Current Group Members

  • Prof. Ken Graham

    Associate Professor

    E-mail: Kenneth.Graham@uky.edu

    Research Interests: Understanding and applying interfacial chemistry to develop devices and materials with improved performance. Advancing organic semiconductors through understanding doping, defect states, and degradation. Instrumentation development, especially ultrahigh vacuum related instrumentation. In general, I enjoy addressing diverse questions with potential application relevance where we can add unique insight with our photoemission spectroscopies.

    Interesting Facts: I have bicycled from Maine to California, Alaska to California, and hiked the John Muir Trail.

  • Henry Pruett

    Graduate Student

    E-mail: hpr225@g.uky.edu

    Research Interests: Reduced dimensionality perovskite PV Cells.

    Interesting facts and hobbies: I have a scar on my forearm from a tiger bite.




  • Kevin Pedersen

    Graduate Student

    E-mail: kevin.pedersen@uky.edu

    Research Interests: I am interested in the chemistry behind perovskite based solar cells. Particularly 2D perovskites and their spacer cations.

    Interesting facts and hobbies: I love snowboarding and have been to 12 different ski resorts out west. Camping and hiking in the spring-fall is one of my favorite things to do.


  • Augustine Osilamah Yusuf

    Graduate Student

    E-mail: augustine.yusuf@uky.edu

    Research Interests: Seeking to understand how doping of organic thermoelectrics affect their properties.

    Interesting facts and hobbies: I love to learn about historical figures as well as visit historical places whenever I get the chance to. I look forward to visiting some US presidential libraries.



  • Janangi Liyanage

    Graduate Student

    E-mail: janangi.liyanage@uky.edu

    Research Interests: I am interested in working with conjugated polymers, studying their stability, and understanding the chemistry of organic semiconductors.

    Interesting facts and hobbies: I am a musicaholic. Listening to music and singing always keeps me in a good mood and I like to travel.


  • Lutfun Nahar

    Graduate Student

    E-mail: lutfun.nahar@uky.edu

    Research Interests: My research interest is on analyzing interfacial defects and the depth distribution of defect states in organic semiconductors using various spectroscopic techniques.

    Interesting facts and hobbies: I love travelling.


  • Jessica Bone

    Graduate Student

    E-mail: jbo312@uky.edu

    Research Interests:

    Interesting facts and hobbies:



    • Alumni

    • Harindi Atapattu

      Graduate Student

      E-mail: harindi@uky.edu

      Research Interests: I am interested in perovskite based solar cells and improving the performances of the devices by understanding the chemistry of the organic - inorganic interface.

      Interesting facts and hobbies: I like to travel and love baking. Listening to music always keeps me in a good mood and I am a big fan of Maroon 5.


    • Tareq Hossain

      Graduate Student

      E-mail: tareq.hossain@uky.edu

      Research Interests: I am interested in perovskite solar cells, more specifically the interface between the perovskite and charge transporting layer. I am also interested in various measuring techniques such as XPS, UPS, IPES, SEM, optical techniques etc..

      Interesting facts and hobbies: Travelling and photography are my favorite pastimes. I have already visited 14 national parks and 17 states in US. Parasailing in Florida was something interesting.

      Current Position:Post-doctoral researcher in the group of Letian Duo at Purdue University.


    • Joy Syed

      Graduate Student

      E-mail: syed.joy@uky.edu

      Research Interests: My research is focused on developing printed silver nanowires composite transparent electrodes for making solution processable and mechanically flexible hybrid perovskite-based solar cells. I am also interested in developing Pb-free Sn halide perovskite solar cells.

      Interesting facts and hobbies: I went skydiving, enjoy travelling and playing cricket.

      Current Position:Process Engineer at Applied Materials.

    • Kyle Baustert

      Graduate Student

      E-mail: kyle.baustert@uky.edu

      Research Interests: I am interested in organic thermoelectrics and understanding how doping different p-type conjugated polymers affects their properties such as Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity.

      Interesting facts and hobbies: I am originally from Michigan and started rock climbing when I moved here in Fall of 2019 and have been addicted to the sport ever since and have been to the Red River Gorge several times.

      Current Position:Research and Development Battery Scientist at General Motors.


    • Tuo Liu

      Graduate Student

      E-mail: tli252@uky.edu

      Research Interests: Understanding interactions at interfaces in perovskite solar cells and improving device performance by intentionally adjusting the interface chemistry. Developing Sn-based and low-dimensional perovskite materials for photovoltaics.

      Interesting facts and hobbies: I love soccer and Manchester United. I love the NBA and the San Antonio Spurs. I enjoying playing soccer with friends on weekends, and playing FIFA and 2K on XBOX.

      Current Position:Principal Material Scientist at PeroNova.

    • Ahmed Ayyash

      Undergraduate student researcher (2021-2022)

      E-mail: anay225@uky.edu

      Research Interests:Doping and Anion Exchange of Organic Semiconducting Polymers.

      Interesting facts and hobbies: I have taken up amateur photography using a 35mm film camera, I am also an avid follower of Formula One racing, Forza Ferrari!


    • Maryam Shahi

      Postdoctoral scholar

      E-mail: maryam.shahi@uky.edu

      Research Interests: Utilizing Energy Resolved- Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (ER-EIS) method for the study of transport electronic states in organic small molecules and conjugated polymers.

      Interesting facts and hobbies: I love riddles and playing sports. During my undergrad I used to play as a point guard in university’s basketball team.

      Current Position:Post-doctoral researcher in the group of Dr. Alexandra Paterson at the University of Kentucky.


