Professors Nasim Estakhri and Cassandra Donatelli were chosen as the 2024 recipients of The Fletcher Jones Foundation Faculty Fellows in Engineering. They joined their fellow engineering faculty, Dr. Emad Arasteh and Dr. Mark Harrison, who received this honor last year.

This three-year faculty fellowship is a testament to the potential impact of their research on the engineering community and allows for the proper recognition of their groundbreaking work. Supporting their research provides funding to keep their efforts progressing. It allows others outside the Chapman community to see the Fowler School of Engineering and Chapman University as an important research center.

Advancing Optical Sensing and Bioinspired Design for Assistive Technologies

Professor Nasim Estakhri’s project, “Compact Metamaterial Devices for Adaptable Optical Sensing,” can potentially revolutionize the telecommunications field. These devices can lead to breakthroughs in adaptable optical sensing by optimizing device performance and developing new materials and techniques to create more efficient devices. Dr. Estahkri was recognized as one of the top 2% of scientists globally in the field of Networking, Telecommunication, and Optics for 2022. Dr. Estakhri also made the list in 2020 and 2021, making this her third consecutive year on the list.

Professor Cassandra Donatelli’s project “Bioinspired Armored Assistive Devices” can open doors for advanced, human-centered technology by mimicking nature’s designs and developing more robust, flexible, and adaptable devices to users’ needs. Dr. Donatelli hopes to explore new biomimetic materials and expand the range of applications beyond assistive technologies. Dr. Donatelli was hired as an Assistant Professor for the Fowler School of Engineering in 2022, and her research focuses on biomechanics and bioinspired design using fish as a model group.

The Future of Research at Chapman Engineering

Thanks to the generous support of The Fletcher Jones Foundation and the groundbreaking work of Professors Estakhri and Donatelli, the impact of their research is boundless. Both projects offer multiple interdisciplinary opportunities, fostering collaboration between researchers with diverse expertise and perspectives, which could lead to discoveries and solutions across various fields. Dr. Estakhri and Dr. Donatelli’s research pushes the boundaries of what is possible in engineering and paves the way for our incredible research faculty at the Fowler School of Engineering. We look forward to following their research and witnessing its impact on the engineering industry and beyond.

Read more about the Fowler School of Engineering faculty and our robust research opportunities.