top of page

RESEARCH GROUP

Renewable Energy and Advanced Devices

People in our Team

Please reach out to us if you have any questions about our research!

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

MARINA S. LEITE

Professor
Materials Science and Engineering

PHD STUDENTS

ECE DENIZ

5th Year PhD Student - Materials Science & Engineering

B.S. in Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Sabancı University (2019)

Ece's research interests include nanoscale characterization and imaging of perovskite solar cells. She enjoys playing the accordion.

PEIFEN LYU

5th Year PhD Student - Materials Science & Engineering

B.S. in Materials Science & Engineering, UC Davis (2019)

Peifen's research interests include functional properties and solid-state physics of a variety of materials in nanoscale. Primarily focus on photonics, plasmonic and optoelectronic devices.

ABIGAIL HERING

3rd Year PhD Student - Materials Science & Engineering

B.S. in Physics, UC Santa Barbara

B.A. in Environmental Studies, UC Santa Barbara (2019)

Abigail’s research is on the characterization of perovskite solar cells. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, yoga, and exploring Davis.

MANSHA DUBEY

3rd Year PhD Student - Materials Science and Engineering
B.E. in Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland (2019)

Mansha's research interests include photovoltaic properties of perovskite solar cells. Outside of research, she enjoys running and reading mystery novels.

MicrosoftTeams-image (17).png

DECLAN KOPPER

1st Year PhD Student - Materials Science and Engineering
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Davis (2023)

Declan’s research is on computational modeling of optoelectronic devices. Out of the lab, he enjoys 3D modeling and watching social strategy games

FORMER GROUP MEMBERS

POST-DOCTORAL SCHOLARS

Tao Gong, Ph.D.

VISITING SCHOLARS

Mariama Rebello de Sousa Dias, Ph.D.

PHD STUDENTS

Chen Gong website.png

Beth Tennyson 01-with NSOM-hires.jpg

Richa Lahoti (MSE,UMD), Sept 2018 - May 2022

John Howard (MSE, UMD), Jan 2016 –Sept 2020

Chen Gong (MSE, UMD), Oct 2013 – March 2018

Elizabeth Tennyson (MSE, UMD), Oct 2013 – Feb 2018

Zack Benson (Physics, UMD), Jan 2017–

Alexander Yulaev (MSE, UMD), Jan 2014 – Sept 2017: all-solid-state batteries, graphene. Now post-doc at CNST/NIST

Griffin Godbey (MSE, UMD), June 2015 – May 2016: energy storage

Now graduate student at UMD, MSE

MASTERS STUDENTS

Meghna Srivastava (MSE, UCD), Sep 2019-Jan 2022: ML on perovskite solar cells

Margaret Duncan (MSE, UCD), Sep 2020-Jun 2023: High temperature photonics

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Allen Chang 05.jpg

David (Jiadiao) Zhou

Zinab Jadidi (MSE, UMD), Jan 2016 – June 2017: all-solid-state batteries

Now graduate student at UC Berkeley (NSF fellow)

Brady Gunnarsson (ECE, UMD), Jan 2016 – Aug 2017: photovoltaics

Now graduate student at Princeton University

Garrett Wessler (MSE, UMD), May 2015 – May 2016: plasmonics

Now graduate student at Duke Univ, MSE (NSF fellow)

Cynthia Yu (ECE, CalPoly), Summer 2015: all-solid-state batteries

Now undergraduate student at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo

Clayton Blythe (Physics, Central College), Summer 2015: all-solid-state batteries

Now undergraduate student at Central College

Lucas Wilian (Physics, Univ. Uberlandia), Summer 2015: photovoltaics

Now undergraduate student at University of Uberlandia, MG, Brazil

Sadia Naseem (MSE, UMD), Sept – Dec 2015: photovoltaics

Now engineer at Texas Instrument

Allen Chang (MSE, UMD), Jan 2014 – July 2015: plasmonics

Now graduate student at UMass, Amherst, Polymer Science program (NSF fellow)

Eric Bailey (Undergrad, MSE, UMD), Jan 2014 – May 2015: photovoltaics

Now graduate student at UPenn, MSE (NSF fellow)

Ellen Cesewski (Undergrad, MSE, UMD), June 2014 – May 2015: plasmonics

Now graduate student at Virginia Tech

Mariana Rico (Undergrad, ECE, UMD), Jan – May 2015: photovoltaics

Now undergraduate student at ECE, UMD

Christopher Yeager (Undergrad, Physics & Math, UMD), June – Dec 2014: photovoltaics

Now Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte, UMD

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Amida Koroma (Eleanor Roosevelt High School), summer 2017: plasmonics

Now high-school student at ERHS

Anna Park (Eleanor Roosevelt High School), Sept 2016 – May 2017: perovskites

Now undergraduate student at Carnegie Mellon University (MSE)

Anusha Dixit (Poolesville High School), summer 2016: photovoltaics

Now undergraduate student at UMD (Aerospace Eng.)

bottom of page