Three Minute Thesis Finalists

Sayan Deep De

Kinesiology, “Diagnosing Parkinson’s Early: A Simple Finger-Force Biomarker to Detect Disease Before Symptoms Appear"

Bio

Sayan Deep De is a doctoral researcher in kinesiology, specializing in motor control and human movement neuroscience. His research focuses on understanding how the nervous system coordinates complex movements and how disruptions in these control mechanisms can reveal early signs of neurological disorders. Under the mentorship of Dr. Mark Latash, Sayan uses the Uncontrolled Manifold (UCM) framework to study motor synergies across multiple levels of the neuromuscular hierarchy.

Yasaman Ghaffarian

Architecture, “Rethinking Traditional Spatial Concepts: A Comparative Study of Azuma’s Tower House and Traditional Japanese Houses"

Bio

Yasaman Ghaffarian is a final-year graduate student pursuing degrees in Master of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture at Penn State.

Julia Ho

Architectural Engineering, “Developing accurate, efficient models to design optimal heating and cooling systems"

Bio

Julia Ho is a fourth-year doctoral student in Architectural Engineering. I study how to reduce energy use of heating and cooling systems with a specific focus on district energy systems (large, typically centralized systems supplying sizable and/or multiple buildings.) I also am the president of the Architectural Engineering Graduate Student Association, which aims to improve professional and personal relationships by strengthening departmental community. When I'm not at my desk, I love playing sports, rock climbing, biking, and running around State College. After graduation, I want to pursue a career where I can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, whether that be through research, policy, or industry practice.

Zilfa Irakoze

Food Science and International Agriculture and Development, “A Mixed Methods Approach to Explore and Define Food Noise”

Bio

Zilfa Irakoze is a dual-title doctoral candidate in Food Science and International Agriculture & Development at Penn State. She holds a master's degree in food Science and has worked across academia, industry, government, and extension settings, focusing on food safety, applied microbiology, and the development of sustainable solutions to reduce microbial contamination in food systems.

Her dissertation aims to understand the chemical signals used by beneficial molds to reduce deadly toxin-producing molds in food. Beyond the lab, Zilfa is passionate about making science accessible to the end users. So, as an INTAD student, she works with growers and communities to translate research into practical tools for safer, more sustainable food production and handling, both locally and internationally.

At Penn State, Zilfa is actively involved in graduate leadership and service, including initiatives that support graduate student interdisciplinary collaborations and international student communities. Upon graduation, she aspires to pursue a career in research, extension, and leadership roles that bridge scientific findings with real-world impact, helping to strengthen food safety and food security globally.

Patrick Sarpong

Energy and Mineral Engineering, “Environmentally Benign Extraction of Lithium from Underclay Coal Waste”

Bio

Patrick Abban Sarpong is a doctoral student in Energy and Mineral Engineering whose research focuses on the sustainable recovery of lithium and rare-earth elements from coal waste, with an emphasis on process mineralogy and environmental risk assessment.

His academic journey spans three continents. He holds a master's degree in Sustainable and Innovative Natural Resource Management (SINReM) from universities in Germany, Belgium, and Sweden, and a bachelor's degree in Minerals Engineering from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Ghana. A distinguished student leader, he served as class representative and president of the Student Christian Council, earning the Best Disciplined Graduating Student award for his outstanding contributions and leadership. He currently serves as president of the Pan-African Professional Alliance at Penn State.

His accolades include the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship, TICAD 7 African Scholarship, Brighter Investment Scholarship, a two-time first-place winner of the MPD Elevator Pitch Contest, first runner up at the Sustainable Mobility Hackathon (Sweden), and the People's Choice Award at Penn State's 2024-25 Three Minute Thesis competition. Born in Ghana, he is the only metallurgist in a family of accountants and enjoys football, Christian literature, and spirituality.

Shakshi Sekar

Energy and Mineral Engineering, “Upcycling Plastic Waste into Critical Mineral Graphite”

Bio

Shakshi Sekar is a third-year doctoral candidate in the department of Energy and Mineral Engineering whose research tackles two critical challenges: plastic pollution and critical mineral shortage.

Every year, 160 million tons of single-use plastic wastes are generated, out of which only 12% gets recycled. At the same time, the global demand for graphite, essential for batteries powering everything from consumer electronics like smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles, continues to surge as society transitions to renewable energy.

