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Discover. Create. Solve.
Current Members
Research Scholars
Dr. Nasim Alikhani
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Illinois Institute of Technology - Spring 2025 – Present
Research Interests: Polymeric and composite membranes, solid-state electrolytes, gas separation and CO₂ capture, MOF/polymer hybrids, sustainable materials.
Education:
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Ph.D., Materials Engineering, University of Maine, 2023
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M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, University of Isfahan, 2017
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B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology, 2011
E-mail: nalikhani@illinoistech.edu
Dr. Myeong-Chang Sung
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Illinois Institute of Technology, Fall 2024 – Present
Research Interests: Electrochemical energy storage, solid-state electrolytes for advanced batteries, lithium–oxygen batteries, operando and in-situ analysis for reaction mechanism studies.
Education:
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Ph.D., Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Feb 2019 – Aug 2023
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M.Sc., Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Mar 2017 – Feb 2019
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B.Sc., Department of Chemistry, Konkuk University, Mar 2011 – Feb 2017
E-mail: msung2@illinoistech.edu
Dr. Praveen Raju
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Illinois Institute of Technology, Fall 2023 – Present
Research Interests: Design, synthesis and characterizations of advanced functional nanomaterials for electrochemical CO2 reduction.
Education:
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Ph.D., Chemistry, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, July 2021
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M.Sc., Chemistry, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India, July 2010 – April 2012
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B.Sc., Chemistry, Periyar EVR College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India, June 2006 – April 2009
E-mail: rpraveen@illinoistech.edu
Doctoral Students
Parsa Amouzesh
Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Spring 2023 - Present
Research Interests: CO2 Electrocatalysis, Metal-Organic Frameworks, Heterogeneous Catalysis
Education:
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M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, University of Tehran, Sept 2020 - Dec 2022
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B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, University of Isfahan, Sept 2016 - Sept 2020
E-mail: samouzesh@hawk.illinoistech.edu
Adel Azaribeni
Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Spring 2023 - Present
Research Interests: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems (Metal-Air Batteries, Metal-Ion Batteries), Materials Design and Synthesis, Materials Characterization.
Education:
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M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology , Sept 2013 - Sept 2015
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B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, University of Shiraz, Sept 2009- Sept 2013
E-mail: aazaribeni@hawk.illinoistech.edu
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Taha Baghbanronaghi
Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Spring 2023 - Present
Research Interests: CO2 Reduction Reaction, Lithium-Ion/ Air Batteries, Materials Synthesis and Characterization, Catalysis
Education:
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M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology of Technology, Fall 2017 - January 2020
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B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Fall 2013 - Fall 2017
Karen A. Castaneda
Ph.D. Student in Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Spring 2021 - Present
Research Interests: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Materials for Electrocatalysis,
Education:
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M.Sc., Physics, University of Guanajuato, 2019
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B.Sc., Physics, University of Quindio, 2016
Sina Fazlifard
Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Summer 2023 - Present,
Research Interests: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Electrocatalysis, Sustainable Processes, Scale-up and Process Engineering.
Education:
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M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Separation Processes, Iran University of Science and Technology, Fall 2012 - Fall 2014
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B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Fall 2008 - Fall 2012
E-mail: sfazlifard@hawk.illinoistech.edu
Gayoon Kim
Ph.D. Student in Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Fall 2022 - Present
Research Interests: Developing cathodic materials for lithium-ion/air and sodium ion/air batteries.
Education:
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M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Sookmyung Women's University, Spring 2020 - Fall 2021
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B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Sookmyung Women's University, Spring 2016 - Fall 2019
E-mail: gkim33@hawk.illinoistech.edu
Majid Roohafza, PE
Ph.D. Student in Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Spring 2025 - Present
Research Interests: CO2 Conversion Electrochemical Technology Scale-up with a focus on Advanced Process and System Design for Sustainable Energy Conversion
Education:
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M.Sc., Natural Gas Engineering and Management, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, Jan 2020 - May 2022
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B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Process Design, Sharif University of Technology, Sep 1995 - Feb 2000
E-mail: mroohafza@hawk.illinoistech.edu
Master Students
Yancun Qi
Master student in Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Fall 2021 - Present
Research Interests: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems (Metal-Air Batteries, Metal-Ion Batteries)
Education:
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B.Sc., Environment Engineering, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Fall 2017 - 2021
Pablo Diego Maristany
Master student in Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Fall 2022
Research Interests: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems (CO2 conversion to value-added chemicals)
Education:
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B.Sc., Energy Engineering, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain 2016 - 2021
NSF REU Program Students
Fiona M. Collins
Daniel Rossi
Summer 2022
Summer 2021
Alumni Members
Andres Ruiz Belmonte
MEng Chemical Engineering, 2018
Current Position: Project Engineer en Tecnicas Reunidas
Pablo Navarro Muñoz-Delgado
MEng Chemical Engineering, 2018
Current Position: Mechanical Engineer at Raul V. Bravo + Associates, Inc.
Christopher Coble
MEng Chemical Engineering, 2019
Current Position: Process Engineer at Cargill
Jackson Hayes
Masters Chemical Engineering, 2021
Current Position: Ph.D. student in Physical Chemistry, Iowa State University
Yankee Zhou
Masters Chemical Engineering, 2020
Erin Efimoff
B.Sc. and MAS Chemical Engineering, 2020
Current Position: Fuel Cell Controls Test Engineer at General Motors (GM)
Geovic Tonasse
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, 2020
Current Position: CDP Plant Process Engineer-HyCO/Energy Systems
Sadaf Maghsoudipour
B.Sc. and MAS Chemical Engineering, 2020
Current Position: Process Engineer at Middough Inc.
Junwon Park
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, 2020
Current Position: Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
Thomas Doyle
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, 2022
Current Position: Chemical Engineering Intern at Redwood Materials
Alireza Kondori
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, 2023
Current Position: Staff Engineer, Battery Cell Manufacturing at TESLA
Mohammadreza Esmaeilirad
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, 2023
Current Position:Senior Chemical Engineer at Mojave Energy Systems, Inc.
Ahmad Mosen Harzandi
Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2024
Current Position:Senior Research Associate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Ben Garber
Senior Research Associate, 2025
Current Position: Consultant at Exponent, the scientific consulting firm
High School Students
Nitika Goswami
Ashley Jiang
Aayan Ilyas
Jonathan Abraham
Komal Talloo
Prachi Gyanmote
Linda Wang
Emily Seburn
Yumin Kim
Isha Rustegi
Andy Dong
Maitri Shah
Sam Plenio
Anand Yallapragada
Summer 2022
Summer 2022
Summer 2022
Summer 2021
Summer 2021
Summer 2021
Summer 2021
Summer 2020
Summer 2020
Summer 2020
Summer 2019
Summer 2019
Summer 2019
Summer 2018 and 2019