Our Team

Some members of the CECL team at a 2019 Negative Emission Technology workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Research topics:
Hydrogen Production & Storage
Carbon Capture, Utilization, & Storage
Mineral Carbonization
Ammonia Production
Trace Metal Capture
Life Cycle Analysis
Techno-economic Assessment
The Fisher Fine Arts Library at Penn, home of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.

Our Team

Research topics:
Hydrogen Production & Storage
Carbon Capture, Utilization, & Storage
Mineral Carbonization
Ammonia Production
Trace Metal Capture
Life Cycle Analysis
Techno-economic Assessment

A New Home

In the fall of 2020, the Clean Energy Conversions Laboratory moved to its new home at the University of Pennsylvania. This lab is the culmination of years of investment from Professor Jennifer Wilcox and the countless group members that have contributed across the years to drive this research to the bleeding edge. Below, we honor those members who carry on the torch and recognize many of those who have helped build this group into what it is today.

Jennifer Wilcox, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Engineering and Energy Policy

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Wilcox’s research takes aim at the nexus of energy and the environment, developing both mitigation and adaptation strategies to minimize negative climate impacts associated with society’s dependence on fossil fuels. This work carefully examines the role of carbon management and opportunities therein that could assist in preventing 2°C warming by 2100. Carbon management includes a mix of technologies spanning from the direct removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to its capture from industrial, utility-scale and micro-emitter (motor vehicle) exhaust streams, followed by utilization or reliable storage of carbon dioxide on a timescale and magnitude that will have a positive impact on our current climate change crisis. Funding for her research is primarily sourced through the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy and the private sector. She has served on a number of committees including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Physical Society to assess carbon capture methods and impacts on climate. She is the author of the first textbook on carbon capture, published in March 2012.

Learn more about Jen

Peter Psarras, Research Assistant Professor

Research Focus Areas

Direct air capture, techno-economic assessment, life cycle analysis, carbon mineralization, geographic information systems mapping for responsible deployment of carbon management, carbon capture, utilization and storage

Learn more about Pete

Hélène Pilorgé, Research Associate

Research Focus Areas

Carbon capture and storage, point source capture, direct air capture, carbon mineralization, carbon accounting, geographic information systems mapping for responsible deployment of carbon management, low-carbon energy, alternative fuels

Learn more about Hélène

Estrella Beroff, Lab Manager

Research Focus Areas

Carbon mineralization, quantitative mineralogy, laboratory management

Learn more about Estrella

Maxwell Pisciotta, PhD Candidate

Pronouns: they/them or he/him

Research Focus Areas

Direct air capture, carbon mineralization, carbon capture and storage, life cycle analysis

Learn more about Max

Katherine Vaz Gomes, PhD Candidate

Research Focus Areas

Carbon mineralization, carbon capture & storage, techno-economic assessment

See More About Katherine

Shelvey Swett, PhD Candidate

Research Focus Areas

Carbon mineralization, separations, carbon capture & storage, techno-economic assessment

See More About Shelvey

Affiliated Members

Chris Deeley, Undergraduate CBE Student

Anna Hallac, Undergraduate VIPER Student

Emma Li, Undergraduate VIPER Student

Caroline Magdolen, Undergraduate VIPER Student

Corbyn Stosich, Undergraduate CBE Student

Jacob Sheldon, Undergraduate CBE Student

Sara Takenaka, Undergraduate CBE Student

Former Members

Daniel Nothaft, Lab Manager

Dan is currently starting a company, Uplift Geo Systems!

Connect with Dan on LinkedIn!

Haarini Ramesh, M.S.

Haarini is currently working at Holtec International.

Check out Haarini's LinkedIn Page.

Mariam Alqubati, M.S.

Caitlyn McCloskey, B.S.

Caitlyn current works at Sublime Systems.

Check out Caitlyn's LinkedIn Page.

Noah McQueen, Ph.D.

Noah is currently co-founder and Head of Research at Heirloom Carbon. Learn more about this exciting technology here.

Noah's Linkedin page.

Caleb Woodall, Ph.D.

Caleb is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Carbon Management Research Initiative at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University.

Caleb's Linkedin page.