News/Activities
College of Earth and Minerals Sciences News
Congratulations to the Penn State team “Nittany Solar” comprised of students in Dr Nelson Dzade’s "EGEE 437: Design of Solar Energy Conversion Systems" class including Khaleah Jackson, Olivia DiPrinzio, Olivia Williamson, Joseph Hokky, Al-Harith Al Amir and Mahmood AlFarqani on winning the University of Washington Use Case Division of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar District Cup!
I am super proud of these amazing energy engineering students for their hard work, dedication, and commitment throughout the competition. They represented well the EME department, the EMS college, and Penn State at this national event.
Nikhil Komalla wins 1st Place for Poster Presentation at the Hydrogen Americas 2024 Summit & Exhibition
Join me in congratulating Nikhil Komalla, on winning 1st Place for Poster Presentations at the Hydrogen Americas 2024 Summit & Exhibition, held in Washington D.C. on 11 – 12 June 2024.
During his poster presentation titled "Theory-Guided Design and Optimization of Bio-Inspired Iron-Nickel Sulfide Electrocatalysts for Green Production", Nikhil had the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas with energy industry leaders and hydrogen experts. He was inspired by the exhibitor's hydrogen technologies and the strong interest that energy industries are showing towards the green energy transition.
Sami Al Azri Awarded EMSAGE Laureate
The MMT Group Congratulates Sami Al Azri (an undergraduate research student in the group) on being awarded the status of EMSAGE Laureate by the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
Awarded to only around 6% of all EMS graduates, students who attain significant achievement beyond their academic degree requirements across the broad categories of scholarship, experiential learning, global literacy, and service are recognized by the college with the distinctive designation of EMSAGE Laureate.
Sami Al Azri said "As a recipient, I am both humbled and inspired by the responsibility that comes with this honor. It is a call to continue striving for excellence and to serve as a beacon for others to emulate, ensuring that the values of integrity, service, and leadership continue to thrive in the EMS community"
Research Presentations: Energy Institute External Advisory Board
The MMT Group members showcased their during a recent Energy Institute External Advisory Board visit to University Park.
Nikhil Komalla -Gave an Oral presentation on "Earth-abundant Catalysts for Green Hydrogen Production" and a Poster presentation on "Bandgap Engineering of SrNb2O6-Based Photocatalysts for Green Hydrogen Production"
Ricardo Amaral - Presented a poster on "Computational Design and Optimization of High-Energy Storage Materials"
21st May 2024.
Climate Solutions Symposium at PennState
May 14–15, 2024, The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center
The Materials and Minerals Theory Group members (Henry Igwebuike Eya; Nikhil Komalla & OluwaYomi Awe) joined me to attend the Climate Solutions Symposium at Penn State University.
Nikhil Komalla presented a poster of his research on "Theory Guided Design and Optimization of Bio-Inspired Iron-Nickel Sulfide Electrocatalysts for Green Hydrogen Production"
My favorite quote from the symposium is "Nothing is Sustainable Unless it is Loved" May we love our planet to a greater extent so that we can do everything possible to protect and sustain it.
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Congratulations to Ricardo Amaral on receiving the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 2024 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award.
Congratulations on shining out! All members of the MMT Group
19 April 2024
PAN-APA 7th Annual Conference
Dr Dzade participated in the recent Penn State Pan-African Professional Alliance (PAN-APA) 7th Annual Conference as a panelist to discuss "The power of Storytelling - how to effectively persuade, engage, and connect with your audience". I shared with the audience some strategies to make technical scientific concepts more understandable to non-experts.
13 April 2024
Solar & Storage Live USA 2024 | Philadelphia, PA
Henry Igwebuike Eya & OluwaYomi Awe from the MMT Group (https://lnkd.in/d766HfJ) were joined by their colleagues Samukeliso Dube & Melissa Gonte from Dr Thandazile Moyo's Group to attend the Solar & Storage Live USA conference held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia from 10 - 11 April, 2024. The conference featured presentations and panel discussions focused on the future of solar energy globally. It was an insightful experience for the students to be exposed to the solar energy landscape & innovative technologies in the US and across the world.
