2025:
May 2025: Another successful Conference for Brock Group presenting their research at 46th Annual Michigan Catalysis Society Spring Symposium. Congratulations to Vinicus Alevato and Faria Sultana for giving a talk and Alex for presenting poster.
April 2025: Congratulations BrockStars on the last Honors Convocations of the Department of Chemistry! Vinicius Alevato won the Esther & Stanley Kirschner Graduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry for the top inorganic graduate student of 2024-2025 academic year. Faria Sultana and Masudur Rhaman were awarded the Schaap-Rumble Graduate Research Fellowship for 2024-2025. Anuradha Jayathissa was awarded for Excellence in Lab Support and Service and Fatima for excellence in Teaching Services.
April 2025: Faria successfully reached the second milestone of her PhD journey — completed the public seminar requirement.
April 2025: Another successful conference for the Brock Lab at the 2025 Materials Research Society Spring Meeting in Seattle, awesome science and even better conversations—presenting our latest research (Talks by Dr. Brock and Dr. Alevato, and Poster by Himanshu Yadav) and reconnecting with our COMPASS: Center for Complex Particle Systems collaborators, including the Kotov Lab at the University of Michigan and Qian Chen’s group at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Also, Himanshu’s image was selected one of the “Science as Art Competition” finalist.
March 2025: Congratulations! to Dr. Fatemeh Aghabozorgi for her successful thesis defense. The 32nd BrockStar. Thesis title: SYNTHESIS OF MN-BASED TRANSITION METAL PHOSPHIDE NANOPARTICLES AND EVALUATION OF THEIR ACTIVITY AS PRE-CATALYSTS FOR ELECTROCATALYTIC WATER OXIDATION AND MAGNETIC APPLICATIONS.
2024:
October 2024: Congratulations Dr. Vinicius Alevato for his successful thesis defense! The 31st BrockStar. Thesis title: CDS QUANTUM DOT AEROGELS: EXPLORING STRUCTURE-PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS TO IMPROVE PHOTOCATALYTIC WATER SPLITTING ACTIVITY.
April 2024: Folake successfully passed her candidacy exam.
April 2024: Himanshu successfully passed his candidacy exam.
March 2024: Faria Sultana presenting her research funded by NSF-DMR at ACS Spring 2024 conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 17th, 2024. Part of the Brock Lab members (Prof. Brock, Graduate students: Faria Sultana and Vinicius Alevato) having lunch with Prof. Sossina Haile (Northwestern University) and Dr. Debra Rolison (US Navy), while taking a little break from ACS Spring 2024 conference.
2023:
October 2023: Faria participated in the ACS Outreach Summit 2023 held at Washington DC, USA from October 2-4 where they exchanged valuable insights on optimizing the planning and execution of outreach events while prioritizing safety. Moreover, they had the privilege of gathering some fascinating tips on effective science communication and designing interactive and high-quality hands-on chemistry demonstration tailored for a diverse audience.
May 2023: Faria successfully passed her candidacy exam.
April 2023: Masudur successfully passed his candidacy exam.
April 2023, Isa came in 2nd at the CLAS undergraduate symposium.
March 2023, Vinicius successfully presents his fourth year talk at inorganic seminar.
February 2023, Fatemeh successfully presents her fourth year talk at inorganic seminar.
February 2023, Isa won the 2nd best poster in the Undergraduate Research Symposium.
2022:
December 2022, Folake and Himanshu join the group.
- July 2022, Tharanga successfully defended her thesis and accepted LTD (Logic Technology Development) Transistor Interconnect Process Integrator Engineer, Intel.
- June 2022, Viktor, a high school student, joined our group, working with Fatemeh on synthesizing Gd2O3 nanoparticles to create a cryogenic magnetic refrigeration system.
- June 2022, Tepora successfully defended her thesis and accepted Assistant Director of Equity and inclusion position at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
- May 2022, Lakmini’s graduation.
- Congrats to Vinicius for receiving Esther & Stanley Kirschner General Chemistry Teaching Award.
- Stephanie Brock was selected as new member of Wayne State University Academy of Scholars.
- Congrats to Tharanga for receiving Schaap-Rumble Graduate Research Fellowship Award for 2021-2022 academic year.
2021:
- First year graduate students: Ayesha, Masudur, and Faria join the group. Welcome!
- Dec 2021 – Lakmini successfully defended her thesis and accepted a position at Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, Inc.
- Congrats to Tharanga for receiving The Best Student Oral Presentation Award at the 42nd Annual Michigan Catalysis Society Symposium for her oral presentation on the “Synthesis and Intrinsic Electrocatalytic Activity Evaluation of Ni2-xRhxP Nanoparticles for Water Splitting Reactions in Basic Media”
- Congrats to Tepora for receiving the 2021 NOBCChE Inorganic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Division Oral Presentation Award! Had a pizza party to celebrate (see above)!
- Congrats to Tharanga for receiving the 2021 NOBCChE Materials Science and Nanoscience Division Graduate Poster Presentation Award! Had a pizza party to celebrate (see above)!
- Fatemeh successfully passed her candidacy exam.
- Vinicius successfully passed his candidacy exams.
- Tharanga receives the 2021-2022 Rumble Fellowship
- Lakmini is awarded the 2021 Summer Dissertation Fellowship
- Stephanie Brock is the inaugural deputy editor of ACS Materials Au
2020:
- Stephanie Brock is elected into the Academy of Scholars
- Lakmini receives the 2020 – 2021 Rumble Fellowship
- Fatemeh and Vinicius receive Departmental Excellence in Teaching Awards
- Wayne State Team, chaired by Tepora is selected to the host the ACS Graduate Student Symposium at national ACS Spring 2021 meeting
- Mikaylah and Kody join Engineering Ph.D. programs at Purdue University and University of Michigan, respectively.
- Brock Lab volunteers at STEM Day! Liquid Crystal Demo
- Lakmini Silva successfully presents her fourth year talk at inorganic seminar and undergrad, Alina, celebrates her birthday!
- Holiday Christmas Party! White elephant, potluck, and welcoming new first years into the Brock and Verani Lab Family
2019
- Congratulations to Dr. Brock for receiving the Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award
- Congratulations to Kody Whisnant for receiving the Outstanding Student Poster Award at the Michigan Catalysis Society Symposium
- Undergraduate, Ali Ramzan successfully defends his honors research project
- Fatemeh and Vinicius join the group
- Tepora receives the 2019 – 2020 Rumble Fellowship
- Lina earns a Honors B.S. degree in Chemistry from WSU
- Malsha successfully defends his dissertation! Great job!
- Sam successfully defends his dissertation! Hooray!
- Indika successfully defends her dissertation. Congratulations!
2017
- Da Li successfully defended his dissertation
- Tepora Receives IMSD fellowship for two years
- Da received the Outstanding Presentation ward from the Michigan Catalysis Society 38th Annual Spring Symposium
- Roshini successfully defended her dissertation
- Da won a Presentation Award in the Graduate & Postdoctoral Research Symposium
2016
- Congratulations to Bogs. He received an ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Award and the Wiley Award in Advanced Organic Chemistry
- Ruchira received the Rumble Fellowship
- Sam received the Herbert K. Livingston Award for Excellence in Teaching Service
- Welcome our new group members, Taisia (visiting scholar), Kody and Mikaylah (undergraduates)
- Dr. Brock becomes the editor of Chemistry of Materials
- Ruchira successfully defends his dissertation!
- New first years Tepora, Lalani, and Lakmini join the group
- Jessica successfully defends her dissertation!