Class of 2024

 

Collin Smith

Collin graduated from the University of California Riverside (UCR) with his B.S. in Chemistry in 2023. His undergraduate research was under Dr. Francisco Zaera in the UCR surface chemistry and catalysis lab where he focused on the formation and size control of ultra-small gold nanoparticles on supporting materials. His project’s goal was to functionalize and recycle raw biomass as an alternative to petroleum-based compounds leading to his interest in renewables. Collin is excited to enter the clean energy industry with the experience and knowledge he gains through the University of Oregon Electrochemistry program.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-smith-93b116218/

Kholoud Aldura

Kholoud graduated from the University of Portland in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree of science in physics. She worked as a student and subsequently as a post-bachelorate physics research assistant with her physics professor during the last three years. The research focused on the morphology and interfaces of solution-processed materials with the goal of developing new materials for storing electrical energy. Her interest in conducting materials, electrical storage materials, and batteries has sparked, and she is ready to learn more and expand her knowledge and skills.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/khouloud-aldura-070889240/

Thedo Wibawa

Thedo completed his B.S. in Chemical and Materials Engineering from California State Polytechnic University Pomona in 2022, graduating with honors as a Cum Laude. After graduating, Thedo joined Linde through the Operations Leadership Development Program and has gained hands-on experience in the manufacturing and delivery of industrial, medical, and specialized gases, catering to clients in the Southern California region. Prior to joining Linde, he interned at Johnson & Johnson as a Manufacturing Engineer. Thedo is excited to pursue a career in developing new technologies for the energy storage and battery development industries.

www.linkedin.com/in/tswibawa

Emeka Christian Emeodi

Emeka is a graduate of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Unilag with proficiency in Material processing, Material characterization, Quality assurance, and Project Management. Emeka has developed a keen interest in Energy storage/conversion systems. He is excited to take on projects that seek to develop efficient energy storage systems. His experience and exposure to research, and project management have sharpened his technical, analytical, and leadership skills for tangible contribution to engineering development.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-emeodi/

Morgan Lebby

Morgan graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. For the past four years, he has worked as a research chemist at Moses Lake Industries (MLI), focusing on the development of new plating chemistries that enable electrodeposition of various metals in nanometer-scale features. In attending the program, Morgan hopes to gain a deeper understanding of electrochemical fundamentals, leaving him better equipped to tackle future projects at MLI.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-lebby/

Tim Wells

Tim is a graduate of the William & Mary class of 2023, having earned a B.S. in Chemistry. During the pursuit of his degree, Tim’s dedication led him to the McNamara lab, where he conducted research on transition metal complexes for the purpose of hydrogen generation. His projects revolved around the innovative design and synthesis of new ligands and the characterization of novel complexes employing an array of advanced laboratory techniques. Motivated by his experience in research, Tim is excited to continue his education in the field of electrochemistry and aspires to foster a broader and more widespread implementation of hydrogen infrastructure within the United States.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-wells-216116210/

Paul Abi

Paul graduated with a bachelor’s in Chemistry Education from Obafemi Awolowo University in 2015, and in 2021, he earned a master’s in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Ibadan. After graduation in 2015, and prior to enrolling in the master’s program in 2019, Paul worked as a high school chemistry educator/lab technician for 3.5 years, designing experiments, assessing practical classes and reports, and locating lab supplies. He joined Teach for Nigeria (TFN) as a fellow in 2021 because of my passion for education, leadership, and development. Up until 2023, while serving as a TFN fellow in an underprivileged community, he worked with the stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to the environmental challenges that constantly arose. Paul also created educational interventions and open-ended scientific-based projects to help kids develop their foundational knowledge of science and technology and foster critical thinking.
 
