I really enjoy working in our lab because of the ability we have to make our own samples, our own apparatuses, and have so many unique tools available to use. Our lab setup is not incredibly common, in the fact that we have essentially a metal shop and chemistry lab combined, but it allows us a great deal of freedom, especially when combined with other department resources.
Ellen Benn is a graduate student researcher in Professor Jonah Erlebacher‘s lab. She earned her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Syracuse University. Ellen’s research involves characterizing how porous metal catalysts interact with ionic liquids, which will allow for the fine tuning of certain properties at the catalyst interface in order to improve and enhance the performance of hydrogen fuel cells.