October 2023

Inside this Issue

Features

• Welcome to our 20th Edition
• From the Chair of the Board,
  Dr. Shelley D. Dionne
• News & Events
• Link Fellows/Interns/Scholars, where are they now?

Meet this Year's Fellowship Recipients

• Energy
• Modeling, Simulation and Training
• Ocean Engineering
• SmithsonianFellows

Link Fellowship Awardees for 2023 - 2024

Energy

FIRST YEAR FELLOWS

Candelaria is passionate about understanding how we can achieve net-zero emissions, and about studying the implications of different net-zero pathways for people. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. with Steven J. Davis in the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California Irvine. For her dissertation, she is working on quantifying the air pollution impacts of distinctive net-zero pathways for the United States to mid-century, which has great implications for environmental justice. In most cases, we know how to achieve net-zero emissions, but we do not yet fully understand the social consequences of the pathway we take.

Before joining UCI, Candelaria was a research associate at the Joint Global Change Research Institute, where she published several peered reviewed articles and contributed to the development of the integrated assessment model GCAM. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, and a M.S. in Environmental Sciences from Emory University.

Sabrina is a doctoral candidate in Buz Barstow’s lab in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University. Her research focuses on harnessing the mineral-dissolving capabilities of the microbe Gluconobacter oxydans for the biomining of critical metals used in sustainable energy technologies, including Rare Earth Elements (REE) – a group of metals with particular conductive and magnetic properties commonly employed in manufacturing renewable energy materials.

She is interested in optimizing the mineral-dissolution mechanism of G. oxydans through the implementation of genetic engineering tools to regulate the expression of genes involved in the production of chelating molecules related to complexation, compounds that have remained relatively unexplored. Her goal is to develop a novel, optimized strain of G. oxydans with enhanced solubilizing capabilities for a cleaner, more efficient extraction of REE.

She believes that the development of advanced biomining technologies has the potential to alleviate the rising demand for critical metals without harming the environment, as opposed to traditional methods of extraction, thereby contributing to ongoing environmental sustainability endeavors. Beyond her research, she is also dedicated to fostering scientific innovation in the pursuit of sustainability. To this end, she joined Cornell's Alliance for Science as a Global Leadership Fellow to contribute to their efforts in promoting science-based decision-making.

Sam is a Ph.D. student in the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley. His research explores how unreliable and poor-quality power affects medical equipment functionality and health outcomes in low- and middle-income contexts, focusing on the Democratic Republic of Congo. He employs mixed methods pairing electrical engineering, internet-of-things sensors, and remote surveying techniques to explore how technological innovations can help monitor and improve energy and health outcomes. Prior to his work as a doctoral researcher, Sam worked in international development as a consultant, educator, and entrepreneur across Sub Saharan Africa, as well as a freelance writer covering technology and financial inclusion in emerging markets. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Yale in Ethics, Politics and Economics as well as a Master’s from Sciences Po-Paris in International Energy.

Amanda is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Columbia University under the supervision of Prof. Alissa Ah-Hyung Park. Her research is centered around developing innovative methods for responsible and efficient metal recycling and recovery from unconventional resources. In particular, she focuses on designing and investigating the use of novel materials and processes to enhance metal recovery efficiency and establish environmentally friendly solutions. Her work aims to address the increasing global demand for critical metals while minimizing environmental impacts and reducing the reliance on traditional mining practices. Outside of her research, Amanda actively engages with the Columbia University community. She is involved in mentorship programs, where she guides and supports high school and undergraduate students in their pursuit of scientific exploration.

SECOND YEAR FELLOWS

Abhiroop is from the culturally diverse country of India. He received his undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in the city of Gandhinagar, named after Mahatma Gandhi. There he conducted research on materials for thin-film solar cells. At UIUC, he is working towards a Ph.D. under the guidance of Prof. Joaquín Rodríguez-López to develop spatially resolved electrochemical tools for investigating degradation products from Li-ion battery (LiB) cathodes, such as oxygen released during LiB overcharging. His doctoral work will lead to the development of tools which will enable in situ, real-time investigation of these degradation processes. Subsequently, they will enable identification of cathode compositions and operating conditions which lead to batteries with extended lifetimes, for applications such as electric vehicles. In addition to research work, Abhiroop is the founder and president of the Electrochemical Society student chapter at UIUC, which aims to promote discussion and collaboration among the electrochemistry community. In his free time, Abhiroop enjoys playing soccer and watching Lionel Messi play. He tries to follow this quote by Messi - "My ambition is always to get better and better."

 

Cristina is Graduate Student Researcher in the Electricity Markets and Policy Department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she has worked on modeling market value of hybrid energy plants and battery degradation.  With the support of the Fulbright fellowship, she completed a masters at the Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley, where she is now a Ph.D. student. Her research focuses on inequities in household energy transitions, focusing on electrification and residential solar adoption policies.  She holds a Dual Masters of Science in Industrial Engineering in Universidad Politécnica de Valencia and École Centrale Paris.  Prior to her graduate studies, Cristina worked as a mechanical engineer in the Danish Technical University’s Wind Energy Department, and on solar development projects at the Spanish energy utility Iberdrola. 

 

Rachel is a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her research explores how plasmonic nanomaterials, which harvest energy from light to drive redox reactions, can be combined with electrochemical systems to convert wastes and other small molecules into value-added chemicals. More specifically, she is interested in using this approach to generate ammonia, a promising fuel, in a manner that is independent of fossil fuels and less energy intensive than the industrial Haber-Bosch process. She and her coworkers have thus far demonstrated that the electrochemical yield of ammonia from nitrate reduction can be increased by an order of magnitude through plasmonic photochemical effects. Furthermore, Rachel serves as a mentor for new graduate students and advocates safe laboratory practices as a board member of the UIUC Chemistry Department’s Joint Safety Team.

 

Prince is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Cornell University. His passion to create efficient and environmentally-friendly energy solutions led him to obtain a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He also worked for KPMG as an analyst in the Energy and Natural Resources Department to better understand the rationale behind several economic decisions made by diverse energy firms. His current research is focused on producing carbon negative H2 from renewable biomass sources while simultaneously utilizing alkaline industrial residues (e.g., steel slag) as carbon sink materials to create value added materials such as carbonates. His work has already led to publications in reputable journals as well as notable conference presentations. In addition, Prince serves as a graduate research coordinator for the Cornell Atkinson Center for sustainability and organizes research symposiums, and career workshops that brings together graduate students, faculty members and industry collaborators. Being passionate about giving back to his community, Prince has co-founded the Association of Nigerian Scholars in America (ANSA) and is an active volunteer for Cornell Diversity Program in Engineering (DPE) geared towards increasing minority representation in engineering.

 

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If you would like to find out more about our Link Foundation Energy Fellows and projects that have been funded in the field of Energy by the Link Foundation, please visit the Link Energy Fellowship webpage at http://www.linkenergy.org/fellows.

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