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Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator
Francisco Cepeda, Ph.D.
Francisco Cepeda, Ph.D.
He joined Oakland University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering as an Assistant Professor in 2025. His research investigates the physics and chemistry of carbon formation in thermal and catalytic systems, with applications in hydrogen production, materials synthesis, and energy conversion. His expertise spans combustion and reacting-flow modeling, particle formation and diagnostics, and thermochemical energy systems.
Ph.D. Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada - 2023
M.Sc. Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile - 2017
B.Sc. Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile - 2015
Students
Students
Aiden Martin
M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Aiden Martin
M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Aiden is a Master’s student in Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University, specializing in fluids and thermal systems. His research investigates the structural evolution and graphitization of carbon materials under rapid thermal processing, combining experiments with predictive modeling to understand how heating history influences carbon structure. His broader interests include thermal systems, computational modeling, and aerospace applications.
Aliah Wasti
B.S. Mechanical Engineering · Undergraduate Researcher
Aliah Wasti
B.S. Mechanical Engineering · Undergraduate Researcher
Aliah is an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student at Oakland University. Her research focuses on preparing catalytic systems for methane pyrolysis and understanding how processing conditions influence the formation and structure of solid carbon materials. Through this work, she has developed experience in experimental reactor operation and carbon characterization, including Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy.
Izzie Roma
B.S. Mechanical Engineering · Undergraduate Researcher
Izzie Roma
B.S. Mechanical Engineering · Undergraduate Researcher
Izzie is an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student at Oakland University. Her research investigates solid carbon formation in closed-loop life-support and in-situ resource utilization systems and contributes to the development of quantitative models for carbon production under different operating conditions. She also brings experience in engineering design, prototyping, and experimental testing.
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