I earned my B.Sc. in Chemistry with Highest Honors and Distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016. It was during this time that I was introduced to the world of nanomaterials while working as an undergraduate research assistant in the laboratory of Professor Scott Warren. There I worked to characterize then-novel nanomaterial phosphorene (2D black phosphorus), studying its (1) optoelectronic properties, (2) conditions for large-scale production, and (3) mechanism of degradation in ambient conditions. For this work, my thesis was awarded Highest Honors as well as the Jason D. Altom Undergraduate Research Award. It was also during this time that I discovered my love of teaching, serving as an undergraduate teaching assistant in general chemistry every semester (and most summers) and taking additional courses in pedagogy in the UNC School of Education.

Building on this early foundation, I continued to pursue my interests in both 2D materials and teaching as a PhD researcher in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (EDCH) at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland under the supervision of Professor Kevin Sivula. During my thesis research I developed solution-processable methods for producing high-quality 2D semiconductors for solar energy conversion applications. My main contributions include (1) a novel powder-based electrochemical exfoliation technique, (2) a scalable method for controlling optoelectronic properties via atomic tuning, and (3) an apparatus for the roll-to-roll deposition of large-area devices. Alongside my research, I was a teaching assistant for general chemistry for medical students, general chemistry for engineers, and chemical engineering labs – teaching in both English and French according to need. I additionally served as the EDCH PhD representative, working on initiatives in mental health, PhD student integration, and safety. I established the EDCH PhD Student Committee and launched the EDCH PhD Buddy System to connect incoming PhD students with more senior peer mentors.

After successfully defending my doctoral thesis in July of 2022, I was awarded the EPFL Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (ISIC) Doctoral Thesis Award. Other accolades include the Materials Research Society (MRS) Graduate Student Award Gold, European-MRS Young Researcher Award, Royal Society of Chemistry Young Researcher Development Grant, and MIT Rising Star in Chemical Engineering. This body of work also gave me the opportunity to be an invited speaker for the E-MRS Women in Renewable Energy symposium, a finalist for the Rowland Institute at Harvard, and the recipient of the EPFL 2024 Lopez-Loreta Prize, providing €1 million to support my independent research program.

Inspired by my time as PhD student representative, after graduation I spent 16 months working as a Project Officer in the EPFL Doctoral School. In this capacity I supported strategic planning in doctoral education, a school-wide review of all 22 doctoral programs, and the development of graduate-level courses and programs in transversal skills. During my tenure I led the EPFL PhD Excellence Program, facilitated the addition of four doctoral courses in transversal skills, and collaborated with external partners such as the Geneva Science Policy Interface and the EuroTech Alliance to bring new opportunities to EPFL PhD students.

Currently, I am a Research Fellow in the School of Physics at Trinity College Dublin with Professor Jonathan Coleman. I am the Principal Investigator for NextGenNano, funded by the Lopez-Loreta Foundation’s Prize for Academic Excellence.  Sláinte!