Dr. William J. Ceely

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Mathematics, Graduated May 2024
Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA

M.S. in Mathematics, Graduated May 2023
Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA

M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Graduated May 2014
Specialization: Electromagnetics
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Graduated May 2007
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
University Honors, Summa Cum Laude

PUBLICATIONS & PATENTS

Dissertation

• Ceely, William J. "Mathematical Modeling of Microscale Biology in Polyelectrolyte Brushes." PhD diss., The Claremont Graduate University, 2024.
  • ABSTRACT: Biological macromolecules including nucleic acids, proteins, and glycosaminoglycans are typically anionic and can span domains of up to hundreds of nanometers and even micron length scales. The structures exist in crowded environments that are dominated by multivalent electrostatic interactions that can be modeled using mean-field continuum approaches that represent underlying molecular nanoscale biophysics. In this thesis, we develop such models for polyelectrolyte brushes using both steady state modified Poisson-Boltzmann models and transient modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck models that incorporate important ion-specific (Hofmeister) effects. The transient model enables observation of the relative physical effects as an initial non-equilibrium state relaxes to the steady state. The results quantify how electroneutrality is attained through diffusion, ion electrophoresis, spatially-varying permittivity hydration forces, and ion-specific pairing. Brush-Salt interfacial profiles of the electrostatic potential as well as bound and unbound ions are characterized for imposed jump conditions across the interface. The models should be applicable to many intrinsically-disordered biophysical environments and are anticipated to provide insight into the design and development of therapeutics and drug-delivery vehicles to improve human health.

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles (ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8669-3164)

• Ceely, William J., Marina Chugunova, Ali Nadim, and James D. Sterling. "Modeling ion-specific effects in polyelectrolyte brushes: A modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck model." Physical Review E 111, no. 1 (2025): 014416.
  • ABSTRACT: Polyelectrolyte brushes consist of a set of charged linear macromolecules, each tethered at one end to a surface. An example is the glycocalyx which refers to hair-like negatively charged sugar molecules that coat the outside membrane of all cells. We consider the transport and equilibrium distribution of ions and the resulting electrical potential when such a brush is immersed in a salt buffer containing monovalent cations (sodium and/or potassium). The Gouy-Chapman model for ion screening at a charged surface captures the effects of the Coulombic force that drives ion electrophoresis and diffusion but neglects non-Coulombic forces and ion pairing. By including the distinct binding affinities of these counter-ions with the brush and their so-called Born radii, which account for Born forces acting on them when the permittivity is nonuniform, we propose modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck continuum models that show the distinct profiles that may result depending on those ion-specific properties.
• Ceely, William J., Marina Chugunova, Ali Nadim, and James D. Sterling. "Mathematical modeling of microscale biology: Ion pairing, spatially varying permittivity, and Born energy in glycosaminoglycan brushes." Physical Review E 107, no. 2 (2023): 024416.
  • ABSTRACT: Biological macromolecules including nucleic acids, proteins, and glycosaminoglycans are typically anionic and can span domains of up to hundreds of nanometers and even micron length scales. The structures exist in crowded environments that are dominated by multivalent electrostatic interactions that can be modeled using mean-field continuum approaches that represent underlying molecular nanoscale biophysics. We develop such models for glycosaminoglycan brushes using steady state modified Poisson-Boltzmann models that incorporate important ion-specific (Hofmeister) effects. The results quantify how electroneutrality is attained through ion electrophoresis, spatially-varying permittivity hydration forces, and ion-specific pairing. Brush-salt interfacial profiles of the electrostatic potential as well as bound and unbound ions are characterized for imposed jump conditions across the interface. The models should be applicable to many intrinsically-disordered biophysical environments and are anticipated to provide insight into the design and development of therapeutics and drug-delivery vehicles to improve human health.

Patents

• Hikido, Thomas Makoto, William Joseph Ceely, Paul Christian Werntz, and Raenaurd D. Turpin. "Reconfigurable feed array fed confocal antenna system that can adjust the radiation pattern beam size and the gain performance on-orbit." U.S. Patent 12,132,256, issued October 29, 2024.
  • ABSTRACT: Systems, apparatuses, and methods provides for technology that controls a confocal antenna system. The technology controls an Integrated Phased Array (IPA) feed system to emit electromagnetic energy towards a sub-reflector, where the sub-reflector reflects the electromagnetic energy to a main reflector, and further where the main reflector receives and reflects the electromagnetic energy to form a radiation pattern on an area. The radiation pattern has a first size and a first gain. The technology conducts an identification that the radiation pattern is to be adjusted so as to adjust the first size to a second size and adjust the first gain to a second gain. In response to the identification, the technology moves the main reflector linearly along a first axis, and electronically steers a beam of the electromagnetic energy emitted from the IPA feed system towards the sub-reflector.
• Baldauf, John E., James M. Barker, Enrique M. Alvelo, and William J. Ceely. "Apparatus for splitting, amplifying and launching signals into a waveguide to provide a combined transmission signal." U.S. Patent 11,081,773, issued August 3, 2021.
  • ABSTRACT: An apparatus includes a signal splitter configured to receive an input signal for transmission and to split the input signal to form two or more sub-signals. The apparatus further includes a first amplifier configured to generate a first amplified sub-signal, a second amplifier configured to generate a second amplified sub-signal, a first launcher coupled to the first amplifier and to a waveguide, and a second launcher coupled to the second amplifier and to the waveguide. The first and second launchers are coupled to the waveguide such that a first radiative signal generated by the first launcher responsive to the first amplified sub-signal and a second radiative signal generated by the second launcher responsive to the second amplified sub-signal are combined in the waveguide to form a transmission signal corresponding to the input signal.
• Baldauf, John E., James M. Barker, Enrique M. Alvelo, and William J. Ceely. "Half-patch launcher to provide a signal to a waveguide." U.S. Patent 10,985,468, issued April 20, 2021.
  • ABSTRACT: An apparatus includes a first conductive patch coupled to a first surface of a dielectric layer, a second conductive patch coupled to a second surface of the dielectric layer, and a probe coupled to the second conductive patch. The apparatus further includes a waveguide having a wall conductively coupled to the first conductive patch. Responsive to a signal provided to the second conductive patch by the probe, interaction of the waveguide, the first conductive patch, and the second conductive patch generates a transmission signal that propagates in the waveguide.
• Ceely, William J., Tom M. Hikido, John E. Baldauf, and Miguel A. Estevez. "Foldable dipole array antennas." U.S. Patent 10,411,363, issued September 10, 2019.
  • ABSTRACT: Foldable dipole array antennas are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a helical communication line of a dipole array antenna, and hinges spaced along the helical communication line. The apparatus also includes dipole branches operatively coupled to the helical communication line, where the dipole branches are to be moved, at the hinges, between deployed and un-deployed states.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

See LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-ceely/