The development of metamaterials—composite materials that have desirable or unusual properties related to their physical structure—is opening up possibilities for innovation in a wide range of fields.
As a Clare Boothe Luce (CBL) Research Scholar, mechanical engineer Hana Hussain ’26 is gaining perspective on how these next-gen materials could be used in the aerospace industry, particularly in relation to cooling systems.
Hussain works in the Thermostructural Lab led by Natasha Vermaak, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics. The research project is based on a Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance (PITA) collaboration with Keith Moored, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics, and an industrial partner, Advanced Cooling Technologies (ACT), a thermal management solutions company. Together, they are investigating the use of metamaterials to control airflow and turbulence in ducts and pipes without needing active electronic systems. Doing so could simplify cooling system design and improve reliability and efficiency by integrating control mechanisms directly into the material itself.
“I have been working on a few different topics, including validating a phononic metamaterial prototype using finite element analysis, manufacturing an initial stack prototype, and designing a vibrometer to test our prototype,” says Hussain. “I’ve learned new softwares such as ABAQUS and the design to test mechanical process.”
The Clare Boothe Luce Research Scholarship enables high-achieving undergraduate women in engineering, with faculty guidance and mentoring, to conduct research during both the academic year and over the summer. At Lehigh, CBL scholars also take part in community outreach, serving as mentors in the Rossin College’s CHOICES camp, and present their work at the college’s David and Lorraine Freed Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS).
The program is funded by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation and provides financial support for up to two years.
Being a CBL Research Scholar allows Hussain to pursue her passion.
“I am working toward a career in the aerospace industry, specifically in aerostructures, which would apply the material and structures research I am learning in this lab,” says Hussain, who is minoring in both aerospace engineering and political science. “My long-term career goal would be in a field that combines my love for engineering and political science, government, and law, possibly in consulting or patents.
She decided to apply to the CBL program to build on her aerospace minor. The experience is allowing her to take on more extensive research in this field while connecting it to her mechanical engineering focus.
Hussain says that she enjoys the design, analysis, and independent work involved in her CBL project and believes that the experience has increased her confidence in her decision-making and her ability to troubleshoot issues on her own.
“I really like the design aspect of mechanical engineering,” she says. “Classes that involve mechanical design and 3-D printing have been some of my favorite at Lehigh, and I get to do a lot of that in this lab.”
Hussain says she is excited to present her research at the UGRS this spring (she’s already working on her poster) and is thankful for the personal connections she’s made with other women engineers who share her excitement for research.
“I think the program is a really great opportunity to explore any interest in science and engineering you want to.”
—Rebecca Caporaso ’28 is a student writer for the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science
