Graduate Trainees
Ghada Abdelmageed
Cohort 1-Fall 2021
Ghada is a Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr Ghada Koleilat. She is studying chemical engineering. Her Ph.D. research focuses on organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells.
Ethan Alter
Cohort 1-Winter 2022
Ethan is an MSc student in the Dep. of Chemistry. He is supervised by Dr. Michael Metzger & Dr. Jeff Dahn. Ethan’s master’s research focuses on improving the lifetime of LFP batteries, a low-cost alternative to nickel-and-cobalt-based batteries. Ethan also works on the development of novel mass spectrometry techniques for gas analysis in degraded batteries. Ethan is passionate about improving the sustainability of lithium-ion batteries. He is particularly interested in the battery materials supply chain and recycling. Ethan tracks the growth of the nascent battery recycling industry & critically reviews different recycling methods for the newsletter Intercalation Station.
Jose Angulo
Cohort 2-Fall 2022
Jose is a Graduate student in the School of Resources and Environment Studies, supervised by Michelle Adams. He is enrolled in a Master of Environmental Studies. His research focuses on the integration of renewable energies through the mining cycle. He is interested in presenting a new pattern to develop mineral extraction combined with the use, production & expansion of the renewable energies.
MD Jahid Anowar
Cohort 2-Fall 2022
Jahid is a MASc student, supervised by Dr. Ghada Koleilat. He is studying Chemical Engineering & his research focuses on Perovskite Solar Cells. When not working in the lab, he enjoys travelling and hiking.
Shivam Beniwal
Cohort 2-Fall 2022
Shivam is a Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr. Penghao Xiao. He is studying Physics. His Ph.D. research focuses on understanding kinetic processes dictating the performance & durability of batteries & catalysts from first principles. He is experienced in both computational & experimental design of battery materials.
Samantha M. Chu
Cohort 3-Fall 2023
Samantha is a M.Sc. student, supervised by Dr. Alana Westwood. She is enrolled in the Environmental Studies program and is researching knowledge exchange in forestry. Outside of the lab, Samantha enjoys climbing, hanging out with friends, & anything involving good food!
Ben Collison
Cohort 3-Fall 2023
Ben is an Interdisciplinary PhD student in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies, supervised by Dr. Alana Westwood. He merges science & policy to study the impacts of natural resource extraction (particularly mining and forestry) on the biophysical environment. His PhD research investigates applied riparian forest management techniques to enhance climate chance resiliency of freshwater ecosystems. When he’s not studying forests & rivers, you can typically find Ben outside hiking, kayaking, camping, or playing golf.
Bryan Ellis
Cohort 1-Fall 2021
Bryan is a Ph.D. student in the Mechanical Engineering department. Supervised by Dr. Lukas Swan, his research focuses on the use of energy storage to enhance solar energy consumption. Other research interests include energy management, policy, & system modelling. His passion for responsible energy generation & consumption stems from his time spent completing a BSc. (Biology) at Saint Mary’s University & from his previous work with the Renewable Energy Storage Lab at Dalhousie.
Matthew Garayt
Cohort 1-Winter 2022
Matthew is a Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr. Metzger in the Dahn-Yang-Metzger group. He is studying Physics. His research focuses on positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. He is passionate about growing the renewable energy & energy storage sectors in Canada, namely sustainable battery manufacturing & recycling.
Rashad Kahwagi
Cohort 1-Fall 2021
Rashad is a Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr. Ghada Koleilat. He is studying chemical engineering & his research focuses on producing various energy generators from different materials such as perovskites & dielectrics, & test them in potential sustainable applications like solar cells & TENGs.
Hayley Knowles
Cohort 3-Summer 2023
Hayley is a Masters of Applied Science student in Mechanical Engineering, supervised by Dr. Lukas Swan & Dr. Andrew Swingler. Her research investigates the role of hybrid energy storage systems to decarbonize remote northern community energy systems. Other research interests include energy management, policy & modelling techniques.
Macgregor Macintosh
Cohort 3-Fall 2023
Macgregor is a M.Sc. in Chemistry student, supervised by Dr. Mark Obrovac. He is studying electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. His research focuses on developing new chemistries for existing nickel-rich cathode frameworks using inexpensive materials & sustainable methods. Having graduated with a B.Sc. (Honors) in Chemistry from Western University, his previous research focused on investigations into inorganic biomaterials with Dr. Lijia Liu & on investigating next-generation perovskite solar materials under extreme conditions with Dr. Yang Song. When not in the lab, he is either ardently following the Vancouver Canucks, seeking out new additions to his vinyl record collection, or trying to find Halifax’s best Americano.
Matt Margeson
Cohort 2-Fall 2022
Matt is a Ph.D. student in Chemistry, supervised by Dr. Mita Dasog. His research project focuses on developing & characterizing nanomaterials to increase the efficiency of sunlight driven water evaporation & desalination processes. He is working towards upscaling this process by creating a real-world prototype desalinator. Matt is interested in the idea of growing connections between academic research & industrial innovation. Outside of the lab he enjoys purifying water in more traditional ways while backpacking, backcountry camping & hiking, or watering the vegetables in his garden using collected rainwater.
