Meet Mai Ha

Hello everyone, I’m Mai Ha, currently a third year Ph.D student in Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston. My research project involves utilizing nanoparticles to improve compatibility of polymer blends under the instruction of Dr. Ramanan Krishnamoorti.

This is not the first time my project relates to polymers. I’ve been stuck with “high molecular weight molecules” since, let say 2001, when I did my senior thesis at Polytechnique University of Hochiminh city, Vietnam. I still remember spending days “cooking” epoxy in the lab. After graduating in 2002, I got a job as a technical supervisor at VietThai Plastchem, a PVC compounding manufacturer. And then before heading to the US for higher education, I spent a few months at a Huhtamaki Vietnam, at that time it was still an unfinished factory.

I came to the University of Oklahoma in 2004 and was lucky to get into Dr. Brian Grady’s group. The time there was great with making carbon nanotube composites, polymerizing copolymers, studying surfactants, emulsions and … football.

After receiving my M.S. degree, due to my family situation, I needed to relocate to Houston. It’s sad to leave Norman, but it’s also a new exciting place in Houston. I found Dr. Krishnamoorti’s group at the University of Houston that has research interests similar to mine. And I think I was really lucky (again!!!) to be accepted to his group. So, here I am now, in his lab, working on polymers and nanoparticles.
I know my journey has just begun. This is my hello to you all.