Reika is originally from Kawasaki, a suburb of Tokyo, Japan. After obtaining her B.E. and M.E. degrees in organic and polymeric materials at Tokyo Institute of Technology, she made a big move to the States where she earned Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin in the Ellison Group. Before joining the PSE department, she completed her postdoctoral training at the University of California, Santa Babara in the Segalman Group. Outside work, she enjoys playing softball, listening/playing music, and reading books.

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Office: Conte A516

rkatsumata@umass.edu

Tara grew up in Kaohsiung, which is the major industrial city in the southwest of Taiwan. She then moved to Tainan to study at National Cheng Kung University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 2021. During her undergrad, Tara worked in Prof. Bing-Hung Chen’s lab with her research focusing on the purification and analysis of polyglycerol mixtures by column and gas chromatography. She also had a chance to work with Prof. Chieh-Tsung Lo in her senior year, where she was involved in research about crystallization and chain conformational change in electrospun Poly (l-lactic acid) nanofibers. Tara’s ongoing research is focusing on the wetting behavior of two polymeric homogeneous bilayers. Outside work, she enjoys playing the piano, baking, and cooking.  

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Office: Conte A532

thuang@umass.edu

Mary Kate grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2021. As an undergraduate, they interned with GE Aviation and SSAB Iowa before pursuing a research-focused path. Mary Kate studied capillary suspension dynamics in Prof. Jon Pham’s lab during their senior year at UK before moving to UMass Amherst and joining the Katsumata group, where they are currently using fluorescence phenomena to characterize local polymer relaxations and entire-chain motion.

In their free time, Mary Kate is always looking for a good book. They enjoy biking, swimming, and ultimate frisbee, as well as playing board games and D&D with friends.

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Office: Conte A532

mjutze@umass.edu

Michelle graduated from Texas A&M University with B.S. in chemistry. She spent her undergrad as a research assistant to Dr. David Barondeau and Dr. Sarbajit Banerjee. Her undergraduate research fostered an interest in applying her skills and knowledge to help solve real world problems and an interest in the material science field. Michelle went on to complete a M.S. in chemistry with a focus in polymer science at the Master’s Industrial Internship Program at University of Oregon. The program combined 6 months of polymer science coursework and projects aimed towards sustainability with a 9-month internship. During the internship phase, Michelle worked for Lonza, conducting physical characterization and thermal analysis to direct drug development decisions using spray dried dispersion technology.
Prior to joining the Ph.D. cohort at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Michelle worked for two years with Thermo Fisher Scientific as an Early Development Scientist. Her work and academic experiences have founded a passion for the polymer sustainability field, and a desire to further skill sets and problem solving techniques through a Ph.D. program. Michelle joined the Katsumata research group in Fall 2022, and her current research is focused on the ultrasound-mediated recycling of network polymers. In her free time, you will find Michelle outside, either hiking, climbing or skiing; or inside learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, lifting, or at the local rock gym.

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Office: Conte A532

magross@umass.edu

Ellie graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in Chemistry in 2023. During undergrad, Ellie worked with Dr. Yutan Getzler synthesizing monomers and learning optimization of organic reactions. The group often discussed applications for these materials, triggered degradation, and sustainability. Ellie discovered a love for synthesis as well as an inspiration to build more sustainable materials. Additionally, Ellie spent a summer researching with Dr. Anne McNeil at University of Michigan where she continued to focus on monomer synthesis with the end goal of triggered degradation. After finding this goal of engineering materials, Ellie knew that further studies were necessary to learn about polymer mechanics, synthesis and physics. After joining the 2023 Ph.D. cohort at University of Massachusetts Amherst in September of 2023, Ellie joined the Katsumata research group in late fall of 2023. Outside of the lab, Ellie spends time crafting, baking, & cooking.

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Office: Conte A532

ehaljun@umass.edu

Imani Page is originally from Austin, Texas but has lived across the United States. She received her B.S. in chemistry from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. At PSE Imani’s desire to synthesize polymers and characterize their material properties resulted in co-advisement by Reika Katsumata and Todd Emrick.
As an undergraduate at Spelman College Imani researched under Michelle Gaines focusing on hydrogels and characterizing African American hair as a bio-inspired material. Imani’s developing interest in polymer science combined with her passion for Diversity Equity and Inclusion led her to spend a summer researching at the University of Massachusetts in the Polymer Science and Engineering department as an ASCENDS scholar.
Imani’s summer spent at PSE solidified the idea of pursuing a Ph.D. in polymer science and she is excited to complete that goal as a member of the Katsumata and Emrick groups.
Outside of the lab, Imani enjoys sewing, spending time with her dog, running, and participating in outreach opportunities.

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Office: Conte A622

ipage@mail.pse.umass.edu

Ryoh grew up in Hiroshima, Japan. He holds a B.S. In Science and Chemical Engineering and M.S. In Soft Matter, in Life Sciences. He is presently working toward a Ph.D. In Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He focuses on polymer and materials science, possessing expertise in porous membranes using hydrogels, carbon materials, and viscoelastic composites with 3D‑printed scaffolds. The results of his research have been presented at both international and national conferences, as well as in peer-reviewed journals.
In Fall 2024, Ryoh embarked on an exciting new chapter in his academic journey by joining the Katsumata Group.
Outside of academia, Ryoh enjoys reading, sports, workouts, exploring cuisines, and seeking new experiences.

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Office: Conte A532

rkatoh@umass.edu

Matt graduated from University of Rhode Island (URI) with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2024. During his undergrad, Matt worked as a research assistant in Dr. Poling-Skutvik’s lab working on biomimetic polymer-linked emulsions and the production of microcapsules through liquid-liquid phase separation. In between semesters, he spent a summer as an REU student with Dr. He at the University of Connecticut studying applications of natural polymers and the self-assembly of polymer-grafted nanoparticles. He also worked as an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Gregory at URI researching thermoelectric materials and 3D-modeling vapor sensor attachments to improve system throughput and standoff distance. As a first year student in UMass PSE, Matt joined the Katsumata group in 2024. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, volleyball, and skiing.

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Office: Conte A535

mmellor@umass.edu