10 - 11 April, 2024
Pan-African Night - Gala Dinner
MMT Group members attended the Penn State Pan-African Professional Alliance (PAN-APA) Gala Dinner last Sunday, 7th April 2024 at Penn State Heritage Hall, HUB. It was a night of fun, laughter, Poetry (Africa My Africa), and a great meal! It was nice to catch up with the students, colleagues, and friends.
7th April 2024
Sami Al Azri won Best Poster Award: Global Research Category
Sami presented his research abroad experience with the iPRISM program at the Global Engineering Engagement Poster Exhibition and Recognition Ceremony! Sami poster was awarded the "Best Poster Award: Global Research Category"
MMT Group Lunch
The Materials & Minerals Theory Group had an amazing time together over lunch today. It was nice to freely talk about other important topics (life experiences, our dreams & passions, and governance in our countries) that are often neglected. We got to know more about Oman, India, Brazil, The U.S., Nigeria & Ghana!
12 April 2024
MMT Group Research Highlights Day
It was exciting to see amazing research progress presentations from members of the MMT group today. There were highlights on research discoveries, accomplishments, new skills, software, and programming tools being learned. Recurring themes include solar cells, chalcogenide perovskites, bandgap engineering, energy access and design of solar projects, catalysts designed for water electrolysis, interface engineering, and machine learning to predict metal hydride materials for hydrogen storage.
5 April 2024
IPDR Mini-Symposium at Howard University
Dr Dzade delivered a presentation titled "Computer-Accelerated Energy Materials Discovery, Design, and Optimization" at the IPDR Mini-Symposium on "Meeting the Renewable Energy Needs for a Sustainable Future" at Howard University on March 14, 2024.
The IPDR Mini-Symposium provides a dynamic platform for researchers and engineers from Howard University, Morgan State University, and Pennsylvania State University to showcase their research in topical areas such as energy transition innovations, Li-ion battery advancements, solar energy harvesting technologies, energy materials discovery, and critical minerals recovery. The symposium aims to foster productive research collaborations among participants and open new avenues for exploring joint funding opportunities, and training/capacity building.
Ph.D. students Henry Eya & Nikhil Komalla from the MMT Group also attended and contributed to the discussions.
March 14, 2024
The largest student-led energy & climate conference in the US!
Two Ph.D. students (Henry Igwebuike Eya & Nikhil Komalla) and two Undergraduate research students (Sami Al Azri & Santrupth Vedanthi) from the MMT Group attended the 2024 MIT Energy Conference in Boston, Massachusetts from March 11–12, 2024.
The conference brings together industry professionals, investors, scholars, and policymakers to present, learn, and discuss pressing challenges and opportunities that redefine the future of the energy and climate sectors.
March 11–12, 2024
TMS 2024 Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Henry Eya attended and delivered an oral presentation titled "Computational Study of the Bulk, Surface, and Interfacial Properties of BaZrS3 for Photovoltaic Applications" at the 2024 TMS Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida, USA, March 3–7, 2024. Henry discussed the results of his recent research on modeling the optoelectronic properties, surface and interface properties, and the surface chemistry of oxygen and water adsorption on BaZrS3 surfaces. The implications of the results for PV applications were also discussed.
The TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition brings together more than 4,000 engineers, scientists, business leaders, and other professionals in the minerals, metals, and materials fields for a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary exchange of technical knowledge.
March 3–7, 2024
EME Graduate Cultural Potluck and Gathering
The EME Graduate Student Council organized a Graduate Cultural Potluck and Gathering event on January 26th, 2024 in Steidle Atrium (lobby area). The MMT Group members featured prominently at the event (See pictures below).
