Reshma Bollam
Knoxville,TN
Summary
Ph.D. student working in Plastic recycling and manufacturing with strong hands-on experience using shredders, ball milling, sand casting and mechanical testing (flexural & impact). Experienced in working with de-painting techniques for recycled automotive plastics (PP/TPO) and supporting pilot-scale recycling trials. Seeking a Material Research/ Manufacturing / Process Engineering internship where I can contribute and continue building real-world experience.
Overview
1
1
year of professional experience
Work History
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Tennessee
01.2025 - Current
- Use thermomechanical/ thermochemical/ mechanical methods to process end-of-life automotive plastic parts for recycling studies.
- Work on de-painting and reprocessing of PP/TPO bumper for reuse and mechanical performance evaluation.
- Perform flexural and impact testing to compare virgin vs. recycled polymer behavior.
- Carry out SEM, EDS, FTIR, and optical microscopy for material evaluation and contamination checks.
- Collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and working with scientists, researchers and Industries.
- Working with ICAMI.
- Prepare clear technical reports and presentations for research group meetings, industry discussions and conferences.
Associate Research Scientist
Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre
07.2024 - 12.2024
- Worked on graphene-polymer composites for improved mechanical and thermal properties.
- Took part in pilot-scale trials for adding graphene into HPVC Pipe products.
- Coordinated with engineers during material testing and product evaluation.
- Conducted literature reviews to inform research strategies and experimental design.
- Assisted in designing and executing experiments related to graphene applications.
Education
Ph.D. - Mechanical Engineering
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, USA12-2027
Integrated M.S. - Chemistry
National Institute of Technology (NIT)
Rourkela, India04-2024
Skills
- Processing & Recycling: Shredding, ball milling, polymer recycling, basic injection molding concepts, Sand casting, VARTM, Metal Casting
- Mechanical Testing: Flexural, impact, and tensile testing
- Characterization: SEM, EDS, FTIR, optical microscopy
- Data & Tools: MATLAB, OriginPro, Fusion 360, MS Excel (plots & basic analysis), PowerPoint, Image J
- Experiment design
- Paper writing
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Academic presentations
CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS
- SAMPE 2025 – Bridge Design Competition
- Designed and tested composite bridges under mechanical loading.
- DAPC Workshop 2025 – Poster Presentation
-Presented poster on De-painting and recycling of End- of- Life automotive bumper plastics.
- Sand Casting Workshop
- Trained undergrad and high school students on Sand Casting.
- Metal Casting Workshop
- Trained undergrad and high school students on Metal Casting.
- Boot camp on drone designing
- Designed and manufactured drone body using glass fiber.
Affiliations
Member, Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE)
Languages
English
Hindi
Telugu
Interests
Basketball, swimming, Reading fictional books, Line dancing, Bouldering, Bailey top rope, Music
Timeline
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Tennessee
01.2025 - Current
Associate Research Scientist
Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre
07.2024 - 12.2024
Ph.D. - Mechanical Engineering
University of Tennessee
Integrated M.S. - Chemistry
National Institute of Technology (NIT)