Mena Youssef received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from New York University in 2019. As a doctoral candidate, Mena worked in Stefano Sacanna's research group while teaching as an adjunct assistant professor in NYU's Department of Chemistry. His research interests focused on engineering colloidal particles with novel functions, directed self-assembly, active matter, and the assembly of particles in microgravity in collaboration with NASA.
After receiving his Ph.D., Mena completed a postdoctoral teaching fellowship at New York University, where he taught chemistry and materials science courses to students with non-science majors. He also has actively participated in a number of professional development programs to develop his skills as an educator and learn a variety of effective approaches for communicating scientific knowledge.
Mena's interests include chemical education and student-centered pedagogy. He is currently studying the efficacy of using various educational technologies in undergraduate general chemistry classrooms and enhancing course curricula guided by student feedback and performance.
Mena is passionate about teaching chemistry to undergraduate students and helping them learn more about the universe on a microscopic level. Using his expertise, Mena is working to revise course curricula and is interested in developing instructional materials, utilizing educational technologies, and implementing novel teaching strategies in the classroom. Mena is also the program director for New York Tech's combined B.S./D.O. program.
Publications
- Mena Youssef. "Assessing the Use of Kahoot! in an Undergraduate General Chemistry Classroom." Journal of Chemical Education, 99, 1118–1124 (2021).
- Zhuoqiang Jia, Mena Youssef, Alexandra Samper, Stefano Sacanna, and Stephanie S. Lee. "Reversible solid-state phase transitions in confined two-layer colloidal crystals." Colloid and Polymer Science, 298, 1611–1617 (2020).
- Mena Youssef, Emery McKinstry, Aisling Dunne, Ariana Bitton, Anna Brady, and Trace Jordan. "Developing Engaging Remote Laboratory Activities for a Nonmajors Chemistry Course During COVID-19." Journal of Chemical Education, 97, 3048–3054 (2020).
- Mena Youssef, Alexandre Morin, Antoine Aubret, Stefano Sacanna, and Jeremie Palacci. "Rapid characterization of neutral polymer brush with a conventional zetameter and a variable pinch of salt." Soft Matter, 16, 4274–7482 (2020).
- Antoine Aubret, Mena Youssef, Stefano Sacanna, and Jeremie Palacci. "Targeted assembly and synchronization of self-spinning microgears." Nature Physics, 14, 1114–1118 (2018).
- Emilia Silletta, Zhe Xu, Mena Youssef, Stefano Sacanna, and Alexej Jershow. "Monitoring Molecular Transport Across Colloidal Membranes." The Journal of Physical Chemistry B., 122, 4931–4936 (2018).
- Michelle Driscoll, Blaise Delmotte, Mena Youssef, Stefano Sacanna, Aleksandar Donev, and Paul Chaikin. "Unstable fronts and motile structures formed by microrollers." Nature Physics, 13, 375–379 (2017).
- Mena Youssef, Theodore Hueckel, Gi-Ra Yi, and Stefano Sacanna. "Shape-shifting colloids via stimulated dewetting." Nature Communications, 7, 12216 (2016).
Courses Taught at New York Tech
- BIOL 395: Introduction to Research Literature
- CHEM 110: General Chemistry I
- CHEM 150: General Chemistry II
- CHEM 395: Introduction to Research Design