September student spotlight

Student spotlight

Year in Program: 2nd year Ph.D. student (entered through the BS/MS program)

Advisor: Dr. Katrina Groth and Dr. Mohammad Modarres

Research Interests: Accelerated life cycle testing and failure mechanism modeling for hydrogen infrastructure reliability.

Dissertation Topic (if applicable): Post-Mortem Failure Analysis and Modeling of Cryogenic Hydrogen Fueling Station Components – identifying and characterizing failure mechanisms in liquid hydrogen components to improve reliability, maintenance, and safety standards that will inform engineering design of hydrogen components

What drew you to engineering? I have always enjoyed building things, from woodworking projects to robotics in high school. That curiosity and hands-on problem-solving mindset led me to pursue engineering as a way to turn ideas into tangible solutions.

What made you choose UMD and the ENRE Reliability Program? I’ve always been drawn to applied research rather than purely theoretical work. The ENRE program at UMD is the perfect fit because it allows me to focus on preventing failures while working across disciplines. The SyRRA Lab especially encourages using research to solve current, real-world problems in safety and reliability.

What do you want people to know about Reliability Engineering that they may not be aware of?

Reliability Engineering is one of the most interdisciplinary fields. My work wouldn’t be possible without the expertise of material science, electrical, chemical, and fire protection engineers, just to name a few. It’s not only about preventing failures but about integrating knowledge from many domains to ensure safety, reliability, and long-term performance of critical systems.

Fun fact about yourself?
In addition to engineering, I’ve always loved agriculture and botany. I worked as a mechatronics engineer in the UMD Agriculture Department, where I designed a modular seed-plot switching device for variety trials. That project combined my passion for engineering and agriculture, while also giving me the chance to create something that improved efficiency and supported farmers.

Published September 26, 2025