Congratulations to Fatemeh Jahangiri, a BDDC PhD student who, on March 24, 2026, completed her thesis defense titled, "High-Barrier Coatings and Plasticized Cellulose Acetate-Based Composites for Sustainable Biodegradable Packaging."

Her thesis investigates "material- and process-level solutions for biodegradable packaging, with a focus on high-barrier coatings for plastic and paper substrates, as well as plasticized cellulose acetate composites. Through various complementary studies employing reactive extrusion, film casting, injection molding, and coating technologies, the work addresses key challenges related to barrier performance, mechanical properties, processability, and thermal stability in bio-based materials. The biomaterials developed in this thesis exhibit enhanced performance and represent promising alternatives to conventional petroleum-based packaging materials."