Ryan Ning
Cohort 3-Summer 2023
Xiaoyang (Ryan) Ning is a Master’s student, supervised by Dr. Lukas Swan. She is studying Mechanical Engineering. Ryan's research is primarily focused on the repurposing of electric vehicle batteries, with the goal of developing future energy storage solutions for grid applications. Ryan's current research topic is Mixed Battery Array Architecture, which is an innovative approach to using EV batteries in stationary energy storage. The approach combines different types of batteries, including new & used EV batteries, to create an optimized & cost-effective solution for stationary energy storage. This research area is gaining significance due to the rapid increase in the adoption of electric vehicles & the consequent rise in the volume of used batteries. Ryan's work aims to find ways to effectively repurpose these batteries while reducing their disposal's environmental impact.
Martins Obialor
Cohort 3-Winter 2024
Martins is a MAS student, supervised by Dr. Michael Metzger & Dr. Jeff Dahn. He is studying Chemical Engineering & his current research focuses on the design of anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. His interest lies in the synthesis & characterization of active materials for rechargeable battery systems. When he’s not working and looking up current industry trends in the battery/EV sector, you can find him playing badminton, taking walks, watching soccer, or catching up with family & friends.
Elizabeth O. Oyekola
Cohort 1-Winter 2022
Elizabeth is a Master’s student, supervised by Dr. Lukas Swan. She is studying Mechanical Engineering. Her master’s research focuses on Energy systems, storage & modelling. To be specific, integrating energy storage technologies to optimize renewable energy systems. She did her Undergraduate program in Electrical & Electronics Engineering at Bells University of Technology, Ogun state. Nigeria. She is a recipient of the Nova scotia Graduate scholarship (NSGS-M) & the Gagne Scholarship Award courtesy of the Faculty of Engineering, Graduate Studies Office at Dalhousie University. Her career objective is to become a professor in Energy systems.
Sarrah Putwa
Cohort 2-Fall 2022
Sarrah is a Master’s student, supervised by Dr. Mita Dasog. She is studying Chemistry. Her M.Sc. research focuses on optimizing silicon photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution. In her personal time, she enjoys reading, cooking & playing with her kittens.
Mohammad Rafiee
Cohort 2-Fall 2022
Mohammad is a Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr. Jesse Maassen & Dr. Erin Johnson. He is studying physics. His PhD research focuses on low-resistivity metal-semiconductor contacts.
Divya Rathore
Cohort 1-Fall 2021
Divya is a Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr. Jeff Dahn. She is studying Physics. Her Ph.D. research focuses on next-generation Li-ion batteries. She is passionate about energy sector reforms & wants to contribute to the field. She is particularly interested in energy research & infrastructure developments required in developing countries with limited resources & time to deal with upcoming climate change challenges. She likes to read, travel, & is always up for discussing interesting ideas over coffee!
Emily Snair
Cohort 2-Fall 2022
Emily is a graduate student, supervised by Dr. Kate Sherren & Dr. Michelle Adams. She is in the Master of Environmental Studies program, & her research focuses on social responses to solar garden planning & construction that changes forested landscapes perceived as having significant social &/or ecological value.
Grace Sparrow
Cohort 3-Fall 2023
Grace is a Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr. Erin Johnson. She is studying Chemistry. Her Ph.D. research focuses on improvement of crystal structure prediction methods.
Ebubechukwu
Sunny-Ekhalume
Cohort 3-Fall 2023
Ebubechukwu is a Master’s of Applied Science Student, supervised by Dr. Ghada Koleilat. She is studying Electrical Engineering. Her Master’s research focuses on the integration of Triboelectric Nanogenerators in wearable Technology. Her other research interests include Piezoelectric Generators, Energy storage & optimization in rural areas. She enjoys cooking and going for walks.
Sean Thornton
Cohort 1-Fall 2021
Sean is a Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr. Ghada Koleilat. He is studying Chemical Engineering. His Ph.D. research focuses on green perovskite solar cells. Sean is from New Brunswick, Canada & loves soccer, skiing & playing guitar. He is passionate about green & sustainable energy & mitigating the effects of climate change.
Ziwei Ye
Cohort 2-Fall 2022
Ziwei is a Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr. Michael Metzger & Dr. Jeff Dahn. He is studying Physics & his current research focuses on electrolyte optimization of Na-ion battery. When not in the lab, he likes to go biking & play soccer.
Eniko Zsoldos
Cohort 1-Fall 2021
Eniko is a Chemistry Ph.D. student, supervised by Dr. Jeff Dahn. Her research focuses on materials in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicle applications. Eniko characterizes cobalt-free cathode materials, specifically the effect of lithium ion diffusion on charge/ discharge rate performance & material storage capacity. In her free time, you’ll find Eniko playing ultimate frisbee, rock climbing, or gardening. Fun fact: I’ve driven 6 different EVs, including a racecar that my teammates & I built for Formula SAE Electric in Waterloo.