Prof. Paresh Kumar Samantaray CChem MRSC

• Assistant Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering, UAH 

• Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship Trainee, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Caltech (June 2021- June 2023)

• Research Fellow, IINM WMG, University of Warwick (Jan 2020- Jan 2021) 

• Ph.D., BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (2017-2019)

• MS. Engg., Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (2015-2017)

• B.Tech. in Plastics Engineering, Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology (2010-2014)

Honors and Service:

• 2025 Associate to the Committee on Constitution & Bylaws of the American Chemical Society

• Chair-elect 2024, North Alabama Section of the American Chemical Society

• Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Chartered Chemist, Royal Society of Chemistry

• 2023 Presidential Postdoctoral Awardee, California Institute of Technology

• 2023 James LuValle Awardee in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Caltech

• 2023 Younger Leader Track Award by Younger Chemists Committee, American Chemical Society

• 2021-2023 Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Scholar

• 2021 and 2022 Outstanding Reviewer for Royal Society of Chemistry, RSC Advances

• Advisory Board member of the American Chemical Society Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholar Advisory Board

• 2021-2023, Career Advancement Committee Member, Materials Research Society

Reshma Kailaskumar (Fall 2024-present)

• MS (Rsearch) in Materials Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (2022-2024)

• M.Sc. Polymer Science, Cochin University of Science and Technology (2018-2020)

• B.Sc. Physics, Kerala University (2015-2018)

Awards:

• Second Rank in (M.Sc.) Polymer Science, Cochin University of Science and Technology (2020)

• Aspire Fellowship from the Kerala State Government for pursuing a Master's thesis at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (2020), Summer Research Fellowship jointly sponsored by the Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc), Indian National Science Academy (INSA), The National Academy of Sciences (NASI) India (2019)

• Academic Proficiency award (First Rank) for B.Sc in Physics, Christian College Chengannur, Kerala University (2018)

Professional Experience: Assistant Professor (Junior), School of Advanced Sciences, Vellore Institute of Technology (April 2021-May 2022)                                     

Hobbies: Dancing and cooking

Hailey Holshouser

JUMP Student in  Chemical Engineering

Awards:

UAH Chi Alpha Sigma Student-Athlete Honors Recipient -April 2024

4.0 Semester Athlete Award Recipient-December 2021, May 2022, May 2023, & May 2024

UAH Merit Scholarship Recipient- August 2021

UAH Women’s Volleyball Athletic Scholarship Recipient -August 2021

CPR Certification Completed- August 2021

EKG Technician Certification Completed -April 2021

National Technical Honor Society Award - 2020 - 2021

Dual Enrollment Program (HS) 36 College Credit Hours Completed - 2019 -2021

National Honor Society Award Recipient - 2018 - 20217

Hobbies: 

Volleyball (Student Athlete)

Mu Alpha Theta Math Club Member - 2019 - 2021

HOSA Member - 2019 - 2021

Spanish Club Member - 2019 - 2020

Phi Omega Sorority Member - 2019 - 2021

Emily Dyar

B.S. Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Materials Science, in progress at UAH.

Minor: Chemistry

Professional Experience:

The University of Alabama in Huntsville

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (Aug. - Dec. 2025)

Chemistry Student Specialist (Aug. 2024 - Sep. 2025)

American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Upperclassman Representative (2025 - 2026)

Chem-E-Car Independent study (2025)

Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Certified (2024)

Andrew McElhaney

B.Sc. Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Materials Science, in progress at UAH.

Professional Experience: 

Senior Laboratory Technician, Advanced Drainage Systems (August 2024- August 2025)

LeighAnna McCardle

B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Materials Science, in progress at UAH. 

Minors :Chemistry

Skills:

Matlab

Python

Mathematics

Problem-Solving/Troubleshooting

Statistical analysis 

Leadership

Public Speaking