2018-2019 ThinkEnergy Fellows News
ThinkEnergy Students Tour CWRU Wind Turbines in Euclid
Kareem Agag
Kareem is a third-year Economics and Finance student fascinated by the future of the energy industry. Having spent extensive periods of his life in Japan, Egypt, and the United States, Kareem has experienced three different energy realities. Different countries get their energy from different sources and more importantly have different levels of awareness about where their energy comes from. Innovation in the renewable energy space and increasing energy transparency are just some of the topics that peak Kareem's interest and he hopes to gain exposure to these topics throughout the program. On-campus, Kareem is a student representative in the Undergraduate Student Government, does research in nanotechnology, and is a member of the Food Recovery Network which aims to reduce on-campus food waste. He also enjoys playing and watching soccer in his free time.
Alberto Gonzalez Campos
Alberto is a fifth-year student pursuing a B.S/M.S. in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and is from Monterrey, Mexico. His primary academic area of interest involves fluid mechanics, specifically the aerodynamics of aircraft and wind turbine systems. As part of his graduate work, he has been engaged as a researcher in the Control and Energy Systems Center (CESC) under Prof. Mario Garcia-Sanz, actively learning about control theory, as well as designing and testing feasible Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) prototypes through wind tunnel experimentations. By being a ThinkEnergy fellow, Alberto will have the opportunity to expand his knowledge and understanding of different energy systems, as well as learning more about the connection of his research with the current industry need, including the policies involved in the field. Besides his studies, Alberto serves as the graduate representative for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) at CWRU, actively advocating for the minority and diverse community inside STEM fields.
Neil Chavan
Neil is a fourth year student double majoring in Chemical Engineering and Environmental studies, and double minoring in Spanish and Economics. He is interested in the intersection of engineering, economics, and public policy and has a passion for humanitarian work involving sustainable development projects. For the past 3 years, Neil has been leading a project in the Humanitarian Design Corps that focuses on improving the infrastructure for a rural community's water system in Costa Rica. On campus, Neil has conducted research in the Energy Lab, studying electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide. After completing his studies, Neil would like to apply his skills working on renewable energy initiatives in developing nations and off-grid communities. In his spare time Neil enjoys eating avocados, playing tennis, and exploring Cleveland.
William Clarizio
Will is a third-year student majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a double minor in Entrepreneurial Studies and Business Management. He has interests in commercializing renewable energy technologies and eco-entrepreneurship, and plans to work with energy startups after graduation. He is currently researching solar cell degradation under Dr. Roger French at the Solar Durability and Lifetime Extension Center at CWRU. In the Humanitarian Design Corps, Will is the Ethics and Sustainability Officer and also works on the Malawi Solar team to design and install a solar system at Kasungu National Park in Malawi. In his spare time, he works with National Voices for Equality, Education, and Enlightenment, a bullying and suicide prevention nonprofit, and also likes to go running and make fajitas.
Emily Dickens
Emily is a fourth-year student majoring in Chemical Engineering while minoring in Spanish. She is pursuing her masters in management and engineering through CWRU’s MEM program. While always interested in clean energy, Emily was originally introduced into energy storage by working in Dr. Savinell and Dr. Wainright’s lab on flow batteries. She then spent the Summer of 2017 in Fribourg Switzerland, researching cathode materials for Lithium Sulfur batteries. She aspires to combine her love for travel and energy storage in her future career. Outside of the classroom, Emily is a member of Case’s Varsity soccer team, a brother of the Theta Tau professional engineering fraternity, a member of Phi Mu sorority, and a member of the Student Turning Point Society.
Adam Maraschky
Adam is a third-year PhD student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department. His research, led by Professor Rohan Akolkar, aims to understand mechanistically why lithium metal batteries grow dendrites during recharge. Adam has a B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John's College, Annapolis. His undergrad thesis was titled "Chaos and Quanta: Two New Hypotheses in Max Planck's Theory of Heat Radiation". He worked for one year at a Cleveland-based manufacturer of thermoset composites before continuing his education at Cleveland State University to prepare for graduate studies. Adam is a Cleveland native who enjoys spending his time in the area's many parks and cultural areas. He is a professional film photographer of over a decade and a skilled bicycle mechanic. Outside of the lab, he enjoys building things and vegetarian cooking for his wife, Emily. Adam has also had a pet turtle since elementary school.
Abhenav Murthy
Abhe is a fourth-year student majoring in Mechanical Engineering, originally from Los Angeles. He has been a CWRU ThinkBox employee for over two years and has extensive experience in mechanical design and manufacturing. With a background and interest in 3D modeling and aviation, Abhe hopes to apply the knowledge and resources of the Great Lakes Energy Institute to develop solutions to real-world problems concerning people and the environment. He participates in Greek Life on campus and he is interested in the entrepreneurial aspects of the ThinkEnergy program as well.
