Congratulations to our group member, Fei Zhang, on successfully defending her Ph.D. dissertation on June 13, 2025!
We celebrate her accomplishments and the impact of her research.
June 13, 2025
Congratulations to our group member, Na Ha, on successfully defending his Ph.D. dissertation on June 13, 2025!
We’re proud of her hard work, dedication, and contributions to the team.
June 13, 2025
URFIU Award Ceremony on 06/05/25 – Congratulations to Michael Keyack and Filippo Latte Blonval!
June 5, 2025
🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Daniela Radu’s NASA CRES2DO student trainees: Fillipo Blonval, Roberto Nolasco, James Henry, Samuel Oyon, Michael Keyack, and Daniel Munoz on their graduation!
April 25, 2025
Congratulations to Samuel Oyon and James Henry on their graduation! 🎓
April 24, 2025
These graduate students have been working under the mentorship of Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai as part of the NRT-QISE Crystal Growth program.
Wishing them all the best as they move forward into the next exciting chapter of their careers!
Celebrating Impact: Faculty Excellence
April 17, 2025
Recruiting now for 2025 NSF NRT Cohorts
NSF NRT FIU PI Cheng-Yu Lai
April, 2025
NASA High Volume Cohort Meeting
Team members: PI. Dr.Cheng-Yu Lai, Co-PI Dr.Daniela Radu and Ms. Eduimar Hinestroza,
March 26, 2025
NASA High Volume Undergraduate Research Symposium
Team members from left to right: PC Ms. Eduimar Hinestroza, Michael Keyack, PI. Dr.Cheng-Yu Lai, John Valencia and Filippo Latte
October 22, 2024
2024 NSF NRT PI Meeting in DC
NSF NRT FIU PI Cheng-Yu Lai
October 21-23, 2024
Nasa PI Meeting
November 14, 2023
Congratulations to Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai, who has been awarded ~$800 K from DoD HBCU/MI Research and Education Program
May, 2023
Congratulations to Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai, who has been awarded $750 K to NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project High-Volume Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Award (MUREP High-Volume)
MUREP High-Volume seeks to address the need for high-volume manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem in aerospace and future needs of manufacturing by introducing new and diverse ecosystem networks
March 16, 2022
Melissa Venedicto, CRE2DO undergraduate Researcher has bn selected as a finalist of the outstanding award
March 8, 2022
Congratulations to Melissa Venedicto, who has been selected as a finalist for the 2022 FIU Outstanding Life Award
Melissa Venedicto, CRE2DO undergraduate Researcher obtained Undergraduate Research Poster Competition Award from Biomedical Engineering Department and Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department
Fall 2021
“Undergraduate Student under the mentorship of Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai, her poster tile is “Facilitated Release of Doxorubicin from Biodegradable Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles”
Congratulations to Inzamam on his Graduation!
26 April 2021
“Mohammed Inzamam Haqqani, CRE2DO Graduate Researcher under the mentorship of Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai, Graduated with a MS degree in Engineering Management.”
Melissa Venedicto, CRE2DO undergraduate Researcher obtained McNair Award
22 April, 2021
“CRE2DO undergraduate student under the mentorship of Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai obtained Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program award.”
Congratulations to Prado-Rivera, R; Chang, C-Y; Liu, M; Lai, C-Y; Radu, D for their paper published on Sulvanites: The Promise at the Nanoscale
23 March, 2021
Prado-Rivera, R; Chang, C-Y; Liu, M; Lai, C-Y; Radu, D. Sulvanites: The Promise at the Nanoscale, 2021. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/
Florida International University News and Media Relation interviewed a NASA MIRO CRE2DO undergraduate student researcher to share her experience under the program
January 06, 2021
“Melissa Venedicto, under the guidance of Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, work on a project focused on nanomaterials.”
Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai (Thrust #1 Lead) received a new grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
November 12, 2020
“Sustainable Lignin-Based pH-Responsive Material for Seed Coating Applications.” The project responds to USDA programmatic priorities within the Bioprocessing and Bioengineering Program, A: advancing utilization of waste and by-products generated in agricultural and/or food systems and engineering new products and processes that make use of materials from agricultural origin
Nasa Principal Investigators Meeting
November 14, 2023
Congratulations to Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai, who has been awarded ~$800 K from DoD HBCU/MI Research and Education Program
May, 2023
Congratulations to Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai, who has been awarded $750 K to NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project High-Volume Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Award (MUREP High-Volume)
MUREP High-Volume seeks to address the need for high-volume manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem in aerospace and future needs of manufacturing by introducing new and diverse ecosystem networks
March 16, 2022
Melisssa Venedicto, CRE2DO undergraduate researcher has been selected as a finalist of the outstanding award
March 8, 2022
Congratulations to Melissa Venedicto, who has been selected as a finalist for the 2022 FIU Outstanding Life Award
Melissa Venedicto, CRE2DO undergraduate Researcher obtained Undergraduate Research Poster Competition Award from Biomedical Engineering Department and Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department
Fall 2021
“Undergraduate Student under the mentorship of Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai, her poster tile is “Facilitated Release of Doxorubicin from Biodegradable Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles”
Congratulations to Inzamam on his Graduation!
26 April 2021
“Mohammed Inzamam Haqqani, CRE2DO Graduate Researcher under the mentorship of Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai, Graduated with a MS degree in Engineering Management.”