Group Photo 2025

Left to right: Hanan Abas, Riley Donahue, Sam Root, Roberto Obregon, Jiahao Huang

Postdoctoral Scholars

Dr. Jiahao Huang, Ph.D. , Polymer Science, University of Akron, 2020

Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate

Jiahao is broadly interested in polymeric materials with interesting properties. Currently, he is actively exploring new self-healing polymers for soft electronics and dielectric polymers for soft robotics. In his spare time, he enjoys staying with his family.

Graduate Students

Roberto Obregon, Graduate Student, May 2025

Roberto graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Lamar University. Shortly after, he spent some time working as a lab technician for a chemical manufacturing company and was then promoted to their technical department as an engineer. He decided to delve into research and chose to return to Lamar University to receive a Master of Science in Chemistry at the end of 2021.He then joined the University of Akron and finished in 2025 with his Master of Science in Polymer Science. His next step is to join CWRU’s Macromolecular Science and Engineering department as a PhD student. His hobbies include attending restaurants and festivals, gaming, and freestyle recurve target archery.

Riley Donahue, Incoming Graduate Student, September 2025

Riley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Polymer Engineering and Science from Penn State Behrend in 2025. She participated in undergraduate research at Behrend focusing on topics including battery recycling and microplastic production as well as doing an REU at the University of Southern Mississippi studying the effects of impurities on the properties of benzoxazines. Moving forward, she will be pursuing my PhD in the Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Outside of school, Riley enjoys experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, reading novels, and making art.

Hanan Abas, Undergraduate Researcher

Senior, BS/MS: Chemistry

Secondary Major: Psychology

Hanan is interested in self-healing polymers and materials chemistry. At Case, she is a TA for introductory physics and a peer tutor for various chemistry, mathematics, and physics courses. Off campus, she enjoys reading crime novels and baking.

Sasha the Pomsky, Lab Dog

Loves napping, snacking, walking, and an occasional woof.

Former Undergraduate Students:

Trevor Swan, Kianna Verdugo, Isaac Reader-Taatjes, Rina Nishimura (Spring/Summer 2025)