Article written by student, Aditree Sahu, Social Media & News Program Assistant
When Vinh-Dien Le arrived in the United States from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, MRADS became both a home and a launchpad for his research career. Now, he’s a junior in Chemical Engineering, with minors in Materials Science and Engineering and Chemistry, he has returned to MRADS as a Peer Mentor for a 2nd year to help new students navigate a similar journey.
Research has been at the heart of Vinh-Dien’s Michigan experience. His introduction came through MRADS during his first year, working in Dr. Mark D. Hammig’s lab on nanomaterials for radiation detection. That year of research led to so much more.
Based on his first year of research, Vinh-Dien co-authored the publication “Size and Shape Modulation of Cu2S Nanoplates via Chemical Reduction with NaOH and NH3H2O"/
In his second year, he joined the Research Scholars Program, a program that supports students after their 1st year with UROP in developing independent research projects and connecting with mentors. Through this program, he began working in Professor Jovan Kamcev’s lab on anion-exchange membranes, supported by the Stamps Scholarship. Today, he is now part of Professor Nicholas Kotov’s lab, where he studies complex and chiral nanoparticles—work that could one day lead to advanced materials for use in medicine, renewable energy, and environmental applications. Across these experiences, he has built expertise in wet-lab synthesis and materials characterization, spanning projects from ion-exchange membranes to nanomaterials.
Beyond research, MRADS has given Vinh-Dien a supportive community. He reflects on his first year as a balance between learning to navigate a new campus and immersing himself in research and ALA 104.
Now, as a student leader, MRADS has become a place where he can grow socially as well as academically. “MRADS has really been a place to expand my social network and spend time with friends,” he says.
Outside of MRADS, Vinh-Dien is involved in the ChE Cube team, the AIChE Conference, and the Engineering Honors Program. But for him, the foundation of his Michigan experience remains MRADS. What began as a place to start research has grown into a community where he feels both challenged and supported, and now again, as a Peer Mentor, he’s eager to give back to the program that shaped his early years at Michigan.
