Group Members
Luis Francisco (Paco) Villalobos, PhD
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, USC Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
BS, Chemical Engineering - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
PhD, Chemical and Biological Engineering - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Postdoc, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Postdoc, Yale University
Outside the lab: Paco enjoys water sports (kitesurfing, swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, SUP, and beginner surfing—a California rite of passage), camping, skiing, board games, hiking, traveling, eating, and spending time with his family.
PhD Students
M.S. Chemical Technology, Dalian University of Technology (2024)
B.S. Energy and Environment System Engineering, South China Agricultural University (2021)
Brief Bio: Boyang Liu was born and raised in Anqing, Anhui Province, China. He obtained BS and MS at South China Agricultural University and Dalian University of Technology, respectively. While at SCAU, he researched preparation and characteristic application of waterborne polyurethane, under Prof. Chaoqun Zhang. Later, at DUT, he conducted research under Prof. Anhui Lu and Prof. Guangping Hao, focusing on the design of pore structure of in porous carbon and its utilization in seawater desalination and ion separation driven by solar.
Outside the lab: Boyand finds joy in various pursuits, including working out, indulging in R&B music, tuning into Korean TV shows, and cherishing lazy sleep. He's always eager to explore new interests like Python and Machine Learning. His ultimate dream? To share a cozy abode with his beloved, complete with a furry family consisting of an adorable dog and cat.
Boyang Liu
PhD Student in Chemical Engineering, USC - joined Fall 2024
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (2024)
Brief Bio: Juliet was born and raised in Irvine, California. She attended community college and transferred to Cal Poly Pomona where she graduated as Valedictorian of her engineering class and earned a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering. She worked as a research assistant at UCI, optimizing carbon nano-fiber synthesis to scale production for energy applications. Juliet also interned in industry as an Automation Engineer, Research and Development Engineer, and machinist.
Outside the lab: Juliet likes to spoil and pamper her goldendoodle and take him on walks to explore the city for food and coffee. She enjoys traveling, sailing, and scuba diving. She loves JDM cars and has owned an S2000, EVO X, and Integra.
Juliet Nordman
PhD Student in Materials Science, USC - joined Fall 2024
B.S. Chemical Engineering, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (2024)
Brief Bio: Diego grew up in La Verne, California, a small city in the suburbs of Los Angeles. He earned a B.S. in chemical engineering and a minor in materials engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 2024. While completing his undergraduate studies, he conducted research under Dr. Vilupanur Ravi; he worked on several materials science-related projects, with one focused on the corrosion behavior of Ni-based superalloys in molten salt environments for nuclear energy applications.
Outside the lab: Outside of his studies and research, Diego enjoys listening to music, going on hikes, and playing board games. When he has the opportunity, he loves to attend jazz concerts and hang out with his friends.
Diego Ochoa
PhD Student in Materials Science, USC - joined Fall 2024
Master’s Students
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University (2023)
Brief Bio: Yi Zhang was born and raised in Chongqing, China. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Chongqing University. During her undergraduate studies, she focused on building materials engineering and studied the physical and chemical properties of titanium-bearing blast furnace slag, specifically during the extraction and dechlorination processes of titanium. She has a great interest in sustainable development.
Outside the lab: Outside of the lab, Yi really enjoys cooking and baking, that’s the way to help her relax. She loves exploring good restaurants (especially those with great spicy food) and coffee shops with her friends and she is also a big fan of roller coasters.
Yi Zhang
MS Student in Materials Engineering, USC - joined Fall 2023
B.S. Chemistry, University of California, Irvine (2024)
Brief Bio: Xiaoyi Lyu was born in Wenzhou, and raised in Shanghai. He pursued a B.S. degree at the University of California, Irvine. While at UCI, he got the opportunity to learn and research at UCI’s TRIGA nuclear reactor. At the TRIGA nuclear reactor, he is able to do instrumental neutron activation analysis and synthesize isotopes that have potential medicinal applications.
Outside the lab: Outside the laboratory, Xiaoyi spent most of his leisure time playing video games and listening to music. He especially enjoys playing JRPG and listening to JPOP.
Xiaoyi Lyu
MS Student in Chemical Engineering, USC - joined Fall 2024
Undergraduate Students
Omar Mahmoud
Undergraduate Student in Chemical Engineering, USC
Brief Bio: Omar was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, until the age of seven. After immigrating to the United States, he grew up in various parts of Orange County and Los Angeles County in Southern California. Currently a junior, Omar is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with an emphasis in Biological and Pharmaceutical engineering. His passion for research and engineering, particularly in the biotech field, ignited during his participation in nanoparticle synthesis trials within the Armani Nanoparticle Engineering group. Looking ahead, Omar aspires to engineer a porous membrane adsorber for the capture of PFAS or boron, aiming to advance various fields and improve numerous processes.
Outside the lab: When he's not immersed in his studies or lab work, Omar thrives in the great outdoors. A passionate sports enthusiast, he particularly enjoys playing and watching basketball and volleyball. His adventurous spirit drives him to explore new places and discover exciting food spots. Omar is also a movie buff, with "The Dark Knight" and "Interstellar" among his favorites. He values quality time with his loved ones, whether it's friends or family, and enjoys meeting new people and forming new connections.
Barry Zheng
Undergraduate Student in Chemical Engineering, USC
Brief Bio: Barry grew up in Shiyan, a small city in central China. A childhood interest in the manufacturing process of various household items gave him the motivation to pursuit a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with an emphasis on material science. In the immediate future, Barry aims to engineer a polymer membrane adsorber for the capture of PFAS or boron, aiming to improve the industry’s capability to capture these trace harmful chemicals.
Outside the lab: Outside the lab, Barry enjoys a combination of activities on and off the office chair. He loves playing video games before and after hitting the gym. His taste in internet topics is constantly shifting and is different every month. He also finds joy in home cooking, often trying out recipes from the internet and inventing his own recipes.
Mayar Alhelaili
Undergraduate Student in Chemical Engineering, USC
Brief Bio: Mayar was born and raised in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Currently, she is a KAUST Gifted Students Program junior pursuing a BS in chemical engineering with an emphasis on energy and sustainability. She is passionate about the intersection between synthetic chemistry and engineering applications, specifically energy applications. This interest was ignited when she worked with the Liu Group on electro-organic catalysts.
Outside the lab: Mayor enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading. She is always looking for niche hiking trails in and outside of Los Angeles. She is always up for a road trip to discover new hiking trails and explore nature. She often indulges in the works of Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, and Murakami, and enjoys looking for new books and authors to explore.
Visiting Researchers
Lauren Mayerle
Visiting Researcher, USC - Summer 2024
Brief Bio: Lauren is a High School Student at Redondo Union High School with an expected graduation date of June 2026.