Read about the 2021 winners, runners up, and honorable mention recipients of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) Postdoctoral Recognition Award.
Winners
Matthew Witman, Sandia National Laboratories
This award recognizes to Dr. Matthew Witman from Sandia National Laboratories for exceptional work in materials-based hydrogen storage, machine learning, and high entropy alloys. Witman has extensive experience researching high performance hydrogen storage and generation materials using data-driven approaches. His method of approaching materials discovery by adding computational techniques to experimental work has the potential to accelerate this and other areas in the field of hydrogen and fuel cells by helping researchers better predict, simulate, and screen materials for hydrogen storage and generation. His scientific and academic excellence have been recognized through numerous awards, fellowships, and grants.
Matthew Witman's award presentation: Accelerating Data-Driven Discovery of Materials for Hydrogen Storage and Generation
Yingying Chen, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
This award recognizes Dr. Yingying Chen for outstanding research in bipolar membranes and electrochemical CO2 reduction. As a postdoctoral researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with previous experience in membrane electrodialysis, Chen tackled a new directive, learning how to fabricate bipolar membranes with e-spinning technology and test them in fuel cells and electrolyzers. Her research adds value to the field by demonstrating how to make bipolar membranes with better performance and durability. She contributes further to the hydrogen community through collaborations with coworkers and mentorship of junior researchers.
Yingying Chen's award presentation: Bipolar Membrane Development and Electrochemical Applications
Runners Up
Shank Kulkarni, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
This award recognizes Dr. Shank Kulkarni of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for his contributions to the understanding of hydrogen compatibility and damage mechanism in polymer materials under operational conditions. His project to develop a model to predict rapid decompression failure in polymers addresses a critical need in materials research. These findings have the potential to contribute to the extension of component lifetime in hydrogen environments and guide future materials modification and development. Kulkarni has authored many articles and presentations and has influenced the hydrogen and fuel cell workforce through his teaching, mentoring, and outreach activities.
Shank Kulkarni's award presentation: Damage Evolution in Polymers due to Exposure to High-Pressure Hydrogen Gas
Xiaojing Wang, Los Alamos National Laboratory
This award recognizes Dr. Xiaojing Wang from Los Alamos National Laboratory for her work in fuel cell electrode development, performance, and durability, including for heavy-duty vehicles. Her research on the effects of electrocatalyst thickness on fuel cell performance and durability illuminated manufacture/fabrication options for electrode coatings that have allowed greater flexibility in fuel cell design for the hydrogen and fuel cell program at Los Alamos National Laboratory, especially relating to electrodes for heavy duty vehicles. The lessons learned in this study about the effects of platinum distribution on transport performance and durability have been vital to the work of the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck consortium. Wang's achievements have been recognized through over one dozen awards, and she has shown her leadership skills in the hydrogen and fuel cell community through her mentorship activities with junior scientists.
Honorable Mention
Daniel Leonard, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lalit Pant, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory
Jonathan L. Snider, Sandia National Laboratories
Chenyu Wang, Los Alamos National Laboratory