The 2017 Nakatani RIES U.S. Fellows concluded their summer research experience in Japan with the presentation of a research poster on the projects they conducted in their Japanese host laboratories at the 3rd Annual Smalley-Curl Institute (SCI) Summer Research Colloquium. Held at Rice University on Friday, August 11, 2017 the SCI Summer Research Colloquium provides undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers working at Rice with an opportunity to present their most recent work.

Two 2017 U.S. Fellows, Savannah Cofer (Rice Univ.) and Joshua Yang (Univ. of Texas, Austin) were recognized with ‘Undergraduate Poster Presentation’ prizes out of the more than 75 graduate and postdoctoral students and more than 50 undergraduate students attendees. Savannah conducted research in the Maruyama-Chiashi Laboratory at the University of Tokyo on  “Patterning Vertically Aligned Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes” and Joshua conducted research in the Iwasa Lab at the University of Tokyo on “WSe2Thin-Film Growth by Molecular Beam Epitaxy”. 

A huge congratulations to all of our 2017 U.S. Fellows for the successful completion of their summer research projects and the 13-week program in Japan! To learn more about our student’s experiences living and doing research in Japan, click the links below to review their website profiles and excerpts from their weekly reports.

Special thanks to Dr. Gayle Moran in the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership and Kyung-Hee Bae in the Center for Written, Oral, and Visual Communication for providing poster development support and practice presentations coaching sessions for our 2017 U.S. Fellows. 

Smalley-Curl Institute honors top posters, presentations at summer colloquium

Prizes were awarded to graduate and undergraduate students judged to have the best presentations and posters at the Smalley-Curl Institute’s third annual Summer Research Colloquium Aug. 11 in Duncan Hall.

	Savannah Cofer Rice University, Freshman Mechanical Engineering, Computational & Applied Mathematics, and Japanese Host Lab in Japan: The University of Tokyo – Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Maruyama-Chiashi Laboratory Research Project: “Patterning Vertically Aligned Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes” (PDF) Winner Undergraduate Poster Presentation Award – 3rd Annual Smalley-Curl Institute Summer Research Colloquium (Light Conversion Award)
	William Funkenbusch University of Rochester, Sophomore Chemical Engineering and Japanese Host Lab in Japan: Toyota Technological University – Energy Materials Laboratory Research Project: “Investigation of Pseudogap in High-Tc Cuprate Superconductors – Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ” (PDF)
	Jakob Grzesik Rice University, Freshman Electrical Engineering and Mathematics Host Lab in Japan: Tohoku University – Dept. of Physics, Saito Laboratory Research Project: “Observing and Modeling Synchronization Phenomena in Oscillatory Systems” (PDF)
	Rose Huang Columbia University, Freshman Computer Science and Materials Science & Engineering Host Lab in Japan: Keio University – Dept. of Applied Physics & Physico-Informatics, Itoh Laboratory Research Project: “Design of Microwave Antenna for Orbital Angular Momentum Transfer Research Using Electron Spins in Diamond” (PDF)
	Alexander Hwang Rice University, Sophomore Electrical Engineering and Minor in Physics Host Lab in Japan: Kyoto University – Institute of Advanced Energy, Matsuda Laboratory Research Project: “Exciton linewidth effect on valley relaxation in 2D TMDCs” (PDF)
	Aaron Ludvigsen Bethel University, Sophomore Physics and Computer Science; Minor in Mathematics Host Lab in Japan: Osaka University – Inst. of Laser Engineering, THz Photonics, Tonouchi Laboratory Research Project: “Exploration of Charge Dynamics of Well-Aligned CNT (6,5) Through THz Generation” (PDF)
	Katelyn Miyasaki Washington University in St. Louis, Sophomore Biomedical Engineering and Minor in Design Host Lab in Japan: Osaka University – LaSIE, Kawata-Fujita Laboratory Research Project: “Imaging Beyond the Diffraction Limit: Visible-light Two-Photon Excitation for Subtractive SAX Microscopy” (PDF)
	Emily Nishiwaki Case Western Reserve University, Freshman Transferred to Cornell University as of Fall 2017  Materials Science & Engineering and Minor in Japanese Host Lab in Japan: Kyoto University – Dept. of Energy & Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Kageyama Laboratory Research Project: “Exploring Zn-Based Visible Light Induced Photocatalysts” (PDF)
	Trevor Shimokusu University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa, Sophomore Mechanical Engineering Host Lab in Japan: Chiba University – Division of Nanomaterial Science, Aoki Laboratory Research Project: “Relation Between Phase Transition and Laser Irradiation Strength and Time through Phase Patterning of MoTe2″ (PDF)
	Shivani Shukla Carnegie Mellon University, Freshman Materials Science & Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Host Lab in Japan: Nagoya University – Dept. of Chemistry, Shinohara Laboratory Research Project: “Encapsulation of Te nanowires and MoTe2 Nanoribbons Inside Carbon Nanotubes” (PDF)
	Kaylene Stocking University of Pittsburgh, Sophomore Computer Engineering and Bioengineering Host Lab in Japan: Kyoto University – Institute for Integrated Cell-Materials Sciences (iCeMS), Kamei Laboratory Research Project: “Small Compounds and Microfluidic Culture for Inducing Maturation of hiPSC-derived Hepatocyte-Like Cells” (PDF)
	Joshua Yang University of Texas, Austin, Sophomore Electrical & Computer Engineering and Mathematics Host Lab in Japan: The University of Tokyo – Dept. of Applied Physics and Quantum-Phase Electronics Center, Iwasa Laboratory Research Project: “WSe2Thin-Film Growth by Molecular Beam Epitaxy” (PDF) Winner Undergraduate Poster Presentation Award – 3rd Annual Smalley-Curl Institute Summer Research Colloquium (Light Conversion Award)