
WILLIAM MUSTAIN, PH.D.
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Director, Carolina Institute for Battery
Innovation (CIBI)
Recent Honors and Awards
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Fulbright Scholar Fellowship
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Electrochemical Society Energy Technology Division Research Award
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USC CEC Research Achievement Award
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USC ECHE Publication Award
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CQIA Platinum Innovation Prize (Shared with R. Maric, C.B. Carter and J. Roller)
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DOE Early Career Award
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Illinois Institute of Technology Young Alumni Award

Devadharshini Kathan
Ph.D. Candidate
B.Tech., Chemical and Electrochemical Engineering,
CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, India, 2022
Interests and Activities:
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Synthesis and Characterization of active materials in primary and secondary batteries
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Optimization of operational parameters influencing the performance of batteries
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Personal Interests: Origami, Reading books

Belinda Awudu Agamah
Ph.D. Student
B.S. Materials Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 2022
Interests and Activities:
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Development and fabrication of electrode materials with high capacity and reliability for Li-ion batteries
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Electrode Materials Synthesis and Characterization
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Personal Interests: Cooking, Crocheting

Mahmoud (Nadi) Amirsalehi
Ph.D. Candidate
M.S., Materials Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Iran, 2015
B.S., Materials Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Iran, 2013
Interests and Activities:
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Electrolyzers and Fuel Cells – Electrode Design, Cell Assembly, and Performance Optimization
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Electrochemical Techniques: In-Situ and Ex-Situ Methods for Investigating Catalyst Behavior, Electrode Stability, and Degradation Pathways
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Personal Interests: Playing guitar, singing, swimming, cooking, enjoying nature, and spending time with cats

Sriram Mosali
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph. D., Chemistry, Monash University, 2021
M.Sc., Nanotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, 2015
Interests and Activities:
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Addressing scientific challenges related to decarbonization and energy conversion
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Developing novel catalysts and deriving structure-property relations for sustainable electrochemical synthesis of chemicals
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Personal Interests: Reading books, Travelling, Tree planting

Najmaddin Bashirzada
Ph.D. Candidate
B.S., Chemical Engineering, QAFQAZ University (Current- Baku Engineering University), 2015
Interests and Activities:
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Optimization of operational parameters influencing the performance of batteries
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Improving energy capacity of batteries
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Personal Interests: Exploring new cultures by travelling, networking, snowboarding

Mohammed Al-Murisi
Ph.D. Candidate
M.S., Chemical Engineering, American University of Sharjah, UAE, 2021
B.S., Chemical Engineering, King Faisal University, KSA, 2018
Interests and Activities:
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Efficient pathways to produce and utilize green hydrogen
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Developing Materials for Electrolyzers and Fuel Cells
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Personal Interests: Travelling, Networking, and Diving

Ian Street
Ph.D. Candidate
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, 2023
Interests and Activities:
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Climate change prevention and environmental protection
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Upcycling carbon dioxide to synthesize value-added chemicals and fuels
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Personal Interests: sailing (racing and cruising), running, and recreational sports



Connor Miles
Ph.D. Student
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, December 2024
Interests and Activities:
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Research and implementation of cleaner energy resources
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Improving fuel cell efficiency through development and testing of various filtration configurations
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Personal Interests: chess, golf, weightlifting


Yeju Jang
Visiting Ph.D. Scholar
Ph.D. Student, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
M.S. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, 2023
B.S. Organic Material Engineering, Chungnam University, 2020
Interests and Activities:
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Synthesis of electrocatalysts for electrolyzers and fuel cells
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Development and fabrication of electrode materials with high activity durability for energy conversion devices
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Personal Interests : Running, badminton
CONTACT US
Professor William E. Mustain
Department of Chemical Engineering
Swearingen Engineering Center
University of South Carolina
301 Main St.
Columbia, SC 29208
803-576-6393