(2hi) Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing

The vision of my future research group is to study chemistries that have potential to enable the commercialization of technologies for circular chemical production. To achieve this, we will obtain atomic insight into interfacial chemistries by leveraging our expertise in reaction kinetics and operando spectroscopy on thermal-electro-chemical systems. We will collaborate with groups whose expertise compliments our own - for instance on techno economic analysis, computational chemistry, specialized synthesis and characterization techniques, synchrotron facilities at national laboratories, and industry/start-ups with scale-up experience.

Past Research

Postdoctoral: Northwestern University, Materials Science and Engineering, Advisor: Sossina M. Haile
Thermal-electro-chemistry for gas-phase N₂ reduction to NH₃. 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 the 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 my research group. I worked with H. Scott Fogler to develop online educational materials for his textbooks “Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering, 5th Edition” 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 also was in a learning community at Northwestern facilitated by Evangeline Su and Bennett Goldberg through the Inclusive STEM Teaching Project.

I am competent to teach any core chemical engineering course. Over the last 12 years, 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. I have observed and believe that a display of enthusiasm and joy of learning will engage and motivate students in courses and their careers. To tie my research into teaching, I am enthusiastically willing to teach/develop electives in the energy economy, electrochemistry, materials characterization, and reaction kinetics.

Arthur J. Shih
Northwestern University
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Evanston, IL, USA
www.shihresearch.org