Dr. Shiva Mohajernia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta (U of A). Before joining U of A, she was the catalysis group leader at the University of Siegen, Germany. She obtained her Ph.D. in 2020 in the department of Material science and engineering at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. She gained her Master's and Bachelor's degrees in materials science and engineering from the University of Tehran and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in Iran, respectively.

mohajernia@ualberta.ca

I grew up in Muscat, Oman where I studied Chemical and Process Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University. My first venture during undergrad into research started with synthesis of carbon nanotubes from date palm stems and their characterization. I started my studies at the University of Alberta in September 2022 as an MSc student prior to switching to the PhD program and joining NRGMATs, where I am studying the fabrication of hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts for water electrolysis. Outside of work I enjoy reading books and painting.

usuliman@ualberta.ca

I was born in Montreal, but have spent most of my life in Edmonton. I started my Materials Engineering Undergraduate Degree in 2020 and will be entering my fourth year this fall. I am very excited to be joining NRGMATs for the summer through an NSERC award. This is my first experience working in a lab, and I am passionate about the topics that we are studying as they relate to climate issues. In my free time I like to travel, read, and attend live music events. I also enjoy spending time outdoors, and am currently training for a 300km bike tour in the mountains this summer.

igsmith@ualberta.ca

Growing up in South India, I always had a fascination for science and technology. I pursued my bachelor’s degree in the field of chemical and electrochemical engineering at CSIR- Central Electrochemical Research Institute, where my initial research focused on polymers and MXenes for electrocatalytic Hydrogen production. Later my research focused on catalyzing and characterizing PEM fuel cells. In September 2023, I began my journey as an MSc student at the University of Alberta, where I was thrilled to join the NRGMATs team and continue my exploration of electrochemical technologies and advancements.

sujakani@ualberta.ca

I completed my bachelor's degree at Isfahan University of Technology, where my research journey began and I delved into synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites and nanomaterials, preparing me for my graduate studies. After that, I earned my Master's degree from University of Tehran, where I specialized in photoelectrochemical water splitting. I started my PhD program at the University of Alberta in January 2023 and joined NRGMATs to work on hydrogen generating photoreactors for a greener future. .

tavazohi@ualberta.ca

I grew up in Naein, a small city in central Iran, where environmental issues were as common as morning tea. This exposure probably sparked my interest in environmental research. After earning a Bachelor's degree in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Tehran, where my research was microwave-assisted selective leaching of valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries, I am now focused on the nanofabrication of nickel oxide (NiO) electrodes using glancing angle deposition (GLAD) for electrochemical water splitting in NRGMATs group. This research aims to enhance the efficiency of the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) by creating thin films with increased surface area and active sites for sustainable hydrogen generation application.

borhani@ualberta.ca

In 2019, I was enrolled in the Ph.D. course at the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, India, under the direction of Prof. Ambesh Dixit, at IIT jodhpur my research focused on nanostructured metal oxide-based materials for gas sensing and memory devices beyond von Neumann architecture applications. Currently, I am a SERB-OVDF fellow at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, for a period of one year (sept 2023 to sept 2024) while continuing to pursue my Ph.D. in dynamic group CEAES and NRGMATs whose principal investigators are Dr. Jing Liu and Dr. Shiva Mohajernia, and my study will concentrate on the synthesis of binder-free bifunctional catalysts for electrochemical water splitting.

cprakas1@ualberta.ca

After completing a 2-year degree in Chemistry and a pre-engineering preparatory class in Paris, I joined ENSICAEN - an engineering school and research center in northern France - in 2021, to study materials and chemistry. I discovered an interest in environment-related material applications, such as renewable energies, sustainable building, or water treatment. Thus, I’m very enthusiastic about the idea of studying titanium-based catalysts for hydrogen production during this four-month internship. It will mark the end of my French equivalent 1st year of master. Besides, I am fond of music. I have a certificate of musical studies and have been playing the flute for 15 years.

Iris.colnot@ecole.ensicaen.fr

Dr. Sadegh Pour-Ali is a visiting and associate scientist in the NRGMATs group within the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta (U of A). He is also an associate professor at Sahand University of Technology. He obtained his Ph.D. in 2018 from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, with a thesis on the passivity and oxidation behavior of ultrafine-grained stainless steels. He also completed a one-year research stay at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. Currently, his primary research focus is on energy materials.

spourali@ualberta.ca

I am a material scientist and engineer who is passionate about interdisciplinary research. I began my journey at Ferdowsi University in Iran and during my master's, I led the development of an Electrospark Deposition machine. This machine produced both amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe-based coatings. In industry, I have managed diverse projects such as manufacturing power plant components, mass-producing Steering Column Assemblies, and implementing ISO 17025 standards. In 2019, I initiated my Ph.D. in Material and Electrochemistry in Montreal. During this time, I contributed to projects focused on Ti 3D skeleton structures for water electrolysis and an innovative method for creating Ni 3D skeletons for Alkaline water electrolysis. Currently, I am serving as a Mitacs postdoc fellow under Dr. Shiva Mohajernia, where I am focusing on AEM electrolyser development via advanced Ni 3D structures.

mfakouri@ualberta.ca