The Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame (ND Energy) has announced the recipients of the 2021 Eilers and Forgash Research Fellowships for graduate students at the University of Notre Dame. These competitive awards are used to support graduate education and advancements in energy-related research. Students receiving these awards are typically in their third year or above, have established themselves as skillful researchers, and are worthy of further recognition and support to advance their research and education programs.
“Graduate students are so critical to the success of advancing research and other scholarly endeavors that it has become increasingly more difficult each year to select only a few students for these awards,” said Peter C. Burns, Henry J. Massman Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences and director of ND Energy. “We always receive more applicants than what we can fund, so we encourage students to reapply in hopes that eventually they will receive the recognition they deserve.”
Since the start of the Eilers and Forgash programs, awards totaled nearly $337,000 and have been granted to forty-seven students – 32% of total applicants – in support of energy-related research and education at Notre Dame.
Award recipients work throughout the year on their research projects and submit a final report summarizing their research findings. Recipients also participate in ND Energy-sponsored outreach programs for the purpose of showcasing their research projects and helping to educate the general public through translation of their research and its impact on society.
Recipients of the Patrick and Jana Eilers Graduate Student Fellowship for Energy Related Research are:
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John Hoffman, graduate student in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering for research titled, “Spatially-Controlled Functionalization of Nanofiltration Membranes” in the lab of William Phillip, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and director of graduate studies. |
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Preethi Susan Mathew, graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry for research titled, “Understanding the Effect of Crystallinity on Perovskite Stability” in the lab of Prashant Kamat, Rev. John A. Zahm Professor of Science in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Radiation Laboratory and concurrent professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. |
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Krishnendu Mukherjee, graduate student in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering for research titled, “Computational Materials Discovery and Design for Water Vapor Adsorption using Nanoporous Materials” in the lab of Yamil Colón, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. |
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Agust Olafsson, graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry for research titled, “Infrared Nano-spectroscopy of Plasmonic Materials Using High-resolution STEM-EELS” in the lab of Jon Camden, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and director of undergraduate studies. |
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Yujia Wang, graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry for research titled, “Computational Investigation of the Identity and Reactivity of Exchange Cu Sites in Zeolites for Selective Activation of Methane” in the lab of William Schneider, Dorini Family Chair in Energy Studies professor and department chair of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and concurrent professor of chemistry and biochemistry. |
Recipient of the Forgash Fellowship for Graduate Student Research in Solar Energy is:
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Jeffrey DuBose, graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry for research titled, “Revealing the Role of Ionic Liquids in Stabilizing Perovskite Solar Cells” in the lab of Prashant Kamat, Rev. John A. Zahm Professor of Science in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Radiation Laboratory and concurrent professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. |
Established in 2012, the Eilers Graduate Student Fellowship for Energy Related Research is made possible through the generosity of Patrick (’90) and Jana Eilers, with supplemental funding from the Fitzpatrick Endowment for Excellence for the Center for Energy, established in 2008 by Edward Fitzpatrick, Jr. ('54), and the Michael A. O'Sullivan Endowment for Excellence in Energy Research, established in 2014 by Michael A. O'Sullivan ('82).
The Forgash Fellowship for Graduate Student Research in Solar Energy was established in 2009 through the generosity of John (‘00) and Karla Forgash.
About ND Energy:
ND Energy is a University research center whose mission is to build a better world by creating new energy technologies and systems and educating individuals to help solve the most critical energy challenges facing our world today. For more information, visit the ND Energy website at energy.nd.edu or contact Barbara Villarosa, business and communications program director, at bvillaro@nd.edu or 574-631-4776.
Originally published by at energy.nd.edu on January 18, 2021.