Virginia Tech Postdoctoral Association Leadership

Lindsay Miles

President
Department of Entomology,
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
lindsaysm@vt.edu

Lindsay earned her bachelor's degree at Arizona State University and her Ph.D. at Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed her first postdoc at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Her research focuses on how urbanization (i.e., building cities) can influence evolution in arthropods.

At Virginia Tech her research is aimed at understanding how differences in neighborhood socio-economics can influence bed bug evolution, particularly their resistance to pesticides. At each university Lindsay has been involved in their student and postdoc associations working to make improvements in the environment for future students and postdocs.

Lindsay served as VTPA social events chair in 2023-2024.

Jorge Reyes

Vice President
Department of Mathematics,
College of Science

reyesj@vt.edu

Jorge earned his Ph.D. in computational mathematics from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where he also received his masters and bachelor degrees. His research revolves around numerical analysis, primarily in the study of computational fluid dynamics and related partial differential equations. He started to work here at Virginia Tech in the field of reduced order modeling and in particular the development of data-driven galerkin (d2G) methods for turbulence. During his Ph.D. Jorge served in the graduate student government and various university committees and now hopes to use that experience as part of the VTPA.

Paul Sands

Secretary
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
psands@vt.edu

Paul is an assistant research professor in the Computational Psychiatry Unit at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in Roanoke. He completed a bachelor's of science degree in Biochemistry at Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee before pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Paul's current research involves developing new human brain imaging technologies and deploying these tools to study human learning, decision-making, and social interactions through the lens of systems neuroscience.

Outside research, Paul's interests include paddle boarding and playing tennis, American literature, art house/indie films, and spending time with friends and pets.

Eduardo Camps-Moreno

International Support Chair
Department of Mathematics,
College of Science

eduardoc@vt.edu

Eduardo earned his Ph.D. in physics and mathematics from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico. His research focuses on algebraic models for communications, specifically on quantum codes for fault-tolerant computation, one of the major challenges for quantum computers today. Eduardo has participated in several international stays during which he became aware of the diverse needs that international postdocs may have. He is eager to assist anyone in their process.

Suyoung Nah

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair
Center for Gerontology,
College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

suyoung@vt.edu

Suyoung earned her Ph.D. in human development and family studies from Pennsylvania State University. She received her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Seoul National University in South Korea.

Her research focuses on identifying protective psychosocial factors that mitigate the detrimental effects of stressors on the health of family caregivers caring for older adults living with dementia. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga and camping.

During her Ph.D., Suyoung served on several graduate student committees. She believes in the importance of fostering an inclusive environment and is eager to contribute to VTPA in this capacity.

Zachary Barth

Social Events Chair
Department of Biological Sciences,
College of Science

zbarth@vt.edu

Zach received a B.S. in biology at the College of New Jersey, an M.S. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in microbiology at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to coming to Virginia Tech, Zach also completed a postdoctoral appointment at Cornell University.

Zach's research focuses on antagonistic coevolution between viruses, other mobile genetic elements, and the genomes of their host cells. He is especially interested in "satellites", parasites of viruses that exploit the viral life cycle, sometimes to the benefit of the primary host cells.

Nisha Dhiman

Communications Chair
Department of Biological Sciences,
College of Science

nisha07@vt.edu

Nisha Dhiman earned her Ph.D. in biological sciences from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India. She holds a master’s degree in botany from Himachal Pradesh University, India.

Currently, her research focuses on the chemotaxis system in Sinorhizobium meliloti, aiming to identify and characterize the chemoreceptors and chemoattractants involved in its interaction with Medicago sativa. Outside of research, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and capturing the scenic beauty of natural locations through photography.

Shahidur Talukdar

Policy Chair
Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance,
Office of Research and Innovation


shahidur@vt.edu

Shahidur is a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in Science Policy and Research Ethics with the division of Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance.

He is a public policy researcher with a focus on science policy. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a Ph.D. in public administration and public affairs. His dissertation examined how engagement with regional governance can be employed as a strategy to prevent or minimize policy conflicts.

His current research includes employing regional governance in policy domains such as economic development, affordable housing, and public health. Lately, Shahidur is taking keen interest in exploring how the adoption and integration of artificial intelligence systems can impact academics, economy, and mental health.

Heramb Nemlekar

Member at Large
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
College of Engineering



hnemlekar@vt.edu

Heramb is a robotics researcher who develops algorithms for robots that assist humans in physical tasks.

He earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Southern California. He also has a master’s in robotics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Pune University. Here at Virginia Tech, Heramb is a postdoc in the mechanical engineering department.

His research focuses on personalizing robots according to the needs of their human partners. Outside of research, he plays soccer and table tennis, and enjoys going out to eat with friends and family.