AESEDA's Annual Newsletter: A Year of Progress and Impact
AESEDA Annual Newsletter.pdfGroup Christmas Party
December 4th 2023
The MMT Group members and affiliates/associates came together to celebrate this year's Christmas and to thank/appreciate one another for helping to make the year 2023 a successful and memorable one. It was also a time for socialization, jokes, and laughter. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It was great to have my daughters, Heavenly and Eden-Grace present, they had a blast!
Materials Day 2023 at Penn State
October 26-27 2023
The Materials and Minerals Theory (MMT) Group featured heavily in this year's Materials Day 2023 at Penn State. I served as a Panelist to discuss “Reducing dependence on critical minerals for energy storage systems through innovations in materials, reuse, and recycling.” Ricardo Amaral presented a research poster on "Nickel Phosphide (Ni2P) as an efficient host material for efficient lithium-sulfur batteries" and Henry Igwebuike Eya presented a research poster on "First-principles Study of Oxygen and Water Adsorption on BaZrS3 Surfaces".
My quote during the panel discussion “Most consumers are only aware of the ‘clean’ aspects of electric vehicles, the dirty aspects of the production process are out of sight. This is because while most consumers live in industrialized nations, the lion’s share of the raw materials is concentrated in a few developing countries."
OCTOBER 19, 2023
The scientists, including Penn State faculty Nelson Dzade, reported in the journal Nature Energy their new method for creating more durable perovskite solar cells that still achieve a high efficiency of 21.59% conversion of sunlight to electricity.
New publication - 28 September 2023
The MMT group published a new work "Advanced Mott-Schottky heterojunction of semi-conductive MoS2 nanoparticles/metallic CoS2 nanotubes as an efficient multifunctional catalyst for urea-water electrolysis
New publication - 23 August 2023
The MMT group published a new work "Interfacial band offset engineering with barium-doping towards enhanced performance of all inorganic CsPbI2Br perovskite solar cells" in Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.
New publication - July 31st 2023
I am extremely excited to share the amazing news of the publication of our latest paper titled “Phase-heterojunction all-inorganic perovskite solar cells surpassing 21.5% efficiency” in the Journal of Nature Energy.
Our fabricated β−γ−CsPbI3-based phase-heterojunction solar cell achieves an impressive certified PCE of 21.59% and excellent stability (maintains more than 90% of the initial efficiency after 200 hours of storage under ambient conditions).
June 26th-27th 2023
Minerals to Materials Symposium at University College London (UCL), UK
Dr. Nelson Dzade delivered an invited talk on the topic - "Strengthening Africa’s Materials and Minerals Research and Training Capacity: Implications for Renewable Energy Generation and Storage" at the Minerals to Materials Symposium organized in celebration of Professor Nora de Leeuw's 60th birthday.
&May 22-23, 2023
Symposium Attendance: The Climate Solutions Symposium at Penn State University
I attended this all-important symposium with my Ph.D. students Henry and Yomi. Climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity today. The climate crisis is here. It is impacting big cities and small communities in unprecedented and disproportionate ways. The crisis will continue unless we develop transdisciplinary solutions for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience now.
The two-day Penn State Climate Solutions Symposium (May 22-23, 2023) brought more than 60 experts from academia, industry, government, and community organizations to discuss/highlight transdisciplinary innovative solutions to climate change.
May 15-17, 2023
Conference Attendance: World Hydrogen North America 2023
Nikhil Komalla (Ph.D. student in the MMT Group) attended World Hydrogen North America from May 15-17, 2023 in Houston. Nikhil's research area is green Hydrogen, a versatile energy carrier for tackling critical energy challenges and enabling deep decarbonization across various difficult-to-abate sectors, such as steel, chemicals, long-haul transport, shipping, and aviation. By attending the conference he got exposed to 700+ hydrogen professionals to understand and process the industry perspective towards the hydrogen economy in North America. He is grateful to World Hydrogen Leaders for giving him the opportunity to volunteer. With his interactions and active participation in Q&A sections, he acquired a great amount of inspiration to work on his research back at Penn State in the Materials and Minerals Theory Group.
