VINSE - Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

VINSE - Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering VINSE’s mission is to drive innovation in nanoscience, nanotechnology, and education that benefits

VINSE is a multi-disciplinary institute that supports research, education, and K-12 outreach across science, engineering, and medicine. Housed in the Engineering and Science Building, VINSE facilities comprise a state-of-the-art cleanroom with hard and soft lithography, an imaging suite including a focused ion beam instrument, and a characterization laboratory (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/fac

ilities/index.php). VINSE researchers are using nanoscience and nanotechnology to enable new discoveries across a broad range of areas spanning drug delivery, cellular communication, metamaterials, sensors, batteries, and photodetectors (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/research/index.php). Educationally, VINSE has strong ties to the Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program for graduate students (https://engineering.vanderbilt.edu//materials-science/) and the undergraduate minor in Nanotechnology and Nanoscience (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/nano-minor.php). Students can also participate in a multi-year immersion in VINSE as part of the VINSE Tech Crew or enroll in one of several classes that have laboratory components in VINSE facilities (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/immersion.php). VINSE outreach activities include classroom visits, on-campus high school field trips, sponsorship of REU students, and laboratory modules for the Vanderbilt Summer Academy (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vinse/outreach.php). VINSE has current users from Vanderbilt, other external academic institutions, and industry. VINSE staff are available to train new users, assist in process development, and to carry out processes for researchers as a service. If you are interested in more information about our core facilities, capabilities to support various research initiatives, educational opportunities, or outreach events, please email [email protected].

DISSERTATION DEFENSEMatthew Vasuta, Interdisciplinary Materials Science*under the supervision of Kane Jennings“Multicomp...
09/02/2026

DISSERTATION DEFENSE

Matthew Vasuta, Interdisciplinary Materials Science
*under the supervision of Kane Jennings

“Multicomponent Thin Films and Membranes by Combined Spin Coating and Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization”

9.21.26 | 1:00 pm | 209 Furman Hall

Congratulations to Vikash Khokhar and Andrew Steiner on receiving Outstanding Poster Awards at the 4th International   M...
09/01/2026

Congratulations to Vikash Khokhar and Andrew Steiner on receiving Outstanding Poster Awards at the 4th International MXene Conference in Chicago!

Both Steiner and Khokhar are Ph.D. students in Vanderbilt University's Interdisciplinary Materials Science program and conduct research under the direction of Dr. De-en Jiang in the Computational Chemical Sciences and Materials Laboratory.

Khokhar was recognized for his research on ammonia-assisted delamination of halide-terminated MXenes using GCMC simulations and also presented a flash talk on his work.

Steiner was recognized for his research using high-throughput computational methods to investigate MXene stability and reaction pathways, with the goal of helping guide MXene synthesis and discovery.

Their awards highlight the exciting computational materials research taking place across Vanderbilt’s interdisciplinary materials science community.

Congratulations, Vikash and Andrew!
👉Read more here: https://bit.ly/4xEMxS4

SAVE THE DATE!  The VINSE & IMS annual tailgate is happening on November 14th. More details coming soon! Everyone in the...
08/31/2026

SAVE THE DATE! The VINSE & IMS annual tailgate is happening on November 14th. More details coming soon! Everyone in the VINSE and IMS communities is welcome.

New year, new VINSE shirt! Designed by Sarah Ross, this shirt puts nano at the center of what we do and highlights our k...
08/26/2026

New year, new VINSE shirt! Designed by Sarah Ross, this shirt puts nano at the center of what we do and highlights our key research thrusts: materials, energy, biology, medicine, computation, electronics, quantum science, and optics.

Shirts will be available to members of the Vanderbilt community this week as part of the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering Start Strong Community AY27 Kickoff Celebration!

We are excited to introduce Alexis Alvarez, our newest member of the VINSE Tech Crew. Alexis, Class of 2029, is majoring...
08/25/2026

We are excited to introduce Alexis Alvarez, our newest member of the VINSE Tech Crew.

Alexis, Class of 2029, is majoring in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Nanoscience. He joined Tech Crew in Fall 2026 and is excited to deepen his understanding of nanoscience and explore how cutting-edge nanotechnology is shaping future innovations.

Outside of VINSE, Alexis is a member of the Vanderbilt Gymnastics Team, a POSSE Scholar, an IMPACT Scholar, and a member of the AIChE board. When he’s not studying or in the lab, he enjoys running and spending time with friends.

