(2dk) Thermal-Electro-Chemistry for a Circular Carbon Economy

Arthur J. Shih

Northwestern University
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Evanston, IL, USA

www.shihresearch.org

Future Research Interests

The vision of my future research group is to study chemistries, at the fundamental level, to enable the commercialization of carbon-negative and carbon-neutral technologies. Priority will be given to the most-difficult-to-decarbonize sectors such as energy storage, long-distance transport, cement, and metals refining. To achieve this, we will obtain atomic insight into interfacial chemistries by leveraging our unique expertise in reaction kinetics and operando/in-situ spectroscopy on thermal-electro-chemical systems. Further, we will collaborate with groups whose expertise compliments our own - for instance on techno-economic analysis, computational chemistry, specialized synthesis and characterization techniques, and synchrotron facilities at national laboratories.

Past Research

Postdoctoral: Northwestern University, Materials Science and Engineering, Advisor: Sossina M. Haile
Thermal-electro-catalysis for gas-phase N₂ reduction to NH₃ and CO₂ reduction to fuels and chemicals. Collaborations with start-up and academia.

Postdoctoral: Leiden University, Chemistry, Advisor: Marc T.M. Koper
Electro-catalysis for aqueous-phase conversion of water to H₂ and O₂. Collaborations with industry and academia.

PhD: Purdue University, Chemical Engineering, Advisor: Fabio H. Ribeiro
Thermal-catalysis for reduction of toxic NO and NO₂ pollutants from diesel exhaust. Collaborations with industry, national laboratories, and academia.

Industrial: Avery Dennison Corporation
Manufacture of polymer film composites

Undergraduate: University of Michigan, Chemical Engineering, Advisor: Ralph T. Yang
Selective adsorption of CO₂ for carbon capture

Undergraduate: University of Michigan, Internal Medicine and Chemistry, Advisors: Raoul Kopelman and Thomas Wang
Selective adsorption of peptides for cancer detection

Teaching and Mentorship

I enjoy teaching and mentoring and am passionate about enhancing learning both in the classroom and in research. I worked with H. Scott Fogler to develop online educational materials for his textbooks “Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering” and “Strategies for Creative Problem Solving”. I also took a 3-credit Educational Methods in Engineering course with Professors Phillip Wankat and Matthew Ohland at Purdue University and engaged in workshops hosted by Professors Richard Felder and Rebecca Brent at North Carolina State University and the Searle Center for Advancing Learning & Teaching at Northwestern University. I have taught in various capacities for 6 courses – ranging from a tutor for Materials and Energy Balances to a teaching assistant for Fluid Mechanics. As an educator, I believe and have experienced first-hand that a display of enthusiasm and joy engages and motivates students.

I am competent to teach any core chemical engineering course and would like to develop a 1-credit “Design and Construction of Tubing and Piping Systems” course targeted for senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students if facilities and funds are available. To tie my research into teaching, I am enthusiastically willing to teach/develop electives in the energy economy, electrochemistry, materials characterization, and reaction kinetics. Many of these courses are timely as engineering education around the world is shifting towards human-centered engineering and environmental stewardship.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

DEI supports resilience and facilitates efforts where several perspectives combine to create something strong and robust; DEI not only challenges outdated assumptions, but also ask captivating questions that would otherwise been overlooked. I have been proactive in fixing the leaky pipeline for all those who wish to explore the world through science and have mentored three undergraduates (one of whom just earned her PhD from Sorbonne Université and another is currently applying for PhD programs) and four high school teachers (one from the Navajo Nation in New Mexico and three from underprivileged communities in Indiana). I have also had the privilege to serve on the organizing committee of 3 symposia, most recently the First Annual Context, Connections, and Community Symposium (C3S) Symposium hosted by the Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at Northwestern University. In these roles, I have been involved in inviting 8 speakers whose demographics are near parity with respect to gender and race/ethnicity.