Join us: We constantly look for enthusiastic graduate and undergraduate students; postdoctoral candidates may inquire about possible openings.
Dr. Saiful M. Islam (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Saiful M. Islam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at George Mason University. Prior to joining George Mason, he served as an Assistant Professor at Jackson State University. He earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Dhaka and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Bonn, Germany. Following his doctoral studies, he completed postdoctoral research at the University of Bonn and Northwestern University. At Northwestern, he also served as an adjunct faculty member.
Dr. Islam's research focuses on the design of functional inorganic materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion, environmental remediation, nuclear waste treatment, and critical metals extraction. His work integrates materials synthesis, advanced characterization, and fundamental structure–property investigations to address critical challenges in sustainable energy and environmental technologies.
His research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Education. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, the DOE-EERE Energy Education Awards (Phases I–III), the 2024 Jackson State University Rising Star Award, and was recognized as an Emerging Leader in Coordination Chemistry by the Journal of Coordination Chemistry.
Dr. Islam has authored approximately 70 peer-reviewed publications, one book chapter, holds two U.S. patents, and serves the scientific community as a reviewer and panelist for several federal funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Contact:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
4400 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030
Email: mislam37@gmu.edu
Phone: (703)-993-6417
Postdocs
Dr. Misganaw Adigo Weret
Joined: May, 2023
Research Area: Lithium sulfur batteries, Li-ion batteries, Sulfide solid-state electrolyte and anode-free lithium sulfur battery.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4891-8526
Email: misganaw_adigo.weret@jsums.edu
Graduate Students
MD Robiul Alam
Joined: August, 2021
Research Area: Currently, I am conducting advanced research that centers on the advancement of metal sulfide intercalated layered double hydroxides (LDHs) for environmental remediation. This novel method focuses on efficiently eliminating heavy metal cations and oxoanions from polluted areas, providing a hopeful resolution for reducing the negative effects of industrial pollution. Furthermore, my work includes the important field of nuclear waste remediation, where I investigate the capacity of LDH materials to effectively segregate radioactive contaminants.
Hobby: Photography and fishing, with interest in religion, history and politics.
Email: md_robiul.alam@students.jsums.edu
James Daniels (part time student)
Joined: August 2021
Research Area: Chalcogels for sustainable energy and environment
Oluwaseun Oketola
Joined: January, 2023
Research Area: My research interests lie at the intersection of materials science and environmental chemistry. I focus on the inorganic chemistry of both crystalline and amorphous materials, exploring synthesis, morphology, and their local structure and functions. My ultimate aim is to pioneer the development of innovative materials that address the requirements of sustainable energy and environmental applications, particularly in the realm of defense legacy nuclear waste treatment.
Hobby: Soccer, Painting.
Email: oluwaseun.a.oketola@students.jsums.edu
Shital Dhami
Joined: August, 2023
Research Area: 2D Materials, Wastewater treatment, Hybrid Supercapacitors, and electrocatalysis
ORCID:
Email: sital.dhami@students.jsums.edu
Ahmed Adebanjo
Joined: Spring 2025
Research Area: Semiconducting porous amorphous solids and understanding their local structures by synchrotron X-ray PDF, EXAFS and XANES.
ORCID:
Email:
Tewodros Temtime
Joined: Fall 2025
Research Area: Semiconducting porous amorphous solids and understanding their local structures by synchrotron X-ray PDF, EXAFS and XANES.
ORCID:
Email:
Ajadur Rahman
Joined: Fall 2025
Research Area: Semiconducting porous amorphous solids/semisolids and understanding their local structures by synchrotron X-ray PDF, EXAFS and XANES.
ORCID:
Email:
Undergrads
Ayooluwa Aduragbemi (since Spring 2025)
Nneoma Nwaiwu
(sinec Fall 2025)
Rodger Russel
(since Fall 2024)
Summer Interns 2025
(1) Ayon Ifktekhar (UG, Emory University)
(2) Ja’Nilla Frye (High School Student)
(3) Ambika Deo (High School Student)
Previous Group Members
Visiting Faculty
(1) Dr. Bhanu Nellore, Assistant Professor Mississippi Valley State University
Graduate Students
(1) Dr. Ahmet Celik (Graduated in Summer, 2022); currently an assistant professor at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Turkey.
(2) Dr. Alicia Blanton (Graduated in Spring, 2023); currently working as a lab director at Rapid Analytics, Louisiana, USA.
(3) Jing Nie (Defended in Summer, 2024)
(4) Dr. Taohedul Islam (Graduated in Fall 2025); currently a postdoc at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Undergrads
(1) Janiqua Bullock, (2) Darius Nelson, (3) Eli Hodge (currently at Eli Liley), (4) Jamacia Shortee, (5) Hannah Lewis (Accepted to University of Purdue for MS, Fall 2023), (6) Brooklynn May, (7) Ariel Cox, (8) Sydni Wilson (currently graduate student, University of Pennsylvania); (9) Airin Beals (Fall 2022 - Fall 2023); (10) Deja Doucet (Fall 2023-Spring 204, accepted a position at Eli Lilley), (11) Erika Cottrell (Fall 2023-Spring 2024), (12) Malachi Morris (2023-204), (13) Hailey Barlet (2024) and (14) Peighton Powe (2023-2024)
Postbaccalaureate
(1) Brooklynn May (Fll 2023-Summer 2024)
Summer Interns
(1) Kennedy Smitt (University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, 2018), (2) Chad McKnight (Tugaloo College, 2022); (3) Ramiyah Thompson (Mississippi Dela Valley State, 2023), (4) Riwad Iftekhar (University of Alabam Tuscaloosa, summer 2023), (5) Olujedeg Bridgwater (Mississippi Valey State University, Summer 2024).
High School Summer Interns
(1) Ishmam Bhuiyan (Madison-Ridgeland Academy, 2023)
(2) Tasmiyah Rashid (Clinton High School, Summer 2024
(3) Suri Clark (Madison Middle School, Summer 2024)
(4) Tanisha Islam (Madison Middle School, Summer 2024)
Dr. Subrata Chandra Roy
Joined: December 2021
Research Area: 2D materials, aerogels, lithium ion batteries, wastewater treatment and nuclear waste treatment
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8506-5484
Email: subrata.c.roy@jsums.edu
Current position: Graduate Associate Director, Jackson State University
Dr. Ravichandran Chitra Rohit
Joined: October, 2023
Research Area: Supercapattery, Electrocatalysis and waste water treatment.
Hobby: Movies and badminton.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6601-1891
Email: rohitnano18@gmail.com
Current position: Assistant Manager R&D in hydrogen Production plant, Gujarat
MD Taohedul Islam
Joined: January, 2022
Research Area: Synthesis of chalcogels and chalcocarbogels for their applications in energy storage; local structure determination of amorphous solids using synchrotron X-ray pair distribution function (PDF) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analysis.
Hobby: Learning about different cultures.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8112-398X
Email: md_taohedul.islam@students.jsums.edu