Student Success Stories

Katelyn Shell, doctoral candidate

Presenting a talk on a “Day in the Life of a Green Chemical Engineer” for the Younger Chemist Committee of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on April 19 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.

Major: Chemical and life science engineering

Hometown: Botetourt County, Virginia

Founding student member: Clean Energy and Catalysis Club, a multi-university group that promotes the spread of research in renewables.

Research focus: Developing bio-based electrode materials from agricultural residues.

Faculty adviser: Professor Ram B. Gupta, Ph.D.

Career plans: To work in energy storage, materials science, environmental engineering, sustainable engineering, renewables or some combination of these fields.

Outside the lab: Riding motorcycles or working on fabricating her tiny house, which she designed herself.

“I would like to take all my previous experiences and start my own business where I can develop and promote renewables back home near Roanoke. The area is quite rural and there are many farms that produce different agricultural wastes. Since my research has specifically dealt with developing energy storage materials from these wastes, I feel that I could help those farmers generate additional income while simultaneously helping the planet.”