Maedeh Ahmadipour: ‘As an engineer, I’m interested in making the world a safer and smarter place’

Maedeh Ahmadipour, mechanical engineering graduate student, grew up in a family of educators.

“My grandpa was a high school mathematics and physics teacher and inspired me to pursue engineering,” says Maedeh.

Two years ago, this inspiration led her to Iowa State University to pursue a Ph.D. under the guidance Reza Montazami, associate professor of mechanical engineering. When Maedeh began applying for Ph.D. positions, Montazami’s interests were a clear match with her own in soft electronics and soft mechanics.

“Dr. Montazami has supported me through every step of my work, providing guidance and encouragement to help ease my stress and allow me to focus on my research,” says Maedeh.

Projects and publications

Maedeh has actively led two different collaborative projects. It’s clear from a recent flurry of research publications in nationally recognized journals, this support and her hard work is paying off.

The year is less than half over and Maedeh has had research reviewed, accepted and published in two different research areas: smart textiles (clothing material designed to sense and alert the presence of dangerous gases) and geopolymer memristors (electronics designed to think and learn like the human brain, a key component in neuromorphic computing).

In the area of smart textiles, Maedeh used Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) provided by Dartmouth College and the Army Research Office in her smart textile research.

Working closely on this project with the Army Research Office, a high-precision printing method called electrohydrodynamic jet (e-jet) printing was used to print MOFs on fabric in fine, controlled patterns. The goal is a textile able to detect harmful gases to be used for enhanced safety in real-world healthcare and manufacturing environments.

In the area of geopolymer memristors, Maedah’s research aims to develop a more affordable electronic device than what is currently available for use in neuromorphic computing. These brain-inspired memristor devices are used in adaptive computing and memory storage.

Maedeh’s collaborative project with the University of Iowa and University of Tennessee resulted in a micron-scale memristor with more memory reliability and that also mimicked behavior of real brain synapses, responding to signals in a way that supports learning and adaption.

“This advancement opens the door to intelligent responsive technologies built from sustainable, accessible materials,” says Maedeh. “As an engineer, I’m interested in helping make the world a safer and smarter place.”

Collaborative, creative community

For Maedeh, being an Iowa State engineer has meant being part of a vibrant, supportive community that fosters collaboration, creativity and impact.

“Iowa State has helped me grow not just in research, but also mentorship, teaching and contributing to the broader engineering community,” she says.

Award-winning teaching

In addition to shining in the laboratory, Maedeh also excelled as a teaching assistant for ME 3700: Engineering Measurements. She recently received the Graduate College’s Teaching Excellence award.

“Like my grandfather, I hope to be an instructor myself someday,” she says.

Specifically, a university professor. “I like teaching. I want to help people reach their goals in the same way people have helped me reach mine.”

Research list (in order of publication):

Smart textile (Cu3(HHTP)2 MOFs): https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.4c20696

Geopolymer memristors: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/mh/d5mh00231a

Smart textile (UiO-66-NH2 MOFs): https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.5c04657