“Adam is ambitious, resourceful, inquisitive, and an excellent team player. He is an asset to our team, and I expect great things from him as he embarks on his research career beyond the University of Iowa.” – Fatima Toor

Hometown: Waverly, Iowa

Faculty mentor/advisor: Fatima Toor, PhD, Lowell G. Battershell Endowed Chair in Laser Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering, College of Engineering

Degree program and anticipated graduation date: PhD in electrical and computer engineering, Spring 2028

Adam Ramker designs, fabricates, and evaluates advanced materials that absorb or emit light—work that spans metamaterials, engineered structures that manipulate light in ways natural materials cannot, and quantum cascade lasers, specialized devices that generate precise wavelengths of light for scientific and medical applications. His research focuses on terahertz technology, a region of the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and infrared light that enables high-resolution imaging and chemical detection.

“I am able to connect course work to research which enhances my understanding of the textbook topics when I see their applicability,” says Ramker.

Ramker’s contributions include waveguide design for high-power terahertz quantum cascade lasers, presented at the SPIE Optics and Photonics conference. These lasers could enable breakthroughs in medical imaging, drug detection—including fentanyl—and analysis of energetic materials. After graduation, Ramker plans to pursue a research and development career at a national lab or private company, building on his current collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.