Luca Mastropasqua - Luca Mastropasqua is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he directs the Hydrogen and Electrochemical Research for Decarbonization (HERD) Lab. His research focuses on developing innovative electrochemical devices and integrating them into industrial processes to help decarbonize sectors such as manufacturing, aviation, and shipping. His goal is to use electrochemical technologies for power generation, grid energy storage, and the electrochemical synthesis of high-value products. 

Mastropasqua received his Ph.D. cum laudae in Energy and Nuclear Science and Technology from Politecnico di Milano in 2017. He holds two Master's degrees, one in Energy Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and one in Thermal Engineering from Cranfield University. Before joining UW-Madison, he served as a Senior Scientist at the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine, and as a Postdoctoral Associate at Princeton University. 

In 2024, Mastropasqua was awarded the Inspiring Generations of New Innovators to Impact Technologies in Energy (IGNIITE) award by the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This award funds his research into transforming waste plastic upcycling through the development of a solid-state electrochemical membrane reactor for the high-temperature depolymerization of waste polymers. He is also leading a project focused on reducing the carbon footprint of steel manufacturing. In collaboration with Cleveland Cliffs steel plant, this initiative involves installing a 250-kilowatt solid oxide electrolyzer cell to produce clean hydrogen using waste heat. This project aims to set the stage for larger-scale decarbonization efforts in the industry.