These excellent students will be graduating in Fall 2023 and Winter 2024
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Michael graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2017 with a degree in chemical engineering. He is passionate about the future of energy storage and has been working with batteries in industry as an engineer. He is looking forward to more energy storage research and to learning more fundamental science.
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 Martin Chown
Martin graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 with a B.S.E. in chemical engineering and a minor in electrical engineering. He concentrated on grid-scale clean energy integration at UofM in addition to leading teams to design and build carbon capture units and install solar panels on campus. He is thrilled to build upon his passion for sustainable battery technologies that accelerate the clean energy transition and develop new skills using cutting-edge electrochemical technology at the University of Oregon. Martin is completing an internship (battery materials) at Sila Nanotechnologies in Alameda, CA |
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Tamas graduated from Imperial College London in 2017 with a B.S. in Mathematics. After working 1.5 years at Morgan Stanley as a Risk Analyst, he decided to turn his attention towards natural sciences and graduated from Eotvos Lorand University in 2022 with a B.S. in Chemistry. During his undergraduate years, he gained experience at a materials science company and was a Research Assistant at a molecular quantum dynamics research group. He is eager to apply his diverse natural sciences knowledge in the field of electrochemical energy storage. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamas-emri/ Tamas is completing an internship at Sila Nanotechnologies (Battery Materials) in Alameda, CA |
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Kartik graduated with a degree in chemistry from India’s prestigious Hindu College (University of Delhi) in 2022. Several industrial internships, research articles and an intensive curriculum during his bachelor studies exposed him to the field of electrochemistry. His passion in research and development fuels his desire to gain unprecedented exposure to battery and fuel cell technologies and excites him to develop and effectuate sustainable and clean energy solutions. Kartik is completing an internship (electrolysis) at De Nora Tech in Cleveland, OH |
Chris Kiser
Chris graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Medicinal Chemistry from Virginia Tech in Spring 2022. He originally worked as a research assistant in 2021 to Dr. Emily Mevers, studying potential new antibiotics from aquatic egg masses in coral reefs. Now, Chris plans to take his skills and apply them to studying electrochemistry and designing green alternatives to lithium-ion batteries. Chris is completing an internship (alkaline exchange membrane electrolysis) at Versogen in Wilmington, CA https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-kiser-7a265a194/
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Carinna L. Lapson Carinna graduated from Westminster College (Pa.) in 2022 with a degree in Engineering Physics and double minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. Her undergraduate research was under Dr. Craig Caylor where she designed, built, and controlled an underwater ROV with machine learning capabilities. She is pursuing a career in the Energy field, hoping to focus on clean energy solutions, battery technologies, and semiconductor design. Carinna is completing an internship (energy storage) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA |
 Tanner Leo
Tanner graduated from Western Washington University in 2022, with a B.S. in Plastics and Composites Engineering, and a minor in Materials Science. His undergraduate research spanned multiple disciplines and projects. Notably, his computational chemistry research focused on evaluating the viability of three novel covalent organic frameworks for triplet fission photovoltaic device applications. For his capstone research, he characterized high-performance thermoplastic pre-impregnated composite materials and studied crystallization and melting kinetics, thermo-viscoelastic behavior, and other material properties. The data produced during this work will be used by the project sponsor, Convergent Manufacturing Technologies, to develop a full set of constitutive material models to implement into their process simulation software products. Tanner is excited to jump into a successful career addressing difficult challenges in clean energy and material development and production. Tanner is completing an internship (battery modeling) at Sila Nanotechnologies in Alameda, CA |
| Yarami Lopez
Yarami is completing an internship (energy storage) at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA www.linkedin.com/in/YaramiLopez
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Max Meade Max graduated cum laude from Southern Oregon University in 2019 with an ACS-approved B.S. in Chemistry, earning awards for excellence in both physical chemistry and analytical chemistry. While earning his degree, he worked at Flora Research Laboratories, an analytical chemistry lab in Southern Oregon, first as a Lab Assistant and then as a Lab Technician, developing GC-MS assay panels and operating common analytical instrumentation. After graduation, he continued working at Flora as a Scientist and subsequently a Systems Administrator in charge of laboratory data handling and automation, in which capacity he had the opportunity to develop proficiency with several programming languages common to modern laboratory environments. Max ultimately decided to return to school to continue pursuing his dream of developing sustainable technologies to supplant the modern fossil fuel infrastructure. Max is completing an internship (membrane electrode assemblies) at Twelve in Oakland, CA |
Casey Mezerkor
Casey graduated from Westminster College (PA) in 2022 with a degree in Engineering Physics and a minor in Chemistry. His undergraduate research was under Dr. Craig Caylor where he designed and built an economical quadcopter with machine learning and image recognition. He is pursuing a career in the aerospace industry with an eye toward future materials and energy developments. Casey is completing an internship (energy storage and electrolytes) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA |
