On June 8 in Kane Hall, the UW Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute (MolES) held a hooding ceremony for eight of our 2025-2026 molecular engineering PhD graduates.
Congratulations, Class of 2025–2026!
Gabrielle Balistreri Chemical Engineering, Material Science Engineering
Gabrielle’s thesis, Sustainably Sourced Bacterial Cellulose Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery , was completed in the winter of 2026.
Samantha Borje Electrical & Computer Engineering
Samantha’s thesis, High-throughput Implementation and Clique-based Design: Scaling DNA circuits from Boolean logic gates to Multi-bit Addition , will be completed in the summer of 2026.
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June 11, 2026 | By by Malavika Jagannathan, University Marketing & Communications Photos credits: Mark Stone and provided by Gizem Gökçe-Alpkılıç
Equipped with her molecular engineering doctorate, recent grad Gizem Gökçe-Alpkılıç is using AI-powered tools to create proteins and solve global challenges, like drug-resistant infection.
As a young child, Gizem Gökçe-Alpkılıç asked her parents for a microscope to allow her to dissect the world around her. She’s still looking at life’s smallest parts today at the UW’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD) — just with a few more sophisticated tools at her disposal. Read More
April 29, 2026
In an article produced by the Institute for Stem-Cell & Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM) and UW Medicine Read More
April 27, 2026
With a lifelong interest in scientific discovery and an array of interests, Molecular Engineering and Sciences (MolES) student Daniel Mendoza believes in fully embracing new ideas and opportunities.
In this Q&A, he shared a bit about his experience as a first-year PhD student within the University of Washington community and beyond.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Mendoza
Q: What is your hometown?A:
Q: What are the three rotations you have been part of during your first year?Read More
Molecular Engineering graduate student Abdul Moeez came to UW to advance materials for clean energy. Through unique training opportunities in data science and access to state-of-the-art research facilities, he’s developing autonomous systems to accelerate the fight against climate change.
Sept. 5 2023
Cholpisit “Ice” Kiattisewee
The Molecular Engineering Ph.D. program saw its largest graduating class in the 2022-2023 academic year, with 20 students successfully defending their theses. These graduates represent four cohorts and interdisciplinary research across 13 different departments and organizations. The newest alums were recognized in a graduation celebration on June 1.
During the ceremony, Cholpisit “Ice” Kiattisewee was awarded the Distinguished Dissertation Award for his publication, “Expanding the scope of bacterial CRSIPR activation with PAM-Flexible dCas9 variants.” His work was chosen by a review committee of faculty and staff in the Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute. Read More
The MolE alumni community continues to grow, with an additional nine students graduating in the 2021-2022 academic year. This year, in recognition of their exemplary scholarship, we presented graduates Will Chen and Ted Cohen our inaugural Distinguished Dissertation Award in Molecular Engineering.
Two recent molecular engineering graduates launched a new startup, Wayfinder Biosciences, to commercialize their revolutionary platform to design RNA molecules that can be used to advance everything from sustainable biomanufacturing to targeted CRISPR therapies.
Ayumi Pottenger never planned to study engineering. Here, the third-year molecular engineering (MolE) Ph.D. student reflects on what drew her to the program and where she's headed next.
Join us in welcoming our 8th cohort of future molecular engineers! The 2021 cohort consists of nine students with backgrounds in either engineering or the natural sciences, all of whom are interested in developing innovative molecular-based solutions to pressing grand challenges. Learn more about our newest trainees and their current research interests.