Stavros X. Drakopoulos

Stavros X. Drakopoulos

Associate Research Scholar Princeton University

Teaching

Teaching is as vital as research in fulfilling a university’s mission—while research creates new knowledge, teaching ensures its meaningful transmission. I view teaching and mentoring as central to my academic purpose.

Teaching & Mentorship Experience

Upon receiving my undergraduate degree, I had the opportunity to teach and mentor undergraduate and postgraduate students across multiple institutions in both England and the United States. As a PhD student at Loughborough University, I served as a teaching assistant in both lecture-based and laboratory courses for materials engineering students, and I mentored several students on their research projects. At the University of Birmingham and Princeton University, I co-advised undergraduate students on summer internships and independent research projects.

Guest Lectures & Laboratory Instruction

Guest Lecture
Course: Polymer Science (MPP501), Department of Materials, Loughborough University
Semester / Year: Spring 2018, Spring 2019
Lecture Topic: Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy in Polymer Science
Audience: 40 Postgraduate (MEng) students
Laboratory Demonstration
Course: Mechanical Properties of Polymers (CGA014), Department of Materials, Loughborough University
Semester / Year: Fall 2018
Lab Exercise: Tensile Properties of Polymers
Audience: 20 Undergraduate (BEng) students

Mentoring and Supervision

Undergraduate Students

Mentored a total of three undergraduate students, one each at Loughborough University, the University of Birmingham, and Princeton University.
Role: Guidance on experimental design and procedures, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.
Outcomes: One student co-authored a paper in ACS Applied Energy Materials; another is currently preparing a manuscript.

Postgraduate Students

Mentored a total of two postgraduate students, both at Loughborough University.
Role: Guidance on experimental design and procedures, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.
Outcomes: Both students co-authored peer-reviewed publications (Molecules; ACS Applied Polymer Materials).

Student Mentorship (Selected Projects)

Spring / Summer 2024
Ms. Kaitlyn Zuravel
Junior Independent Work (CBE 352), Princeton University
Level: Undergraduate (BSE)
Project: A dielectric and calorimetric investigation of various types of cellulose
Outcome: Manuscript in preparation; research presented at AIChE 2024.
Summer 2021
Mr. Thomas Cowell
Internship, University of Birmingham
Level: Undergraduate (BEng)
Project: Graphite-SiOx electrodes with a biopolymeric binder for Li-ion batteries
Outcome: Co-authored ACS Applied Energy Materials (2023).
Summer 2019
Mr. Jing Yang*
Thesis project supervision, Loughborough University
Level: Postgraduate (MEng)
Project: Electrospun PVDF fibers reinforced with BaTiO3 nanoparticles embedded in a PDMS matrix
Outcome: Co-authored ACS Applied Polymer Materials (2022).
Summer 2018
Ms. Linlin Guan*
Thesis project supervision, Loughborough University
Level: Postgraduate (MEng)
Project: Thermal and optical properties of uniaxially stretched dis-UHMWPE reinforced with metallic nanoparticles
Outcome: Co-authored Molecules (2020).
Spring 2018
Mr. Jing Yang*
Thesis project supervision, Loughborough University
Level: Undergraduate (BEng)
Project: Uniaxially stretched dis-UHMWPE reinforced with Au nanoparticles
Outcome: Experimental development and sample characterization.

* Students later obtained advanced degrees at the University of Manchester (Linlin Guan: MPhil; Jing Yang: PhD).

External PhD Reviewer

Candidate: Mr. José Sena Fernández
Degree: Doctoral (PhD)
Institution: Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Semester / Year: Summer 2025
Dissertation: Micro and Nanoparticles of Functional Polymers: From Fundamentals to Applications
Supervisors: Prof. Aurora Nogalez Ruiz; Prof. Tiberio Ezquerra Sanz