May 4th 2023
Literature Review Training
Dr Nelson Dzade on Thursday, 4 May 2023, delivered an online training on "How to write a review paper and get it published". This training guided learners through the entire process of preparing a literature review, selecting and analyzing existing literature, and structuring and writing a quality literature review for publication.
This training is done in collaboration with The Postgraduate Student Support of the Academic Development Unit of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Hosted by Desmond Edem Primus Klenam.
#training; #writing; #literaturereview; #capacitybuilding; #academic_development #writing
April 11-12, 2023
Nikhil Komalla (Ph.D. student in the MMT Group) recently participated in the highly acclaimed 2023 MIT Energy Conference held in Boston. This conference gathers great minds and industry professionals to present, learn and discuss pressing challenges and opportunities that redefine the future of energy and climate.
Nikhil Komalla is very passionate about Green Hydrogen. During the conference, he joined the panel discussion on “Role of Hydrogen in Achieving a Zero Carbon Economy”. He also had the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with professionals such as Dr. Sunita Satyapal (Director, Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technology Office, DoE), Dr. Supratim Das (Senior Associate, Corporate Development, Electric Hydrogen), Mr. Ian Nachemson (Vice President, Technology Solutions, H2 Green Steel), and many others.
Reflecting on his experience, Nikhil Komalla described the conference as "energizing and inspiring," and believes that it will definitely assist him in envisioning a sustainable future. He is energized to learn, conduct more research, and play his small and critical role in this transition. He thanks the Association of Energy Engineers, PSU Chapter, and Penn State University for providing financial support for the conference participation.
The Material and Minerals Theory (MMT) Group is Proud of Nikhil.
Award: Penn State 2023 Graduate Research Exhibition
The MMT Group celebrates Nikhil Komalla (Ph.D. student) for being awarded Second Place in the "Video Category" of The 2023 Graduate Research Exhibition. Established in 1986, the Graduate Exhibition places special emphasis on communicating research and creative endeavor to a general audience.
Below are the Links to the Abstract & Video Presentation
Graduate Exhibition Page: https://lnkd.in/ghzK-sAm
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gvHuC8wr
The Materials and Minerals Theory (MMT) Group is super proud of you Nikhil Komalla for this great achievement!
April 14, 2023
Award: The 2023 Energy & Mineral Engineering Awards Banquet
The MMT Group celebrates Henry Igwebuike Eya (Ph.D. student) for receiving the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award from the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (EME), Penn State on Friday, April 14, 2023. Henry Igwebuike Eya was Teaching Assistant for EME 301 Thermodynamics in Energy and Mineral Engineering.
The Materials and Minerals Theory (MMT) Group is super proud of Henfy for this great achievement!
Award: Materials Visualization 2023 Competition
Ricardo do Amaral (Ph.D student in the MMT Group) won the 2nd Place Prize in the category: IMAGING: COMPUTATIONAL RENDERING for the Materials Visualization Competition (MVC). This is an annual scientific and artistic visual competition sponsored by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) and the Materials Research Institute (MRI).
The Materials and Minerals Theory (MMT) Group is super proud of Ricardo do Amaral's achievement.
#research #engineering #science #visualization
In the image, Ricardo depicted the Li-S Battery Lithiation Process - i.e., sulfur’s transformation via Li polysulfide intermediates and associated charge density difference over the Ni2P catalyst surface.
30 March – 2 April 2023
Dr Nelson Dzade was one of the 5 Keynote Speakers at the Chem4Energy Sustainable Energy 2023 Conference held at the North-West University Sports Village in Potchefstroom, South Africa, 30th March - 2nd April 2023. The conference brought together local academic and industrial researchers and developers from Southern Africa with colleagues from Europe, the USA, and further afield, to discuss the latest developments in clean energy materials and processes, build new collaborations, and influence and support future directions in the field of sustainable energy research.
