Research Affiliate, Systems Research Institute at Tufts University
Post-Doctoral Associate, M.I.T.
E-mail: rhaghgoo@alum.mit.edu

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
M.Eng. Chemical Engineering Practice, June 2003

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
B.S.E. Chemical Engineering, Summa cum Laude, May 2001

Academic Awards:
MIT-MGH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Research, 2007-2009
 

Outstanding Fall Seminar Speaker in the Chemical Engineering Department, 2004

Jefferson W. Tester Award for Enthusiasm, Commitment, and Organization in Practice School, 2002

Landau Prize for Technical Writing, 2001

Branstrom Freshman Honors Award, 1998

Regents of the University of Michigan Scholarship, 1997

Publications:

Haghgooie, R. and Doyle, P. S.; “Transition from 2D to 3D behavior in the self-assembly of magnetorheological fluids confined in thin-slits”, Phys. Rev. E, (in press).

Haghgooie, R. and Doyle, P. S.; “MR fluid structure in quasi-2D”, Europhys. Lett, 77, 18002, (2007).

Haghgooie, R., Li, C., Doyle, P. S.; “Experimental study of structure and dynamics in a monolayer of paramagnetic colloids confined by parallel hard walls”, Langmuir, 22, 3601, (2006).

Haghgooie, R. and Doyle, P. S.; “Structure and dynamics of repulsive magnetorheological colloids in two-dimensional channels”, Phys. Rev. E, 72, 011405, (2005).

Haghgooie, R. and Doyle, P. S.; “Structural analysis of a dipole system in two-dimensional channels”, Phys. Rev. E, 70, 061408, (2004).

Lorenz, C.D., Haghgooie, R., Kennebrew, C., Ziff, R.M.; “The effects of surface defects in a catalysis model”, Surf. Sci., 517, 75-86, (2002).

Presentations:

Haghgooie, R. and Doyle, P. S.; “Effects of extreme confinement on the self-assembly of MR colloids”, ACS 79^th Colloid and Surface Science Symposium, June 13, 2005.

Haghgooie, R. and Doyle, P. S.; “Geometric mediated self-assembly of MR fluids in microchannels”, AIChE Annual Meeting, November 10, 2004.

Haghgooie, R. and Doyle, P. S.; “Structure and Dynamics of MR Fluids in Microchannels”, ACS 78^th Colloid and Surface Science Symposium, June 21, 2004.

Haghgooie, R. and Doyle, P. S.; “Self-Assembly of Magnetorheological Suspensions in Microfluidic Devices”, MRS Fall Meeting, December 3, 2003.

Haghgooie, R. and Doyle, P. S.; “Self Assembly of MR Fluids in Microchannels”, ACS 77^th Colloid and Surface Science Symposium, June 18, 2003.

 Research Experience:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA – Research Affiliate, 8/2006 – Present. I continue to study the self-assembly of magnetorheological fluids in microfluidic devices subject to a secondary external force such as pressure driven flow, in addition to the external magnetic field.  This work is an extension of my Ph.D. research as described below.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA – Ph.D., 9/2001 – 8/2006. For my Ph.D. thesis I studied the self-assembly of magnetorheological (MR) fluids in confined geometries.  The motivation for this work comes from an increasing exploitation of self-assembly for microfluidic applications even as the characteristic length scales in microfluidic devices continue to shrink.  It has become essential to study the effects of extreme confinement on the structure and dynamics of self-assembled systems in order to enable the design of meaningful applications using these technologies.

In order to study this problem, I developed a versatile Brownian dynamics (BD) code capable of simulating MR colloids of any shape interacting in any general geometry.  I used the BD code to study the self assembly of spherical colloids confined in two-dimensional (2D) channels and discovered a number of interesting phenomena that I subsequently published (Haghgooie and Doyle, Phys. Rev. E 2004, 2005).  In addition to the simulation work, I performed an extensive set of experiments on the self-assembly of MR colloids in 2D microfluidic channels and showed the first experimental observation of re-entrant melting as a function of confining geometry (Haghgooie, Li, and Doyle, Langmuir, 2006). 