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Louka graduated from the University of Oregon in 2019 with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry, before working as a high school Chemistry/Physics teacher for two years. In 2021, Louka joined the incoming Chemistry graduate cohort at the University of California, Santa Barbara and earned his M.A. in Chemistry with an emphasis in Chemical Education in 2022. Despite initially pursuing a career in Chemical Education, he rediscovered his affinity for research while attending UCSB, and is excited to kick-start his future career in the Oregon Center for Electrochemistry at UO. Sco Ducks! Louka is completing an internship (energy storage) at EnZinc in Richmond, CA |
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Jackson Mower Jackson was accepted into and received a high school diploma from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Durham campus. In 2020, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) with a B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics. While at UNCC, he conducted directed research with Dr. Michael Walter’s group. That research involved synthesizing and characterizing fluorescent dyes as well as fabricating and characterizing OLED devices made with those dyes. Following his undergraduate studies, he worked in industrial quality control. During the Summer of 2022, he participated in an internship at Gamry Instruments, which involved working with the R&D group to integrate new software tools with Gamry potentiostats. Jackson hopes his career will assist the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources. Jackson is completing an internship (membranes and electrolysis) at Chemours in Wilmington, DE |
Ethan Muchnik
Ethan graduated from the University of Illinois (UIUC) in 2022 with a BS in physics. While at UIUC, he participated in biomedical research with a group designing medical software to monitor patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). His contribution focused on developing methods to quantify and visualize neurological data. He also had the privilege to work at a local ambulance company and discovered his passion for the medical field. Other interests include board games, welding, and running. He’s new to electrochemistry and excited to learn! Ethan is completing an internship (neuroscience) at in the Gardner Lab in the Knight Campus at the University of Oregon https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-muchnik-054b83247
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Kenny graduated from San Jose State University with a chemical engineering degree and a minor in applied mathematics in 2019. His undergraduate research under Dr. Chester Simocko focused on the gap between organic chemistry and polymer science. Before attending the Master’s program, Kenny worked as a process engineer at PacTech optimizing electroless plating on substrate wafers. He is excited to further his education in electrochemistry. Kenny is completing an internship (energy storage) at Apple in San Francisco, CA |
Sydney Nichols 
Sydney graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2019. During her time pursuing undergraduate studies she focused on the Energy industry, completing several internships at GE as a Power Engineer, and at Duracell as a Quality Engineer. After graduation, she accepted a position at Solar Turbines as a Sales Application Engineer before deciding to pivot to a technical field. Sydney is excited for a career focused on solving complex problems that contribute to a more sustainable world. Sydney is completing an internship (membrane electrode assemblies) at Twelve in Oakland, CA https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydney-nichols/
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 Berkley Noble
Berkley graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in chemical engineering in 2020. He went into industry and worked as a process engineer before returning to university to pursue his passion in electrochemical technology. Berkley is interested in battery technology and decarbonizing industrial processes. Before starting the Master’s program, Berkley is working on research at the University of Oregon in an effort to decarbonize iron production. Berkley is excited to expand his knowledge as an electrochemical engineer. Berkley has been hired as an electrochemical engineer at Magrathea Metals in Oakland, CA |
Roberto Pavez 
Roberto graduated from The Technical University Federico Santa María with a degree and profession of Chemical Engineer in 2019. He has focused his professional career on the area of hydrogen, conducting research and consultancy for the implementation of renewable fuels projects, in addition to participating in several technological innovation projects linked to sustainability. From working to use a sulfur electrolyzer to generate H2 from sulfur mining gases in his undergraduate thesis; to work in a electrochemical saline gradient battery and to study the feasibility to blend Hydrogen on gas matrix pipings, as a process engineer. Roberto is highly passionate and motivated and decided to participate in the Master’s program in an effort to contribute Industrial sustainability by transforming marine wastes into products with electrochemistry. Roberto is completing an internship (PEM electrolysis and catalyst discovery) at H2U in Los Angeles, CA |
Greta Peterson
Greta graduated from Montana State University in May of 2022 with a BS in chemistry and minors in mathematics and Hispanic studies. Her undergraduate research under Dr. Nick Stadie explored various aspects of electrochemistry, specifically in regard to fabricating electrodes and exploring their performance under different parameters. She hopes to expand her knowledge of and experience in electrochemistry in the coming school year so as to prepare herself for a successful career in the industry of electrochemical technology. Greta is completing an internship (Fuel Cells) at Nuvera Fuel Cells in Boston, MA |
 Justin Pham