Welcome to the VINSE community, Alexis! We’re excited to see all that you’ll learn and contribute!

Zane Parkerson, Ph.D., is a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering program, wher...
08/25/2026

Zane Parkerson, Ph.D., is a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering program, where he conducted research in the Jennings Research Group.

Zane’s research focused on developing spin-coated ring-opening metathesis polymerization (scROMP), a versatile method that combines polymer synthesis and film deposition into a single rapid process. The platform can produce a range of polymer coatings and membranes, with the potential to help researchers more quickly explore and develop new materials.

Throughout his time at Vanderbilt, VINSE provided Zane with access to critical characterization tools and a collaborative research community that supported his work. As he transitions to industry, Zane leaves behind a robust scROMP platform for future researchers to build upon.

Outside the lab, he enjoys kickball, Nashville Sounds games, live music, and exploring Nashville’s food scene.

Read more about Zane’s research and journey: https://bit.ly/4qyvzSq

Asheley Chapman is an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Vanderbilt University, where her r...
08/11/2026

Asheley Chapman is an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Vanderbilt University, where her research focuses on understanding how vaccines work and designing better ways to prevent and treat disease.

Her work also explores antigen-drug conjugates designed to selectively eliminate harmful immune cells while preserving the rest of the immune system, with potential applications in autoimmune diseases and cancer.

Since joining Vanderbilt in January 2026, Asheley has found new opportunities through the VINSE community and its microfabrication capabilities. Inspired by a VINSE summer short course and collaborations across campus, her team is working to develop an engineered lymph node outside the body. The platform could provide new ways to study immune cell biology and responses to vaccines, adjuvants, and drugs.

Outside the lab, Asheley enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, traveling, hot yoga, reading, antiquing, gardening, and hiking.

👉Link to full article - https://bit.ly/4zrQnPI

08/05/2026
VINSE is pleased to announce the promotion of two outstanding members of the Tech Crew in recognition of their contribut...
08/04/2026

VINSE is pleased to announce the promotion of two outstanding members of the Tech Crew in recognition of their contributions to research, education, and cleanroom operations.

Mica Gonzalez Mora has been promoted to Senior Tech Crew in recognition of her expertise and reliability on the cleanroom team. In her new role, Mica will help oversee Tech Crew activities by working closely with cleanroom staff to coordinate schedules and delegate tasks. She will also continue expanding her technical expertise in sputter deposition, electron beam evaporation, parylene coatings, and a wide range of cleanroom fabrication and characterization processes.

Rylan Hunt has been promoted to Associate Tech Crew for his contributions to several of the cleanroom’s most heavily used systems, including the dicing saw and electron beam lithography. Rylan has demonstrated a strong aptitude for learning new tools quickly, performing routine processes, and developing and troubleshooting workflows, particularly for lithography applications. In his new role, he looks forward to working more closely with users while helping improve tool documentation and day-to-day operations.
About VINSE Tech Crew

The VINSE Tech Crew program offers Vanderbilt undergraduates hands-on experience in nanoscience and nanoengineering research, providing technical skills that prepare them for graduate school and careers in industry. Members gain expertise operating advanced instrumentation, performing nanofabrication and characterization processes, contributing to process development, and supporting VINSE’s research, education, and outreach missions.

Congratulations to Mica and Rylan on these well-deserved promotions.

🎉Congratulations to our 2026 VINSE Undergraduate Research Symposium winners!Best Overall Poster:Elena Harvey (Lipscomb U...
07/31/2026

🎉Congratulations to our 2026 VINSE Undergraduate Research Symposium winners!

Best Overall Poster:
Elena Harvey (Lipscomb University)
Shubh Patel (Vanderbilt University)
Paul Spang (Grinnell College)
Lydia Uptain (University of North Alabama)

Tech Crew Poster: Sonam Thukral (Vanderbilt University)

Best Layout: Noah Baker (Lewis University)

Best Graphics: Elena Selik (Lawrence Technological University)

Fan Favorite: Ryan Svenson (University of Delaware)

The symposium showcased 98 students from the following programs: VINSE NSF-REU, Chemical Biology/Chemistry NSF-REU, VINSE Tech Crew, VISE, VIBES, Vanderbilt Immersions, Wond’ry IMPACT, Vanderbilt ISIS, SyBBURE, and VUSE Undergraduate Summer Experience.

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1212 25th Avenue South
Nashville, TN
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