Dr Dzade spoke on the topic: "Green Hydrogen: A Viable Option for Transforming Africa's Energy Sector and Green Industrialization" With its huge renewable energy resource wealth and land space, Africa has vast potential to produce low-carbon hydrogen from renewables at relatively low cost and become a frontrunner in this burgeoning green hydrogen industry, creating zero-emission jobs, domestic energy supplies, and export revenues fit for a decarbonized future. In this keynote lecture, I provided an overview of the sustainable energy landscape of Africa and discussed the role of green hydrogen in decarbonizing a range of difficult-to-abate sectors including transportation, the chemical industry, the iron & steel industry, etc. To be a completely green source of energy, hydrogen must be made by splitting water with electrolysis, which needs catalysts to work. Thus, I also highlighted some of our recent research efforts toward the rational design and optimization of earth-abundant and non-precious transition metal chalcogenides catalysts for efficient hydrogen generation.
April 1, 2023
Conference Presentation
Henry Igwebuike Eya (Ph.D student in the MMT Group) shared his thoughts and passion for renewable energy resources development in Africa at the recent Penn State Pan-African Professional Alliance (PAN-APA) 6th Annual Conference, April 1, 2023.
Topic: "The Energy Mix in Africa: Nigeria as Case Study" In this talk, Henry discussed the yet-to-exploited renewable energy potentials in Africa by zooming into Nigeria.
The Materials and Minerals Theory (MMT) Group is super proud of you Henry Igwebuike Eya!
17-18 March 2023
Dr Nelson Dzade was Keynote Speaker at the 1st International Conference on Green Hydrogen for Global Decarbonisation (ICGHGD-2023). This two-day conference brought together academicians, policymakers, regulators, innovators, oil and gas companies, infrastructure companies, technology providers, industry experts, and investors to present their perspectives and provide stimulus in shaping the future of green hydrogen. Dr Nelson Dzade spoke on the topic "Making a Materials Difference to Green Hydrogen Production: Fuel of the Future"
23 February 2023
Webinar -C3AMS-AUST 3rd Decarbonization Pathway Series Seminar
Dr Nelson Dzade delivered an invited talk on the topic "The Role of Green Hydrogen in Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector: Opportunities for Africa" at the Centre for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Studies (C3AMS-AUST) Webinar.
31 October 2022
Dr Nelson Dzade delivered an invited talk on the topic "The interface is still the device: engineering it for enhanced thin film solar cell performance."
This talk is part of the fall 2022 EESI EarthTalks series, “Exploring the Multiple Dimensions of Solar Energy.” The EESI EarthTalks series is supported by Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute.
Brief Abstract: With the recent advances in high-performance computing, society is now at the threshold of a new era where first-principles calculations are transforming scientists’ ability to understand, design, and optimize interfaces using energy materials with predictive power. In this talk, I discussed some of our most recent works in using first-principles calculations to unravel the microscopic fabric of surface and interfacial phenomena in thin-film solar cells.
20 October 2022
Henry Eya and Ricardo do Amaral (PhD students in the MMT Group) presented a poster of their research at the 2022 Materials Day at Penn State (10/20/2022), the annual marquee event for materials-related interdisciplinary science and engineering at Penn State.
Henry's project "Density Functional Theory Investigation of the Bulk and Surface Properties of BaZrS3 for Photovoltaic Applications"
Ricardo's project "Nickel Phosphide (Ni2P): An Effective Host Material for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Battery"
October 14., 2022
Henry Eya and Ricardo do Amaral showcased their research work during the EME open house.
23 June 2022
What's Academia like in the US
Dr Nelson Dzade gave an interview to UCL Careers: He was asked to talk about my current role, my career journey, challenges, and any useful tips for researchers wanting to pursue a similar career.
15 September 2022
For those interested in Advanced Energy Materials Design, you may want to check out the Departmental Seminar I delivered on September 15, 2022, where I discussed developments in using first-principles calculations to unravel the microscopic fabric of surface and interfacial phenomena in thin-film solar cells and heterogeneous catalysts.
