I. EDUCATION

Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, Mechanical Engineering, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (May 2021)

Thesis: Engineering Electrode-Electrolyte-Interface for Developing Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries (Advisor: Prof. B. Reeja-Jayan)

M.S., Tsinghua University, Automotive Engineering, Beijing, China (June 2016)

Thesis: Study of Energy Type Lithium-Ion Cell Degradation Behavior under Multiple Stresses (Advisor: Prof. Jianbo Zhang)

B.S., Hefei University of Technology, Automotive Engineering, Hefei, China (June 2013)

Ranked as the top 1 student in the Honor College with students selected from all the freshmen.

II. SELECTED AWARDS AND HONORS

2021 Presidential Fellowship, CMU, USA

2019 Phillips and Huang Family Fellowship in Energy, CMU, USA

2017 Milton Shaw Ph.D. Student Travel Award, CMU, USA

2016 Outstanding Thesis Award, Tsinghua University, China

2015 Weichai Power Scholarship, Tsinghua University, China

2012 National Encouragement Scholarship, China (3%)

2011 National Scholarship (The highest-level undergrad scholarship), China (1%)

2010 National Scholarship (The highest-level undergrad scholarship), China (1%)

III. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2023 -           Assistant Professor, UT Dallas, Materials Science and Engineering

2022 - 2023 Research Associate, UT Austin, Mechanical and Materials Science

2021 - 2022 Postdoctoral Fellow, UT Austin, Mechanical and Materials Science

2016 - 2021 Graduate Research Assistant, Carnegie Mellon University, Mechanical Engineering

2015 - 2015 Summer Internship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chemical Engineering

2013 - 2016 Graduate Research Assistant, Tsinghua University, Automotive Engineering

IV. ACADEMIC COMMUNITY SERVICES

NSF Panelist reviewer - CBET Electrochemical Systems program, 2023

DOE proposal reviewer - BES Materials Chemistry, 2024

DOE proposal reviewer - BES Materials Chemistry, 2025

National Science Centre Poland proposal reviewer - Chemistry (ST4), 2024

MRS Early Careers Subcommittee - Service term is Oct. 23, 2023 - Dec. 31, 2026

Guest Editor - (1) Sustainability special issue, “Lithium Batteries and Fuel Cells for a Sustainable Future”, 2022. (2) Frontiers in Energy Research special issue , “Electrolyte Design for Advanced Batteries”, 2022

Journal Reviewer - Nature Chemistry, Nature Communications, Joule, Science Advances, Scientific Reports, Materials Today Chemistry, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Nano Energy, Journal of The Electrochemical Society, Solid State Ionics, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, RCS Advances, ACS Applied Materials & Interface. 

Official Nominator for VinFuture Prize. (starting on 1/26/2024)

V. INTERNAL SERVICES

UT Dallas, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

1. PhD student committee

• 09/2023 - present: Matthew Bergschneider (MSEN, advisor: KJ Cho), member

• 10/2024 - present: Mayank Tiwari (Chemistry, advisor: Mihaela Stefan), member

• 12/2024 - present: Haimanti Majumder (MSEN, advisor: Kyle McCall), member

2. MSE Colloquium Committee. 2024 - 2025, Chair

3. Ad Hoc Committee for Minor/Certificate in Energy. 09/2023 - present, member

4. Graduate Recruitment and Admission Committee. 09/2023 - present, member

VI. FUNDED PROJECTS

PI

1. University of Texas System -  Rising STARs (Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention) award, 9/1/2023 - 8/31/2026, $300k, (PI)

2. UT Dallas New Faculty Startup Award, 9/1/2023 - 8/31/2028, $450k, (PI)

3. UT Dallas - Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP) award, 2024 Summer, $4.5k, (PI)

4. UT Dallas - New Faculty Research Symposium (NFRS) Grant Competition award, 5/1/2024 - 4/30/2025, $25k, (PI)

5. UT Dallas - VP Accelerator Award, 3/1/2025 - 5/31/2026, $100K, (PI)

Co-PI

6. Department of Defense (DOD) - Energy Storage Systems Campus, 9/1/2023-8/31/2026, $30M, (Co-PI, 5%, PI: Joseph Pancrazio)

7. POCO Graphite, Inc. - Evaluation of Sponsor Graphite Powder for Use as Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Material via Battery Testing and Material Characterization Techniques, 5/1/2024 - 4/30/2025, $198k, (Co-PI, 50%, PI: Kyeongjae Cho)