Aayush Parikh
Aayush is a third-year student majoring in Engineering Physics with a concentration in Environmental Engineering, and a secondary major in Economics. Originally from Mumbai, India, Aayush is excited to be a part of the ThinkEnergy Fellowship and learn holistically about the electric grid and the various aspects to energy, in order to develop solutions apt for India. Outside of class, he was a member of North Coast Hyperloop, CWRU’s team for the Hyperloop competition, and worked on the development of the propulsion system. Additionally, Aayush is a representative on the Undergraduate Student Government and is working to improve students’ academic experience at CWRU. In his spare time, he is a thrill seeker and enjoys scuba diving and paragliding.
Ian Parker
Ian is a fourth-year Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering major. He is involved in planning Relay for Life, an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, and served two years on its executive board, most recently as the Event Lead. He is a member of the varsity cross country and track and field teams, and works as a building manager at the Veale Athletic Center. When not running or studying, he enjoys hiking, playing sports, and reading. Ian has worked for several different companies during breaks and is excited to apply his knowledge and experience gained in the workforce towards solving environmental problems currently facing society. As someone who has always been interested in energy policy and green technology, he is excited to get involved with environmental design and dive into the current policies surrounding design standards and material conservation in the engineering industry.
Harsh Ranjan
Harsh is a second-year MBA student at the Weatherhead School of Management native to Mumbai, India. He is passionate about creating business partnerships, developing project-specific strategies and best practices. He has worked in multidisciplinary design management for over five years focusing on energy efficient design and architecture. This summer he interned with Nottingham Spirk in collaboration with Sears think[box] to develop consumer products fulfilling the unmet needs of the camping and transportation industry. He is excited to join the ThinkEnergy fellowship to get a better understanding of the energy sector in the U.S.A. and add value to the team through his design and business perspectives. Additionally, Harsh is the Executive Vice-President of the Graduate Business Student Association at Weatherhead and enjoys kayaking in his spare time.
Becca Segel
Becca is a third-year student pursuing a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Her interests include energy storage technology for grid and space habitat applications. She currently works in Dr. Robert Savinell and Dr. Jesse Wainright's laboratory researching both super capacitor and iron flow battery efficiency. This past summer she was a NASA intern at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center researching nuclear fuel materials for nuclear thermal propulsion applications and optimizing conductive inks for additive manufacturing of supercapacitors and sensors. In addition to her studies, Becca is a member of the Case Varsity Swim Team and is the V.P. of Programming of the Cleveland Hillel University Leadership Council. She is also the Secretary of Case in Point, one of CWRU's a cappella groups. She is excited to join ThinkEnergy, learn more about energy policy and technologies, and craft meaningful connections with other students and experts in the energy field.
Nora Shaheen
Nora is a first-year PhD student studying Chemical Engineering and has recently graduated from The Ohio State University with an environmental focus in Chemical Engineering. During her time at Ohio State, Nora was involved in researching silica-based heterogeneous catalysts and has completed a number of internships. Her experiences include work with fuel cells at pH Matter and studying redox shuttles for batteries at Michigan State University Organic Energy Storage Lab. Nora is most interested in developing new ways in which alternative energies, like Lithium-ion batteries, can be improved to reduce their environmental impact on regions that supply natural resources, like Lithium. Nora is looking forward to joining ThinkEnergy, where she hopes to learn more about commercialization of existing alternative energy technologies, and investigating methods to make them more sustainable.
Ellen Walter
Ellen Walter is a fourth-year English and marketing double major, minoring in environmental studies. She is interested in communicating both technical and political information regarding climate change and the energy industry to the majority of Americans, particularly farmers. Additionally, Ellen seeks to help energy startups thrive using her business and communication background. She has worked in various marketing positions just prior to starting college, originally serving as a copywriter for a Chicago marketing startup. Since then, she has worked for the university’s marketing and communications office and provided public relations services for two small nonprofit groups. Recently, she began working with Professor Michael Goldberg at the Weatherhead School of Management to profile entrepreneurs from Syria, Kosovo, Iran, and Botswana, among other countries.
Diana Zavela
Diana is a second-year Systems and Control Engineering student pursuing minors in Computer Science and Environmental Studies. She is involved in the Residence Hall Association and Student Sustainability Council at CWRU. Originally from McLean, Virginia, she developed an interest in energy because of her travels to Europe and experiences with the Student Sustainability Council. She has a wide variety of energy interests, from energy grid cybersecurity to developing more alternative energy resources to energy-efficient building design.