Student Work: Scholars Program Projects
Students in the MCSC Climate & Sustainability Scholars Program had the opportunity to present their technical insights on their year-long research topics to academic peers and audiences of their choosing. In both oral and written deliverables, students communicated the significance of their research in various forms influenced by their chosen audience, including an investor pitch, a lesson for high school students, a scholarly article aimed at fellow researchers, an MITNews Op-Ed, and more. These deliverables are included for each student below, along with the research topic they spent the year exploring.
2022-2023 Cohort
Perceptions on Climate
Urban Studies and Planning Major
LinkedIn
Topic: Community acceptance of renewable energy siting, permitting reform can streamline the process without sacrificing community rights
Paul Irvine
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Major
Linkedin
Topic: Republican perspective on climate change
Shivani Konduru
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Major
Linkedin
Topic: Perceptions of climate change and how the messenger changes outcomes
Water
Trinity Stallins
Urban Studies and Planning Major
Linkedin
Topic: Understanding carbon release and accrual in coastal wetlands, focus on plant carbon
Dahlia Dry
Physics Major
Linkedin
Topic: In-field monitoring of water use of Raman spectroscopy in the field to collect water data
Pollutants
Delight Nweneka
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Major
Linkedin
Topic: Alternative bioremediation through initiation and manipulation of enzymatic pollutant breakdown (molecular mechanism of alkane activation; metabolic process catalyzed by MAS, which functionalizes n-hexane)
Helena McDonald
Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Major
Topic: Environmental impact of particulate emissions in space travel and link to policy limiting certain launch impacts
Predictive Modelling
Gosha Geogdzhayev
Physics Major
Linkedin
Topic: Extreme event projection using emulator-based global circulation models
Aviva Intveld
Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Major
Linkedin
Topic: Paleoclimate and paleoecology restoration in northeastern Mexico based on Speleothems
Legislation
Amelia Dogan
Urban Studies and Planning Major
LinkedIn
Topic: Data sovereignty in indigenous populations and the role that data could play in enabling natural carbon sinks
Pamela Duke
Management Major
Linkedin
Topic: Use of simulation tools to empower decision-makers around climate change action
Batteries
Claire Kim
Chemical Engineering Major
Topic: Iron use in redox flow batteries
Melissa Stok
Materials Science and Engineering Major
Linkedin
Topic: Solid polymer electrolyte development towards enabling lithium anodes
Physics Major
LinkedIn
Topic: Improving ionic and electronic conductivity in ceramics for SOFC, solid state and SOEC applications
Energy
Louise Anderfaas
Materials Science and Engineering Major
Topic: Use of ceramics in sensor materials to detect gamma radiation for nuclear and geothermal energy, where detection is through change in ionic conductivity
Grace Harrington
Civil and Environmental Engineering Major
Topic: Increasing efficiency in wind farms based on placement of turbines within a farm
Duha Syar
Chemical Engineering Major
Linkedin
Topic: Developing improved membranes for separation processes over distillation, optimizing for specific separations based on effective branching and functionalization
Recycling
Rebecca Lizarde
Materials Science and Engineering Major
Linkedin
Topic: Methods to improve sheet steel recycling through reforming