Zain Hussein is a graduate student in the Department of Physics since the Fall of 2023. His research is focused on studying the metastability and thermal conductivity of Rare-Earth borides at extreme conditions. In his free time, Zain enjoys exercising, watching various sitcoms, and playing video games.

Ernesto Carvajal is a graduate student in the Chemistry Department since the Fall of 2023. The driving force for his love of the subject is knowing that there are no inconsequential steps during a long journey. He understands that there is much left undone in the journey that is ensuring the planet that we all partake in becomes a sustainable one. He believes that the slow and steady increase in the Research and Development of technologies, such as EV batteries, solar cells and renewable fuels will pave the way towards a net-zero carbon future for the automotive industry. Though this may interfere with his passion for various motorsport series.

Rafael Loriga is a graduate student in the Chemistry Department since the Fall of 2023. He is a dedicated scientist fascinated by the wonders of space since childhood. His desire is ignited to produce new materials under extreme conditions using large volume presses with a purpose to capture and analyze spectra from space. This pushes him to new scientific boundaries with varying pressures and temperatures, giving new depth for a materials property while focusing on electrical conductivity.

Lia Vaquero has a BA in chemistry and started her graduate school in the Fall of 2024. Her research area is in materials suitable for solar cells by understanding inorganic complexes at high pressures, one step closer to combating the energy crisis.

Daniel Alberto Garcia is a freshman pursuing a BS in General Chemistry. He has been interested in the field since he was young, and once he was opened up to it through public education, he felt the desire to continue his interest by working with Dr. Chuvashova. Originally, he worked as a Summer Research Intern with Florida International University, coming from TERRA Environmental Research Institute as a high school junior. As a college student, he is now continuing his research with the lab and aspires to continue his education to graduate school and someday continue into academia

James Vazquez is currently a senior pursuing a BS in Chemistry. He has a passion for the fundamentals of chemistry and is interested in understanding the underlying principles as to how different elements come together to create brand new emergent properties that are completely different from those of the individual elements. His current research interest lies in examining the metastability and thermal conductive properties of Rare-Earth Borides subjected to high pressures and temperatures. After graduating he hopes to become a pharmacist and, later down the line, apply the research he did in the lab within the pharmaceutical field.

Dennis Horrigan is senior pursuing a bachelors in Biochemistry. He is currently researching the behavior of organic molecules under high pressure conditions. He plans to continue his education with graduate school, and pursue research in sustainable manufacturing. 

Melanie Frolich is a senior pursuing a BS in Physics and a BS in Biochemistry. At Chuvashova Lab, she is involved in the optical laser setup that allows for measuring the properties of high-pressure materials produced in DAC cells, building on work she did at Jun Ye's optics lab at JILA at University of Colorado, Boulder. Knowing these properties is a real step towards understanding all the materials that allowably exist within our physical reality and within the physical frameworks we develop for our reality, a constant topic of fascination to Melanie. Outside of her physics work, she enjoys dancing salsa and going to the beach. After graduating with her Bachelor's degree, Melanie plans to continue pursuing research through a Physics PhD program.

Jarenthial Weston is a junior pursuing a BS in Physics. He is passionate about advancing knowledge in nuclear physics and plans to continue his studies in this field at the graduate level. He is particularly interested in exploring atomic interactions and applying this knowledge to energy production and material science.

Daniela Delgado Alfonso is a junior pursuing a BS in Biochemistry and a Mathematics minor. She plans to pursue a medical degree with the hope of becoming a radiologist. In her free time, she enjoys photographing nature and people.

Hannah Truong is currently a freshman pursuing a BS in Biological Sciences and a BA in Natural and Applied Sciences. Hannah has been researching under Dr. Chuvashova’s guidance since she participated in FIU’s Summer Research Internship Program in 2022. With a strong love for the sciences, Hannah aspires to uncover the mysteries of Rare-Earth elements one discovery at a time. She is ready to tackle any obstacle and grow with the Chuvashova Lab team. Hannah hopes to become a doctor in the future.

Alejandro Campos is a junior pursing B.S. in Physics and a B.S. in Mathematics. His passion lies in the connection between math and physics and applying his knowledge to real-world problems. He is currently also involved in education research through Project VOCES where his project aims to bring more students into the Physics program. After graduating, he plans to pursue a Physics or Materials Science PhD and apply his research to make the world more accessible and sustainable.