery in cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infection"

Goal: To design nanoparticles that enhance drug penetration through the viscous mucus barrier, improving antibiotic diffusion, and ultimately mitigating chronic lung infection in CF patients.

Advisor: Professor Katie Hixon

"I'm excited to work towards improving the quality of life for patients with cystic fibrosis," said Adler. "One of the biggest challenges in treating the disease is achieving targeted delivery of antibiotics, so I hope my innovation can offer a new strategy that addresses both the high viscosity of mucus and the bacterial colonies within it."

"It has been remarkable to watch Calista's evolution over the past four years—from a first-year WISP student to an independent researcher operating at the level of a graduate student," said Hixon. "She currently leads her own nanoparticle-drug-delivery project with impressive creativity and scientific rigor. Calista brings a rare combination of resilience, curiosity, and empathy to her work, and she elevates everyone around her. The Mazilu Fellowship is a perfect reflection of the impact she's already making in biomedical engineering."

Mazilu Fellow Jake Crawford '27

Jake Crawford '27

Project: "Physics-informed modeling and Bayesian optimization of vacuum-free printing of ultrathin oxide semiconductors"

Goal: To both advance a particular novel method of semiconductor manufacturing and develop a general set of principles that can be applied to many materials processing challenges to facilitate the lab to industry transition.

Advisors: Associate Professor William Scheideler; Professor Jifeng Liu

"Advances in semiconductor materials enable innovation in virtually all modern electronic devices such as phones, computers, solar panels, and data centers," said Crawford. "However, there are complex and interdisciplinary challenges that need to be overcome to take novel semiconductor materials from their discovery in laboratories to mass production in industry. My research leverages not just materials science but also mechanical engineering, machine learning, and physics-informed computational modeling."

"Since joining my research group in his first year at Dartmouth, Jake has prototyped a sophisticated new machine that allows him to control the physics of surface oxidation of molten metals and map the optoelectronic properties of these materials," said Scheideler. "His work could enable more sustainable approaches for fabricating high performance materials for technologies such as lightweight solar cells, virtual reality displays, and smart windows."

Mazilu Fellow Jeremy Wang '27

Jeremy Wang '27

Project: "Applying sensitivity analysis to the DOE EnergyPlus model for housing efficiency"

Goal: To provide homeowners with more informed choices for reducing heating and cooling costs.

Advisors: Professor Klaus Keller; Postdoctoral Fellow Samantha Roth

"I've always been drawn to questions about how systems work and how we can use modeling to make better decisions," said Wang. Through this project, I'm studying how sensitivity analysis can reveal which factors have the greatest influence on a building's energy performance. It's a blend of computational research and real-world sustainability, which is what excites me most about engineering. I’m deeply grateful to the Mazilu family for their support—it's an incredible opportunity to grow as a researcher and contribute to the transition toward more efficient, sustainable energy systems."

"Jeremy has already contributed as a coauthor to an initial study which identifies the need for faster sensitivity analysis methods for complex, real-world models," said Roth. "By applying an innovative new sensitivity analysis approach, he will be able to identify avenues to reduce uncertainty surrounding projections of home energy usage."

Mazilu Fellow Nayeli Yanez '27

Nayeli Yanez '27

Project: "Development of an alternative scaffold of electrospun coaxial nanofibers for pelvic organ prolapse"

Goal: To improve the safety and efficacy of surgical interventions for pelvic organ prolapse.

Advisors: Interim Dean and Professor Doug Van Citters; Postdoctoral Fellow Rebecca Thomson

"Electrospinning is an established technique for biomedical applications, and a coaxial fiber design allows us to harness desired properties, as demonstrated by Dr. Thomson's previous work," said Yanez. "I am excited to discover how new materials may allow us to create scaffolds with properties fine-tuned to their applications. I am so grateful to the Mazilu family and Thayer for their support of this research, as well as to Dr. Thomson and Dean Van Citters for their guidance."

"It has been incredible to work with Nayeli over the past two-and-a-half years and watch her develop foundational scientific and experimental design thinking," said Thomson. "I am excited to see the impact she will continue to make, especially now with the support of the Mazilu Fellowship to pursue her own project in creating a better surgical solution for women's health."

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