Justin graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2020 with a BS in Materials Science and Engineering. His undergraduate research under Dr. George Miley focused on characterizing novel nuclear fusion processes for clean energy technology. After graduation, he worked as a quality assurance engineer in plastics extrusion. He is looking to leverage his previous experience both in research and industry in order to begin a career in clean energy and contribute to a growing field. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-pham-301017167 Justin is completing an internship (Electrolysis) at Orca Sciences in Santa Cruz, CA |
Natalie Rowles
Natalie graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2021 with a degree in chemistry. She was introduced to electrochemistry early on in her college career and developed a love for the field. Her undergraduate research focused on the characterization of photocatalyzed cycloadditions via NMR spectroscopy. As someone who cares deeply about sustainability and the environment, she is excited and grateful for the opportunity to further study such a fascinating and pragmatic subject and hopes to improve the accessibility of renewable energy technology. Natalie is completing an internship on electroplating at HRL in Malibu, CA |
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Jamie Santiago Jamie graduated from Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2022. In the past, he worked in biomedical devices making imaging phantoms and writing functional tests for different electrical circuits, renewable energy modeling wind turbine controls, and characterizing passive heating technologies. Most recently he has been leading independent efforts to explore and characterize various hemp-derived materials such as hempcrete, mycelium-hemp composites, and carbon nanotubes. His passion is to explore accessible and sustainable technologies that rely on sustainable and ethical supply chains. He is looking forward to applying his engineering background to electrochemistry and gaining experiences that will enable him to further pursue his passion. He also pursues journalism and creative writing. Jamie is researching supercapacitors at Florrent in Amherst, MA |
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Sara graduated from Boise State University in 2021 with a degree in Biochemistry and Forensic Chemistry. Her undergraduate research included computer modeling, fluorimetry, and inhibition studies on novel inhibitors for the enzyme Human Carbonyl Reductase. She also completed a Forensic Unit internship with the Nampa PD where she organized, stocked, and properly disposed of the department’s chemicals. She looks forward to expanding and contributing her modeling and problem-solving skills in chemistry to the electrochemistry field. Sara is completing an internship at MLI in Portland, OR |
William Strub
William graduated from the University of Idaho in 2022 with a B.S. in chemistry. While completing his undergraduate degree he joined Dr. Francis Cheng’s research group which focused on determining the electrochemical properties of a highly disordered form of graphite called GUITAR. During his time with the group, he assisted in the development of a hypochlorite sensor and a dopamine detector. However, his primary project focused on the electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to ammonia. William is excited to further his knowledge of electrochemistry and find a career that allows him to focus on clean energy! Will is completing an internship at ChromoLogic LLC in Monrovia, CA |
Emma Wagstaff
Emma is a clean energy transition researcher. Prior to joining the OCE she worked at the National Renewable Energy Lab with Dr. Youyang Zhao on high-temperature materials for thermal storage. Her projects included developing a lab-scale high-temperature molten test loop and designing inorganic refractories for energy storage. She graduated Cum Laude from Cal Poly SLO in 2021 with a degree in Materials Engineering, as her senior project she led corrosion testing on new stainless steel alloy compositions. She hopes to leverage her materials and electrochemistry background to decarbonize critical materials processing and develop grid energy storage solutions. Emma is completing an internship at Electra in Boulder, CO |
Ziyan Yang
Ziyan Yang, an international student from China, graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire with a major in Material Science and Engineering. Ziyan works on the computational design of novel materials for energy storage. Driving an electric vehicle (EV) has become increasingly attractive. While the driving range of EVs is limited by the amount of energy stored in their batteries. Inspired by her interest in energy storage, she decided to pursue a Master’s degree in electrochemical technologies at the University of Oregon. She believes that her research experience in energy storage materials has prepared her well for her graduate study. Ziyan has transferred into the Ph.D. program at the University of Oregon working with the Harlow Lab |
Yarami graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Chemistry in 2022 where he did research with two teams: one team under the leadership of Dr. Amanda White, who focused on the biochemical development of natural collagen which is purified to synthesize collagen peptide mimics to achieve a stronger and greener alternative to plastics, these peptide mimics where then used to focus on polymer chemistry as the collagen produced was assimilated into the vegetable oil polymer and tested for their mechanical properties. The second research team under the supervision of Dr. Shainaz Landge which was focused on Forensic chemistry where the goal of the research was to achieve the gathering of data on how to effectively remove traces of evidence through various chemicals and to see if these could be undone through other means. Both projects have been successfully presented at various Research Symposiums. Yarami is excited to dive into a new side of chemistry and hopes to learn as much as possible about Electrochemistry at the University of Oregon!
Arya Saboori 
Arya graduated from Shahid Bahonar University in 2022 with a B.Sc. in Pure Chemistry. He explored his interests by being a research assistant for the past two years. Arya worked on the electrochemical determination of trace amounts of different compounds and also on quantum and semi-empirical simulations of various molecules. He is eager to work on energy storage materials, photovoltaic cells, and fuel cells and expand his electrochemistry knowledge.
Arya is currently researching with the Boettcher Lab at the University of Oregon
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