This summer, we were excited to welcome Aishwarya and Raelyn to our research group through the Bridging Academic Training Through Experiential Research and Innovation (BATTERI) Program. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), BATTERI is a 10-week experiential training program that provides students with hands-on research experience while developing the technical skills and industry knowledge needed to support the rapidly growing battery workforce.

At the conclusion of their internship, Aishwarya and Raelyn presented their research to fellow BATTERI participants, faculty, and industry partners. Their poster, “Transitioning From Lab to Pilot-Scale Material Manufacturing,” highlighted efforts to develop standardized procedures for reproducible material synthesis, improve sample and batch tracking, increase manufacturing yield, and identify correlations between material characterization and electrochemical performance.

We are grateful for the enthusiasm, dedication, and hard work Aishwarya and Raelyn brought to our lab this summer. Their contributions have been greatly appreciated, and we are proud of all they accomplished during the program.

Congratulations to both of you on a successful internship! We wish you all the best as you continue your academic and professional journeys!!!!

Scott presented his research on “Characterization of first Cycle Structure Changes of Amorphous Oxide Anodes by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance” at the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department Graduate Symposium.

This event is an annual departmental research featuring student oral presentations and poster sessions. It is a great way to showcase our research with the community.

Great job, Scott! Keep up the hard work!!

Congratulations to Ella on completing her summer internship at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and presenting her research at the SRNL Summer Poster Session!

Throughout her internship, Ella conducted research on hydrogen isotope separation using two-dimensional (2D) materials under the mentorship of Bronson Lynn. Working alongside scientists in SRNL’s Hydrogen Isotope Group, she gained valuable hands-on experience in hydrogen isotope science while contributing to cutting-edge research. We are excited to see her apply the knowledge and experience she gained this summer to her continued research at Ohio State.

Congratulations, Ella, on an exceptional summer and a successful poster presentation! We are proud of your accomplishments!! Keep up the great work!

Congratulations to Dr. Samantha Mendez on the successful defense of her Ph.D. thesis, “Enhancing Conductivity in High-Energy Density Battery Electrodes.”

Throughout her time in our research group, Sam has been an exceptional scientist, mentor, and colleague. Her dedication to research, willingness to support others, and positive attitude have left a lasting impact on our lab.

Reaching this milestone is a testament to years of hard work, perseverance, and excellence. We are incredibly proud of all that Sam has accomplished and grateful for the many ways she has strengthened our research group!!

Congratulations, Dr. Mendez, on this well-deserved achievement! While we will miss your leadership, mentorship, and friendship, we are excited to see all that you accomplish in the next chapter of your career. Thank you for everything you have contributed to our lab!! We wish you nothing but continued success!

Congratulations to Kassidy on receiving the Best Oral Presentation Award at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) University Program Review for her presentation, “Characterizing Electrochemical Hydrogen Isotope Separation for Enhanced Tritium Detection.”

This is the first time in seven years that an Ohio State student has earned this recognition, making Kassidy’s accomplishment all the more remarkable.

This conference is one of the most exclusive and critical gatherings in the nuclear security sector. Getting a seat at this table means you are directly contributing to the next generation of nuclear forensics and global security technologies. It serves as a bridge between academia and our national laboratories, and is a highly competitive honor for any researcher selected to attend. We are so incredibly proud of Kassidy and Ella for representing our lab and The Ohio State University. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

Congratulations to Dr. David Wood on successfully defending his Ph.D. thesis, “Observation of Lithium Dendrite Formation and the Electrical Double Layer for Potential Fast-Charging Lithium-Ion Battery Electrolyte Materials.”

We wish you all the best in the next chapter of your career. You will be greatly missed, and we thank you for your many contributions to our research group.

Congratulations to Kassidy and Ella on delivering great presentations at the 2026 ETI Workshop, held at The Ohio State University! The workshop brought together nearly 100 participants from university partners, national laboratories, and government agencies to review research projects funded by the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D). You can find out more information about the workshop here: https://eti2.gatech.edu/2026-eti-2-0-workshop/

Kassidy presented her research, “Exploring the Relationship Between the Kinetic Isotope Effect and Separation Factor,” while Ella presented “Optimization of an Electrochemical Cell Designed to Separate Hydrogen Isotopes (H₂/D₂/T₂) in an Alkaline Aqueous Electrolyte.”

Their presentation abstracts are available here: https://eti2.gatech.edu/2026-eti-2-0-workshop/2026-eti-2-0-workshop-day-1-march-19/

We are proud of both Kassidy and Ella for representing our research group so well. Congratulations on your excellent work, and we look forward to seeing your continued success!

Leah, Ella, and Jia all did an amazing job presenting their research! Leah presented on the influence of carbon black on the performance of silicon oxide anode material for Li-ion batteries. Ella presented her work on the optimization of the electrochemical cell designed to separate hydrogen isotopes in an alkaline aqueous electrolyte. Jia presented her research on the development and understanding of LiFePO₄ cathode material for next-generation battery material!

Let’s welcome Aislinn to the Co lab! We are so excited to have you join us!

Great work to Ariel for presenting his research on cation-disordered rock-salts for battery materials!