Marca Doeff finds opportunities in tough times

Marca Doeff, Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), is also Deputy Division Director of LBNL Energy Storage and Distributed Resources. During the shut-in, she works at her dining room table with a view of San Francisco Bay. She describes San Francisco without traffic, developing coping skills, and new research funding opportunities. A former chair of the ECS Battery Division, she is now Secretary of the ECS Board.

The pause that refreshes

“I used to commute to my office every day and complained constantly about the terrible Bay Area traffic. Now I only go in once a week to check on things and make sure nothing’s blown up. It’s ironic because there’s no traffic! I work almost exclusively from home and commute from the bedroom to the dining room. Working from home is not all it’s cracked up to be. I miss my routine and contact with my colleagues and post-docs. Although I meet and speak with people regularly through Zoom and other platforms, it’s not the same as face-to-face—but it is better than complete isolation. (more…)

Ram Manthiram urges the science community to step up

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Arumugam “Ram” Manthiram urges the science community to be proactive in confronting the pandemic and climate change challenges threatening the global community. Ram is Director of the Texas Materials Institute and the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of Texas Austin (UTAUS). He holds a co-appointment as the Joe C. Walter Chair in Engineering and Jack S. Josey Professor in Energy Studies. Ram’s research group focuses on the design and development of affordable, efficient, durable materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage—specifically, batteries and fuel cells—to address global energy and environmental challenges. (more…)

Alex Peroff checks in from his home office.

Alex Peroff on staying the course

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Alex Peroff spoke to us from his home office. Whereas travel used to be the largest part of his job, now he focuses on developing content and meaningful communication. Alex joined Pine Research Instrumentation, Inc. as an Electroanalytical Scientist in 2016 after completing a PhD at Northwestern University. His thesis work was on mechanistic studies of pyridinium electrochemistry. Alex serves as a member of the ECS Sponsorship Committee. Pine Research is an ECS Institutional Member at the Benefactor level. (more…)

Professor Jason Keleher

Jason Keleher and his students share their experience, strength, and hope 

The pandemic sent shockwaves through the academic community. Some institutions are weathering the storm better than others. At Lewis University (LU), Professor Jason Keleher and his students, Carolyn Graverson, Abigail “Abby” Linhart, and Katie Wortman-Otto, are optimistic. In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, they share their COVID-19 experiences and hopes for the future.

Motivation matters

Jason Keleher, Associate Professor and Chair of the LU Chemistry Department, describes what motivates him to meet the daunting changes confronting faculty. “I keep going because of my great group of students, colleagues, and collaborators. They inspire me every day to work at what is most interesting to the community in terms of solutions to globally pressing problems—whether it’s COVID-19, alternative energy, or waste treatment. Even if our only communication is digital, I appreciate that my team is committed to learning and knowledge in order to become accomplished scientists. I get a chance to be part of that journey.” (more…)

Shelley Minteer on the pandemic’s effect on her research group

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Shelley Minteer reviews changes—both positive and negative—wrought by the pandemic on her research group. Shelley holds the Dale and Susan Poulter Endowed Chair of Biological Chemistry and Associate Chair of Chemistry at the University of Utah. The Minteer Research Group works at the interface of electrochemistry, biology, synthesis, and materials chemistry, to provide solutions and address challenges in the areas of catalysis, fuel cells, sensing, and energy storage. She received her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Iowa in 2000. A member-at-large of the ECS Organic & Biological Electrochemistry Division, Shelley served as technical editor for the Journal of The Electrochemical Society (2013-2016) and received the ECS Physical and Analytical Electrochemistry Division David C. Grahame Award (2019). (more…)

Brett Lucht on preparing students to bring science to the wider world

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Brett Lucht shares reflections on how we communicate about research within our community and to wider audiences, and how more understanding can benefit the greater good.

Brett is Professor of Chemistry at the University of Rhode Island (URI). His research is in the broad area of organic materials chemistry with a focus on developing novel electrolytes for lithium ion batteries. He serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society and as Secretary on the board of the ECS Battery Division. (more…)

Mark Orazem on a Sabbatical that Doesn’t go According to Plan

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Mark Orazem recounts how he made good use of a sabbatical year that didn’t turn out to be anything like he expected. Currently Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida (UF), he was officially on leave for the 2019-2020 academic year. He is returning to a very different environment than he left a year ago. (more…)

Colm O’Dwyer on doing, teaching, and sharing science in 2020

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, University College Cork (UCC) Professor of Chemistry Colm O’Dwyer talks about how he, his students, and colleagues are managing research and coursework since Ireland shut down on March 11, 2020. Colm also directs the UCC Applied Nanoscience Group, focused on 3D battery printing, developing new sustainable battery materials, and real-time performance assessments using optics and photonics. Colm volunteers on the ECS Board of Directors, chairs the ECS Electronics and Photonics Division, and previously served on the ECS Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Subcommittee. Like many parents, he is homeschooling his young children while juggling other responsibilities. (more…)

Jerry Woodall on Science and Technology Careers That Matter

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Jerry Woodall shares insights from his long career working in industry and academia. An inventor and scientist, Jerry is best known for developing the first commercially-viable red LEDs used in automobile brake lights and traffic lights, CD/DVD players, TV remote controls, and computer networks. He received the US National Medal of Technology and Innovation for “his pioneering role in the research and development of compound semiconductor materials and devices.” Currently Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), Jerry served as ECS President from 1990-1991. ECS awarded Jerry the Electronics Division Award (1980), Solid State Science and Technology Award (1985), Edward Goodrich Acheson Award (1998), and named him a Fellow of The Electrochemical Society (1992). (more…)

Joe Stetter Improves PPE Sterilization

Joe Stetter is an optimist, inventor, entrepreneur, and owner of two small businesses that stayed open through the lockdown. KWJ Engineering and Spec Sensors manufacture essential health and safety sensors with medical and industrial applications. In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Joe shares the challenges of doing business “not as usual”, and reports on a research collaboration he mobilized to improve PPE sterilization for COVID-19 frontline workers.  

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