In addition to the 2D studies, I investigated the factors controlling self-assembly in the thin-slit geometry.  I elucidated the important physical phenomena affecting the self-assembly of dilute MR fluids in this common microfluidic geometry.  I showed how the system transitions from 2D to 3D behavior as the confinement is relaxed from a monolayer to a channel of finite thickness.  This work has been prepared in two manuscripts (Haghgooie and Doyle, Europhys. Lett., in press; Haghgooie and Doyle, Phys. Rev. E, in preparation) 

University of Colorado, Boulder, CO – NSF Research Student, 6/2000 – 8/2000. A cross-linked network of photo polymerized polymer was used to mechanically stabilize ferroelectric liquid crystals.  I studied the effects of this polymer network on the optical properties of the system such as alignment and switching times of the liquid crystal molecules in the smectic phase.  At the conclusion of the project we submitted a research paper to the NSF.

University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI – Research Assistant, 1/2000 – 4/2001. I created a C program to perform Monte Carlo simulations of a catalyst surface for converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide.  In particular, I determined the effects of uniformly distributed defect sites on the transition point from an active catalyst to a “poisioned” state where the entire catalyst surface is covered with carbon monoxide.  My work was published in the journal Surface Science (Lorenz et al., Surface Sci. 2002).

 Teaching Experience:
Tufts University, Medford, MA. Lecturer of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 9/2006 – Present . As a lecturer in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department at Tufts University, I am responsible for teaching the following courses:  graduate level thermodynamics, graduate level transport processes, undergraduate laboratory course, and an elective for upperclassmen and graduate students entitled “Microfluidics: A Useful Tool for Chemical Engineers.” 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Supervisor of an Undergraduate Researcher, 11/2005 – Present. I have been supervising an undergraduate student from the physics department at MIT on a research project involving experiments on magnetic colloids in 2D.  My supervision involves coming up with an experimental plan in a collaborative manner and helping her understand the physics behind the 2D colloidal crystals that we are studying.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Undergraduate Fluid Mechanics – Teaching Assistant, 2/2005 – 6/2005. As a TA for the undergraduate fluid mechanics class at MIT I was responsible for teaching the material to the students in office hours, exam reviews, and by private appointment.  I made sure to be aware of the students’ understanding of the concepts covered in assignments rather than just handing out tips and answers.  I made myself easily accessible to all of the students and encouraged them to contact me with any questions about the material covered in the course.  I was also responsible for organizing the grading of assignments, grading exams, and tracking the students’ progress through the class.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Short Course on Microfluidics – Teaching Assistant, 1/2003 and 1/2004. Along with my advisor (Professor Patrick S. Doyle) I helped to design and teach a one week short course for undergraduates at MIT on microfluidics.  The course involved fabricating microfluidic devices and then performing simple experiments using the devices.  During the course, I supervised and assisted the students with their lab work and helped to explain the concepts of viscosity, diffusion, and laminar flow.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Undergraduate Reaction Engineering – Teaching Assistant, 1/2001 – 5/200. As an undergraduate TA for the reaction engineering course at the University of Michigan, I was responsible for aiding the students during in-class problems as well as grading the homework assignments.  During class, I was able to explain the concepts of reaction engineering to help the students with their assignments.

Industry Experience:
Advanced Inhalation Research, Cambridge, MA – Intern, 8/2002. As part of my Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering Practice, I participated in a one month project at Advanced Inhalation Research.  My group determined a method to improve the dissolution of a low solubility protein drug in order to incorporate the drug into spray dried particles for use as an inhaled medication.  We made recommendations for what formulations and manufacturing processes would be best to study further.

General Mills, Cincinnati, OH – Intern, 6/2002 – 7/2002. As part of my Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering Practice, I participated in two one month projects at General Mills.  My first group developed an analytical model for a thin-film evaporator and validated the model using experimental results that we obtained in a pilot plant.  Our model was implemented in the control system for a thin-film evaporator in a production plant.  My second group researched the possibility of converting the production of a food product from a batch to a continuous process.  We recommended a plan for conversion of the production to senior members of the company. 

Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI – Intern, 5/1999 – 8/1999. I evaluated NOx catalysts to determine the best, most cost effective formulation for installation on Ford automobiles.  I presented my results and recommendations to the Chemical Engineering group at the Ford Research Labs. 

Applied Dynamics International, Ann Arbor, MI – Intern, 6/1997 – 9/1998. I evaluated a Graphical User Interface automatic-code-generation software (BEACON) by developing a test suite of programs used in an automated fashion to test for development bugs.  I gave monthly presentations on progress to my team leader.