2023 Indoor (rainy day) group art picnic.
2022 Holiday gathering before group lunch at Dinosaur BBQ.
2022 Esposito group summer BBQ.
Professor Dan Esposito
Group Advisor
Bio: Daniel (Dan) Esposito received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware. After studying as a postdoc at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), he became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Columbia University. At Columbia, he leads the Solar Fuels Engineering Lab, which combines its expertise in electrochemical and catalytic sciences with core chemical engineering principles to develop design rules for innovative electrochemical and solar energy conversion technologies. Prof. Esposito is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award, and his lab receives funding from a combination of federal agencies and industrial sponsors. He is also a co-founder and advisor of sHYp BV PBC and advisor of Turnover Technologies Inc, which are commercializing technology based on concepts developed in the Solar Fuels Engineering Lab.
E-mail: de2300(at)columbia(dot)edu
Postdocs and Ph.D. students
Daniela Bushiri
Ph.D. Student
Daniela A. Bushiri received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology. She is now an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and Provost Diversity Fellow at Columbia University with a research focus on developing electrocatalysts for Nitrates/Nitrogen conversion to Ammonia. Her project is co-advised by Dr. Chen. Outside of research, Daniela enjoys dancing to afrobeats, writing poetry and having deep conversations. Daniela is proudly Congolese/South African and cares deeply about the various issues in Africa, especially the energy crisis.
Lucas Cohen
Ph.D. Student
Lucas grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and attended Northeastern University, where he received his B.S. in chemical engineering and physics. He is a first year Ph.D student, and his research interests are in electrochemical energy storage and CO2 reduction. Outside of the lab, Lucas enjoys finding new restaurants to eat at, playing board games with friends, and spending time outside.
Patrick O. Aghadiuno
Ph.D. student
Patrick O. Aghadiuno received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rice University. He is now a Presidential Fellow, Provost Diversity Fellow, and GEM Fellow at Columbia University with a research focus on the development of oxide layers over molecular catalysts within Ensembles of Photosynthetic Nanoreactors for the production of Solar Fuels. Outside of research, Patrick enjoys watching anime, reading mangas, listening to music (Afrobeats, Funk, Gospel), lifting weights, and playing basketball. Patrick is proudly Nigerian-American and cares deeply about the various issues in Africa, especially the energy crisis.
Jingjing Jin
Ph.D. Student
Jingjing grew up in China and received her B.S. in Chemistry from Rutgers University. Her current research interests include water electrolysis and ultrathin membranes. Outside of the lab, Jingjing enjoys basketball, literature, and dancing.
Kevin Dunn
Ph.D. Student
Kevin is from Colorado Springs, CO and graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines. His current research focus is on single-particle measurements of photocatalysis for solar fuel generation. Alongside research, Kevin is a violinist, tennis player, and competitive gamer.
Maggie Liu
Ph.D. Student
Maggie grew up in Brooklyn NY and received her B.S. in chemical engineering at MIT. Her research interests are in electrochemistry and energy. She also likes to go out and eat yummy food.
Tomomi Kawaguchi
Ph.D. Student
Tomomi Kawaguchi graduated with a combined Bachelors and Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University. Her current research focuses on using electrolysis to remove various species from mine water. Outside of research, she is a massive soccer fan, supporting the club Tottenham. She also enjoys doing various activities including doing martial arts, playing board games, and playing the electric guitar.
Dr. Jesse Dondapati
postdoc
Jesse grew up in India. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Andhra University in India, master’s degree in biotechnology from Teesside University in UK and his Ph.D. degree in chemistry from University of Guelph, ON, Canada. During his Ph.D., he worked with the guidance of Dr. Achieng Chen in research areas of electrocatalysis, photo-electrochemistry, and material sciences. His Ph.D. research was focused on synthesis and functionalization of transition metal oxide nanostructures for electrochemical technologies like OER, HER, and photo-electrochemical oxidation of organic pollutants in water. Before joining Dr. Esposito’s group, he did research under a Post Doctoral fellowship at McMaster University. Jesse’s current research focusses on ultrathin proton-conducting oxide membranes for achieving high capacity electrolyzers for green hydrogen production. Outside of the lab, he is into Cricket (mostly test cricket), cooking and enjoying foods from around the world and hiking.
Dr. Zhexi Lin
Associate Research Scientist
Zhexi Lin received his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University. During his Ph.D. study and prior to joining the Esposito lab, he worked with Prof. Jingguang Chen on the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity evaluation of transition metal carbide, nitride, and oxide model surfaces and powder catalysts using a combination of first-principles calculations, surface science experiments, and synchrotron-based in situ characterization techniques. Zhexi’s current research focuses on electrochemical CO2 conversion and water electrolysis. Outside of the lab, Zhexi enjoys listening to classical music and studying philosophy.
Ph.D., Postdoc, and Postbaccalaureate Alums:
Dr. Daniela Fraga Alvarez (2023)
Nicole Llewellyn (postbaccalaureate student, 2023)
Dr. Kyungmin Yim (postdoc, 2023)
Dr. Xueqi Pang (2022)
Dr. Amanda Baxter (2022)
Dr. Marissa Beatty (2022)
Dr. Anna Dorfi (2020)
Dr. Jack Davis (2019)
Prof. Xiangye Liu (2019)
Dr. Natalie Labrador (2018)
Prof. Glen O’Neil (2018)
Esposito Research Group 