PhD student to present at Society of Rheology Meeting
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PhD student Mohammadreza Mahmoudian’s research has earned him a travel grant to attend the Society of Rheology Meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October.
The Society of Rheology comprises physicists, chemists, biologists, engineers, and mathematicians interested in advancing and applying rheology, which is the science of deformation and the flow of matter.
“Attending gives me the opportunity to present my work and build professional connections, which provides valuable mentoring and career development opportunities for students,” said Mahmoudian, who is working under Associate Professor Parisa Mirbod inThe Mirbod Lab at UIC.
Mahmoudian is one of only 25 students nationwide who were awarded the highly competitive grant, allowing him to present his research to an international audience of experts during the meeting.
His research is focused on how mixtures of liquid and solid particles, called suspensions, move and flow. He looks at how particles spread out and interact with the liquid and uses the information to build models that can explain and predict their behavior.
“Suspensions are everywhere — from natural things like rivers and landslides to everyday products like paints, food, and medicines. By understanding how they flow, we can design better industrial processes, reduce pollution like microplastics in water, and even predict natural hazards such as mudslides or debris flows. This research can make technology more efficient and help keep communities safer,” Mahmoudian said.