Paul is inspired by the tremendous potential of electrochemical advancements, which hold the key to addressing global concerns like renewable energy, clean technology, and the creation of sustainable materials. He hopes to develop specialized knowledge and play a vital role in developing novel solutions that directly benefit society and open the door to a more sustainable future.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-abi-97a128102/

Ebenezer Affi

Ebenezer holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. He has experience in heavy metal and adsorbent analysis from my undergraduate studies. After graduation, he has been teaching high school chemistry and building the next generation of scientists in Ghana since 2019.  His academic journey and personal experiences have fueled his passion for renewable energy development, particularly in his home country. The persistent power instability experienced in Ghana, which often disrupts our daily lives, has driven him to explore alternative solutions for sustainable energy. Ebeneezer firmly believes that by developing more efficient and cost-effective materials for batteries and photovoltaics, we can overcome the power challenges faced by countries like Ghana and Nigeria. The alignment between his passion for renewable energy, his educational background in chemistry, and his expanding programming skills makes pursuing a career in electrochemical science and energy at OCE a natural progression for him and he is excited to embark on this journey.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebenezer-affi-971b46137/

Briley Bowers

Briley graduated from Colorado School of Mines in 2022 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Bioengineering and a minor in Biomedical Engineering. Since, he has been working as a MEMS Process Engineer in Southern Oregon. He is excited to build upon his current industry experience in semiconductors and MEMS devices as well as expand his knowledge of electrochemical systems for clean energy solutions, energy storage, and fuel cells.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/briley-bowers-304615203/

Mathew Soto

Matthew graduated from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) in 2023 with a BS in chemistry. While at UCR, he participated in undergraduate research under Dr. Vincent LaVallo where he helped investigate weakly coordinating carboranyl anions and their role in ligand design for the formation of transition-metal complexes. He is eager to continue expanding his knowledge at the University of Oregon and is excited to contribute towards a future driven by green energy.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-soto-9a80a31a1/

Andrew Goldman

Andrew Goldman graduated from Lehigh University in 2019 with a BS in Materials Science and Engineering. While at Lehigh, he worked in the lab of Professor Nicholas Strandwitz studying electrostatic phenomena at the interfaces in Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor devices for photovoltaic applications. After graduating, Andrew started a business as a small plant nursery specializing in nut trees and other edible perennials in an effort to facilitate the transition to a more regenerative and carbon-negative food system better suited to adapt to the extremes of a changing climate. Now, having decided to further his education with the University of Oregon Masters in Electrochemistry, Andrew hopes to combine those two passions by developing bio-derived materials for applications in batteries, fuel cells, and catalysts.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-carl-goldman/

Gabriel Cretcher

Gabe graduated from Michigan State University with a BSc in Chemistry. At MSU he studied radiolabeled molecules for the targeted reduction of cancer cells. At UO he has investigated the use of metal-organic frameworks as precursors for catalysts used in metal-air batteries.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-cretcher-b73a451ba/

David Diaz

David graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.A. in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics. Their undergraduate research, under the direction of Dr. Michael G. Walter, focused on thiazolothiazole fluorescent dyes; studied for their optical properties and charge mobility characteristics. They believe the skills and experience they gain at UO will launch their career in the electric motorsport industry. An interest that came from working as a backyard auto mechanic and motorsport enthusiast.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-diaz-01a5a9193/

Nicholas Dominic

Nicholas graduated from Oregon State University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Chemistry. Having experienced diverse industries, including palm oil, toys, and food service, he is driven to implement renewable energy solutions across sectors. Fueled by a passion for sustainable energy and a determination to make a positive impact, he is driven to bridge technology and sustainability, revolutionizing industries, and contributing to a more eco-friendly world

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-dominic-adz/

Daniel Durrant

Daniel graduated from Brigham Young University in 2022 with a B.S. in Technology and Engineering Education, with minors in Mathematics and Mathematics Education. He has experience in farmwork, commercial construction, education, automotive mechanics, and custom woodwork. He is passionate about improvement, learning and lean design. Whether it be through research or engineering and design, Daniel looks forward to collaborating in the development of new products that allow people to live in a more sustainable and self-reliant manner.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-durrant-a1515015b/