Her research upcycles waste plastics like coffee cup lids, water bottles, and grocery bags into battery-grade graphite for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. She transforms plastic waste that would otherwise fill the landfills into critical material, enabling a clean energy future.

Saiber Shaikh

Counselor Education, “When Your Therapist Has a Therapist: Counselors Living With Mental Illness

Bio

Saiber Shaikh is a doctoral candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision at Penn State. Her research centers on counselor preparation, learning, professional development, and retention, so that counselors are equipped to support the growing mental health needs in their communities.

Saiber's research explores how future counselors develop their professional identity, with a particular focus on creating educational approaches that honor community perspectives and expand on traditional learning methods. She believes that preparing culturally responsive mental health practitioners starts with reimagining how we teach and support students in their graduate programs. Her dissertation employs an ethnographic case study methodology to examine counselor professional identity development, while her broader research streams address counselor wellness and mental health, as well as innovative technology integration in counselor education.

Beyond her research, Saiber is deeply committed to supporting the growth of the counseling profession through research, teaching, service, and leadership. She currently serves as graduate student representative for NARACES and ACES, and as editorial fellow for the Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision. As a National Certified Counselor, she maintains strong connections between scholarship and clinical practice while teaching across the mental health counseling curriculum.

Saiber's work has been recognized through the CSI Excellence in Counseling Grant, the ACES Student Grant, the NARACES Outstanding Doctoral Student Award (2025), the Ardeth & Norman Frisbey International Graduate Student Award (2025), and the NARACES Emerging Leader Award (2024). Looking ahead, she plans to expand her research in counselor education while exploring how technology can support counselor training and improve access to services for everyone.

Shikha Soneji

Informatics, “Beyond 'I Agree': Revealing the Secret Life of Your Data in Plain English”

Bio

Shikha Soneji is a doctoral candidate in Informatics at Penn State, where her research lies at the intersection of human-centered AI, privacy, and policy understanding. Her work focuses on building and evaluating AI systems that help people interpret complex, high-stakes documents, such as privacy policies and terms of service. She develops hierarchical ontologies, NLP- and LLM-based classification methods, and mixed-methods evaluation frameworks to examine both technical performance and how real users perceive, trust, and act on AI-generated explanations.

Shikha's research has been published multiple times in venues focused on AI for social impact, where her work has been recognized with awards for its contribution to improving transparency, fairness, and user understanding in digital systems. A central theme of her research is bridging technical innovation with societal needs, particularly in domains where information asymmetry can meaningfully affect user rights and decision-making.

In addition to her research, Shikha is deeply committed to mentorship. She has mentored undergraduate and graduate students, as well as early-career researchers, supporting them in research design, technical skill development, and navigating interdisciplinary academic paths. She is especially passionate about mentoring students from diverse backgrounds and helping them translate abstract ideas into impactful, real-world research.

Upon graduating from Penn State, Shikha aspires to continue working at the intersection of research and practice, advancing responsible, user-centered AI systems that are transparent, trustworthy, and grounded in social impact.

Nusrat Tabassum

Architecture, “Enabling formwork-free 3D printing of spanning roof structures at the construction scale - Using multi-directional slicing to decrease the overhang angle"

Bio

Nusrat Tabassum is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Architecture at Penn State, where she researches how advanced computation and robotic fabrication can transform contemporary building practices. Her work centers on 3D concrete printing, with a focus on achieving formwork‑free construction for roof systems such as vaults and arches. Through simulation‑driven design workflows and innovative printing strategies, she aims to reduce construction waste, cost, and environmental impact while expanding the capabilities of automated building systems.

She holds a master's degree in Advanced Architecture from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Spain and a bachelor's degree in Architecture from Bangladesh. Nusrat also has professional experience as both an architect and an educator in several international contexts. After completing her doctorate at Penn State, she hopes to continue researching and teaching at the intersection of architecture, construction technology, and sustainable housing.

Gopi Yalavarthi

Nutritional Sciences, “Processed dietary fibers can increase inflammation in the gut"

Bio

Gopi Yalavarthi is a doctoral student in Nutritional Sciences at Penn State. He works under the mentorship of Dr. Vishal Singh, where his research focuses on the effects of processed dietary fiber interventions in ongoing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using multiomics approaches to investigate diet-host-microbiome interactions. He aims to pursue a career in translational research and precision nutrition.