15 September 2022
Congratulations to my Ph.D. student (Ricardo do Amaral) on receiving the WAAIME Scholarship, which provides financial support to students pursuing earth science degrees including mining, geological sciences, metallurgy, petroleum, mineral sciences, materials science, mineral economics, chemical engineering, and other related studies.
5 August 2022
Literature Review Online Training
#capacitybuilding; #mentoring; #GeniusInAfrica; #literaturereview
I conducted a Literature Review Online Training. The training was designed to provide young scientists with the skills they need to conduct successful research. It was indeed a great pleasure to see a large number of participants from Africa and the across the World.
21 July 2022
Our proposal is among the 14 different proposals from researchers who represent five different colleges and 11 different departments to receive ICDS 2022 seed grant funds.
The MMT Group will be employing state-of-the-art computational approaches to unravel the surface structures and interfacial phenomena of chalcogenide perovskites (CP), promising alternatives to hybrid organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites (HOIP) for solar cell applications, owing to their Pb-free content, earth-abundant elements composition, and distinguished excellent thermal and chemical stability.
27 Jul 2022
Sami Al Azri completed an 8-week of Summer research internship in the “Materials & Minerals Theory Group”, gaining skills in materials modeling and simulation, which he applied to characterize the bulk and surface properties of CaSnS3, a promising chalcogenide perovskite for PV applications. He will continue working on the project during the fall semester, which will lead to a manuscript.
Join me in celebrating my former postdoc at Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd, (Sachin R. Rondiya), who has now started a new position as Assistant Professor at the Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Sachin brought so much energy, enthusiasm, and creativity to the group. He will always remain my brother and friend. He is always full of creative ideas, which are based upon his solid foundations in materials science, chemistry, physics, and engineering. I have always believed in him, and I am super proud of him for this great achievement!
Wishing him the very best in this new adventure.
27 April 2022
Faculty Research Spotlight Talks: EME, Penn State
The 2022 EME Research Showcase will be held on Wednesday, April 27, at the HUB-Robeson Center, in the Flex Theater, room 132
Title: “Making a Materials Difference to Renewable Energy Transition: The Role of Advanced Modelling and Simulation”
Great Mentors Focus on the Whole Person, Not Just Their Career
I will never stop being grateful for your guidance -Professor Nora de Leeuw FRSC CChem MAE FLSW and Professor Sir Richard Catlow FRS FRSC FInstP. You have been instrumental in shaping me as a person. Thank you for being truly exceptional leaders with amazing skills that I look up to. You two are undoubtedly the greatest role model of all time. I admire all that you do, and I hope to follow in your footsteps. Your leadership has made me strive to fulfil my true potential.
DFID-Royal Society Africa Capacity Building Initiative.
With Oluwasegun Emmanuel, Aleksandar Živković, Prof. Richard Catlow and Prof. Nora de Leeuw in Namibia
25–27 September, 2019
Delivered a Keynote:
"Rational Design of Transition Metal Chalcogenide based Functional Materials for Renewable Energy Conversion", at the International Chemistry Conference in Gaborone, Botswana.
Lunch with Jemima Moorcroft & Russel Cross (on the day Jemima successfully submitted her BSc. project report )
Poster presentation
Russel Cross presented a poster of his work on "First-principles mechanistic insights into the hydrogen evolution reaction on Ni2P electrocatalyst in alkaline medium" at the AEM 2019 - Advanced Energy Materials Conference, held from September 11-13, 2019 at the University of Surrey, England.
Research Group Away Day - Friday 4th October at Prof. Nora de Leeuw Horse Ridding School.
Research Group at Cardiff University
From left -Connor Duggan; Eloise Lewis; Nelson Dzade; Sophie Colton; Sachin R. Rondiya; Sachin R. Rondiya
Having coffee with Russell Cross & Dr. Sachin Rondiya
@Cardiff Train Station, UK
Delivering a speech on behalf of Scholarship recipients @ University College London (UCL) @2010