Lucia Fortado

Lucia graduated from Weber State University in December 2022 with a B.S. in Chemistry and an A.S. of Chemical Technician. She was also a D1 athlete competing on Weber State’s Track & Field Team as a hurdler and long/triple jumper. Her undergraduate research was focused in Atmospheric Chemistry, studying the effect of inlet tube diameter and residence time on the evaporation of organic aerosol particles during airborne sampling after making an open-sourced semi-volatile organic concentration partitioning evaporation model in Python. She one day wants to go to space as an astrochemist, and is excited to pursue electrochemistry and apply that knowledge to further advances in space.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucia-fortado-6a460a281/

Guillermo Mier Y Teran

University of California, Berkeley graduate in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Energy and Environment. Experienced R&D engineer studying chemical and materials properties for product development and energy applications at Coreshell Technologies, Inc. Skilled in the preparation, assembly, and testing of batteries.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillermomieryteran/

Rocco Molinelli

Rocco graduated in June 2022 from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Chemistry and a minor in Astronomy & Astrophysics. During this time he helped start up a new electrochemistry research lab at the university with Dr. Anna Wuttig and worked on two research projects. One project was focused on studying the process of PCET at graphite electrodes via the reduction of an imine probe and another was focused on electrophile coupling at Ag electrodes. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rocco-molinelli-639706187/

Carter Ness

Carter completed his BSc in Chemistry at University of Wisconsin Madison, where he worked in the Zanni Group developing code for automated processing of 2D IR. At UO he has worked in the Harlow Lab measuring the potential of zero charge of strained metal oxide surfaces.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carter-ness/

Ma’ayan Shahar

Ma’ayan is a Franklin & Marshall College alumni with a BA in chemistry. Ma’ayan’s prior laboratory research involved the synthesis of apatite in non-aqueous solutions.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ma-ayan-shahar-b37118260/

Isaac Triplett

Isaac Triplett is pursuing a work-integrated electrochemistry MSc at the University of Oregon after completing his BSc in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia in 2023. With a foundational understanding of diverse scientific disciplines, he specializes in chemical applications of statistical mechanics and has experience in various chemical analysis techniques. During his undergraduate studies, he collaborated on projects related to mass spectrometry and ice nucleation at U.B.C. Technologically proficient, Isaac is skilled in Excel, Matlab, C#, and Python. His strong work ethic, shaped by past roles at UPS and as a barista as well as his ice hockey background, is complemented by his technical writing prowess, honed through a passion for creative writing.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-triplett-341266223/

 Greg Wettlaufer

Greg graduated from the Oregon Institute of Technology in 2023 with a B.S. in Renewable Energy Engineering and a minor in Chemistry. His undergraduate projects include constructing a Li-ion production line and improving the efficiency of value-added carbon capture and flow battery energy density. Previous R&D and battery testing internships give him a strong foundation to launch into the world of electrochemistry.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-wettlaufer/

Elias Barsenga Hassen

Elias is an Electrochemist, Environmental Engineer, and Food Technologist with over eight years of experience in research, teaching, and project management. His career goal is to use his expertise in electrochemistry, environmental engineering, and food and biochemical technology to make a tangible impact on the world’s energy and environmental challenges. He has a proven track record of delivering high-quality academic and practical outcomes, from product development, fundraising, teaching, and production management, among others. He is passionate about advancing green technologies and sustainable solutions, and eager to learn new skills and explore new opportunities

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliasbarsenga/

Wycliffe Misigo

Wycliffe Odhiambo Misigo hails from Nairobi, Kenya. Holds both bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in chemistry from the University of Nairobi. For his bachelor’s, he worked on the isolation and characterization of biomolecules of indigenous plant species as a remedy for tropical diseases. He then proceeded to his master’s in inorganic chemistry, University of Nairobi which he completed in the year 2021. He worked on the synthesis of Platinum group Schiff base complexes for potential anticancer candidates, sponsored by the Swedish organization International Science Program. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Electrochemistry at Oregon Center for Electrochemistry.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wycliffe-misigo-009147208/