    • Somin Park

      Graduate Student

      E-mail: somin.park@uky.edu

      Research Interests: Material properties and device performance: understanding organic-organic and organic-inorganic interfaces using optical and photoelectron spectroscopies, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and inverse photoelectron spectroscopy. Understanding interaction between interfaces, tuning interfacial energy levels and morphology controls for organic photovoltaic cells and organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells.

      Interesting Facts: I like spicy foods and have traveled around ten countries.

      Current Position:Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore.

    • Alex Boehm

      Graduate Student

      E-mail: alex.boehm@uky.edu

      Research Interests: Utilizing a variety of spectroscopic methods in order to investigate the energy level alignment and electronic states of surfaces and interfaces. My primary focus is on perovskite based solar cells and how the organic-organic and organic-inorganic interfaces impact device performance.

      Interesting Fact: My favorite sport to play is Ultimate Frisbee

      Current Position:Post-doctoral researcher in the group of Dr. Taisuke Ohta at Sandia National Laboratory.

    • Ashkan Abtahi

      Graduate Student (physics, co-advisor: Prof. Joe Brill)

      E-mail: a.abtahi@uky.edu

      Research Interests: Study the effects of molecular and interfacial dipoles on CT states and other properties of organic solar cells. Improve theoretical explanation of active layer behavior. Use computational methods for explaining the experimental results. Improve electronic instrumentation for better measurements.

      Interesting Facts and Hobbies: Night sky observation with telescopes, I play a few musical instruments, and have summited a few very high mountains (18000’)

      Current Position:TD Q&R Fault Isolation Engineer at Intel Corporation.

    • Md Aslam Uddin

      Graduate Student

      E-mail: md.uddin_chem@uky.edu

      Research Interests: My interest is to develop new types of efficient thermoelectric materials and understand how they work. I am also interested in developing medicines and nano-devices for drug delivery, as well as by developing nano-particles for medical diagnostic applications.

      Motto: Never give up.

      Current Position:Post-doctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Neil Dasgupta at the University of Michigan.


    • Cody Robinette

      Undergraduate Student Researcher (2019-2020)

      Research interests in the Graham group: Surface chemistry of Sn-based perovskites and their influence on photoluminescence and photovoltaic properties. First place at the 2020 UK Department of Chemistry Regional Undergraduate Poster Competition

      Current Position: Medical student at the University of Louisville.

    • Zhiming Liang

      Graduate Student

      E-mail: zhiming.liang@uky.edu

      Research Interests: Aerodynamics, ballistics, Quantum Mechanics, Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Nanotechnology and condensed matter physics.

      Interesting Fact: I have bicycled from from Chengdu to Lhasa (National G318, China, 2012).

      Current Position: Post-doctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Chunmei Ban at University of Colorado Boulder.



    • Jonathan Nelson

      Undergraduate Student Researcher (2017-2018)

      Research interests in the Graham group: Helped develop Sn-based PV cell capabilities and probed how solvent additives can stabilize Sn compounds in solution. Third place at the 2018 UK Department of Chemistry Regional Undergraduate Poster Competition!

      Current Position:

    • Thuy Nguyen

      Undergraduate Student

      E-mail: tnnguyen135@uky.edu

      Research Interests: My research interest is centered primarily on energy. I enjoy the organic and materials chemistry approach for improving energy usage in electronics such as batteries and solar cells. While working in the Graham group I investigated the effects of precursor composition and controlled water incorporation on the performance of methylammonium lead iodide perovskite solar cells.

      Interesting Fact: I am a mixed martial artist that like to go hiking and indoor rock climbing when I have free time.

      Current Position: Graduate student in pharmacy at the University of Kentucky.

    • Jillian Cramer

      Undergraduate Student

      E-mail: tnnguyen135@uky.edu

      Research Interests: I am passionate about alternative energy, especially solar cells. While in the Graham group, Jillian led the setup of our thin-film quantum yield measurement system and investigated quantum yields of perovskite thin films as a function of surface ligands.

      Interesting Fact: I am happiest when I’m holding a warm mug or animal.

      Current Position: Graduate student in chemistry (Master's Industrial Internship Program) at the University of Oregon.

    • Dr. Kamal Butrouna

      Research Scientist (2015-2016)

      Research efforts in the Graham group: Established methods for accurately measuring the Seebeck coefficients of thin films. Investigated the thermoelectric properties of polymers and polymers blends. Contributed immensely to laboratory setup!

      Current Position: Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Physics at Western Carolina University.




    • John Dunlap

      Undergraduate Student Researcher (2015-2016)

      Research interests in the Graham group: Led our initial efforts on the synthesis and characterization of perovskite nanoparticles and lead selenide nanowires. Third place at the 2016 UK Department of Chemistry Regional Undergraduate Poster Competition!

      Current Position: Graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at the University of South Carolina.




    • Christopher Hayden

      Undergraduate Student Researcher (2016)

      E-mail: christopher.hayden@uky.edu

      Research interests in the Graham group: Synthesized perovskite nanowires and applied them to thermoelectric devices. Emphasis on functionalizing the surface of the perovskite nanowires using a variety of molecules and polymers to better disperse the nanowires in both solution and organic polymer hosts.

      Current Position:

    • Cameron Day

      Undergraduate Student Researcher (2016)

      E-mail: cameron.day1@uky.edu

      Research interests in the Graham group: Focused on improving the film morphology and electrical conductivity of transparent electrodes in solar cells through silver nanowire surface modification.

      Current Position: Army Engineering Officer.


    • Renato Envangelista

      Undergraduate Student Researcher (2014-2015)

      Research interests in the Graham group: Helped with setting up the laboratory and starting our perovskite photovoltaic effort. Renato was the first undergraduate student to join the group.

      Current Position: