ThinkEnergy Fellows 2020-2021 Final Presentations

Learn More About Our ThinkEnergy Fellows by Reading their Personal Profiles

 

Hein Htet Aung

Hein Htet Aung is a second-year student from Yangon, Myanmar, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Data Science. He is excited to be part of the ThinkEnergy Fellowship program to learn more about making renewable energy more affordable and accessible to people, especially those in low resource communities. Outside of class, he is on the executive board of CWRU’s Humanitarian Design Corps/Engineers Without Borders and on its Local Team, which is working to implement a solar powered ventilation system in the hoop houses at the University Farm. The Local Team is also working on implementing a solar powered lighting system at one of the bus stops on campus. He also assists in making solar modules in Dr. Roger French’s SDLE lab. In his free time, he enjoys playing the guitar, listening to music and taking a walk.

Erol Balkovic
Erol Balkovic is a junior engineering physics major from Bosnia and Herzegovina. With interests in energy innovation, Erol is excited to participate in the ThinkEnergy fellowship program, where he hopes to learn about energy innovation and its economic, technical, and policy aspects. Erol is particularly interested in Commercial Thermonuclear Fusion, believing that this technology is essential to a bright future with clean and abundant energy source available to all. He aspires to become part of research related to Fusion, and hopes to run a startup in the field of Fusion energy. Erol is therefore also looking forward to learning about entrepreneurship through the ThinkEnergy program. Outside of class, Erol is involved in the CWRUbotix robotics club where he works on mechanical-robotic systems. He was also a member of Dr. Sankaran’s Microplasma group at CWRU, where he did research related to atmospheric-pressure plasma jets. In his free time, Erol enjoys reading science fiction and loves traveling.

Rounak Chawla

Rounak Chawla is a third-year undergraduate majoring in Computer Science and Philosophy from Kolkata, India. He is particularly interested in applying cutting-edge technologies in Computer Science to the field of energy, such as the use of artificial intelligence in demand forecasting and energy storage analytics. Having worked for a Y-Combinator startup, Rounak is strongly passionate about entrepreneurship and looks forward to learning about entrepreneurship in energy through the ThinkEnergy Fellowship. He is also interested in climate justice and the socio-political systems jeopardized by climate change. Outside of class, he serves as the Vice President of Internal Development of the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative. In his free time, he enjoys reading and writing fiction, programming, and fashion.

Kehley Coleman
Kehley is a third-year student from Cincinnati, Ohio, majoring in electrical engineering with a planned minor in physics. She has a strong interest in research and development of alternative energy technologies, particularly in the field of energy storage, and is looking forward to learning more about battery technologies and energy policy through the ThinkEnergy program. Outside of class, she is a peer tutor, and is involved in performing arts on campus through the CWRU Footlighters, a student musical theatre organization, and Solstice A Cappella, CWRU’s all-female a cappella group. She also enjoys reading and learning about ancient history.

Joseph Grzyb
Joe is a fourth-year student majoring in Chemical Engineering with minors in Finance and Banking and Business Management. Originally from Sheffield, England, Joe is excited to have the opportunity to partake in the ThinkEnergy Fellowship program to discover more about renewable energy solutions to modern day issues while looking into entrepreneurial opportunities and the creative business aspect that goes along with that. He is interested in developing technologies that would help mitigate the effects of climate change through clean energy and the combination of engineering and business to produce impactful innovations. As an intern he has experience in the oil and gas industry, and now looks forward to helping the world find cleaner solutions to energy consumption. Outside of class he is on the executive boards for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and the CWRU wakeboarding club and is a skiing and rock climbing enthusiast.

Evan Haug

Evan is a senior Electrical Engineering and Systems and Control double major and business management minor from Elmhurst, Illinois. I am very interested in the renewable energy field and specifically solar and battery technology. I'm hoping to apply my experience in the solar construction industry, solar legislation and the solar development process to my ThinkEnergy project. I believe that the future of the world's electric grid will rely heavily on micro-grid systems of consumers who integrate renewable electrical generation with their own electrical systems and my hope is to one day make a significant contribution to the field using both my prior experience and the wealth of knowledge I anticipate learning from the ThinkEnergy program. Currently I am interning at Siemens Health as an engineer working on optimizing and verifying their newest production lines before they come on-line in the Fall. Outside of class, I am heavily involved in Greek Life, both in the greater Greek Life Office as well as my Fraternity Delta Sigma Phi. Additionally, I stay active as the captain of the Ultimate Frisbee club Men's team and enjoy tinkering in the Sears Think[Box] using their wood shop, laser etchers and 3D printers.

Mohamed Mahmoud

Mohamed is a third-year student majoring in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and an Art Studio minor. Originally from Egypt, Mohamed is very looking forward to participating in the ThinkEnergy Fellowship program to learn more about the technological advancements in renewable energy as well as the economic and political barriers that stand in the way of widespread implementation of clean energy sources. He is especially interested in how Artificial Intelligence models may be used to increase the efficiency of the electric grid. Mohamed believes that computer science advancements in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Quantum Computing will be a powerful asset to help aid energy research. Currently, Mohamed is assisting in a PhD research project aiming to use Machine Learning models to help improve the development of novel materials by taking advantage of already existing materials' properties data in order to diminish the time, cost and environmental impact of the process. Outside of class, Mohamed enjoys painting, playing the violin and he is a member of CWRU's tennis club.

Asya Orhan

Asya Orhan is a third year student from Bursa, Turkey, majoring in Chemical Engineering with minors in Electrochemical Engineering and Computer Science. She is excited to be a part of the ThinkEnergy Fellowship program and to learn technological advances in clean energy and energy policy. Outside of class she is a member of Engineers without Borders, works with the Chem-E-Car team on campus to design a car powered by a chemical energy source, serves as an executive member of Sigma Psi, enjoys photography, hiking and cooking.

Natalie Pramounmat

Nuttanit (Natalie) is a fourth-year PhD student majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. She is passionate about clean and renewable energy. Through the ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship, she worked with Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. in her first two years of her doctoral program to support the development of clean hydrogen fuel production. Her experience in hydrogen technology encouraged her to search for ways to make clean energy more affordable, scalable, and flexible for integration. She is eager to participate in the ThinkEnergy program to bring creative solutions in the energy sector to business and make a positive impact on the environment. She enjoys hiking, listening to podcasts, and playing new instruments in her free time.

Cooper Reif
Cooper is a third-year student majoring in Mechanical Engineering with minors in Entrepreneurial Studies and Business Management. Having grown up in the Chicagoland area, Cooper is ecstatic to be amongst great minds in the ThinkEnergy cohort focused on the many innovations surrounding the field of energy. Additionally, Cooper is excited to learn about the various breakthroughs taking place in the field of energy as well as the entrepreneurial process as a whole. Implementing microgrids, creating power from natural resources, and improving the efficiency of energy usage are just some of the topics that he is eager to know more about. Outside of the classroom, Cooper is serving as the Vice President of Finance in CWRU’s Undergraduate Student Government, getting to help assist the over two-hundred student organizations on campus. He is also the treasurer for Club Soccer, a member of ENTP+, enjoys playing ukulele, and likes to build Rube Goldberg machines around his dorm room.

Emalyn Delgado Rosario
Emalyn Delgado Rosario is a third-year PhD student majoring in Chemistry. Originally from Humacao, Puerto Rico, Emalyn is excited to participate in the ThinkEnergy Fellowship program to learn about the opportunities in the clean energy field, also to learn entrepreneurship opportunities in the battery industry. She is especially interested in battery electrolytes and solutions for improving the safety of Lithium Ion batteries. Currently, she does research on safer materials for Lithium Ion batteries in Dr. John D. Protasiewicz’s research group. She enjoys painting, board games, hiking and reading murder mystery novels.

Syeda Nur-E Saba
Saba is a second-year Masters student majoring in Physics Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saba is excited to participate in the ThinkEnergy Fellowship program to learn about the opportunities in renewable energy and the relationships between policy, research, and entrepreneurship. She wants to utilize green energy technologies for underserved countries and improve their socio-economic status. Currently, she is working as an intern in a solar installment company named “Roll-a-Rack” located in Cleveland. Outside of class she is the secretary of CWRU’s Bangladeshi Student Association and Steiner House, co-operative housing for international CWRU students. She is part of the WISER (women in science and engineering roundtable) professional career development mentor-mentee group housed within the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women. She loves spending time with her family, animals, watching movies and listening to music. 

Paco Sheeran

Paco is a third-year student majoring in Materials Science and Engineering with a concentration in Materials Data Science. Originally from Kansas City, Kansas. Paco is excited to participate in the ThinkEnergy Fellowship program to learn about opportunities in the energy field. He has been fascinated by how the landscape seems to be changing as various alternative energy sources become more and more available. For this reason, he is especially interested in new battery technologies, which are critical for storing excess energy from renewable energy sources. Outside of class he participates in the professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Si as well as enjoys playing Rugby and other sports in his free time.

Jackson Smith
Jackson is a third-year student majoring in Materials Science and Engineering with a concentration in Advanced Materials focused in mechanical properties, fatigue, and failure. She currently plans to complete the 5 year BS/MS program offered by the department. Originally from Grove City, Ohio, Jackson is excited to participate in the ThinkEnergy fellowship to learn more about the collaboration between project researchers and entrepreneurs. She is especially interested in how new materials can contribute to the energy sector and particularly how batteries and nuclear energy can be improved. Currently, she assists in research for Dr. John Lewandowski at the Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Reliability Center investigating the mechanical properties and fatigue life of stainless steel implantable wires. Over Summer 2020 she completed a CWRU SOURCE funded remote research project on dispersion strengthened chromium-niobium alloys that have been produced through additive manufacturing. Outside of class she is the president of the Undergraduate Materials Society, which is a chapter of the American Society for Metals and works to spread the awareness of the Materials Science major, an interest in materials, and camaraderie between peers. Additionally, she is a teaching assistant for Chemistry of Materials and a dedicated member of the Women's Varsity Rowing Team. She also enjoys painting, gardening, and cooking.

Nolan Sundheimer

Nolan Sundheimer is a second year masters of business administration student with a focus in finance and business technology. He is ecstatic to be involved in the think energy fellowship to learn how to develop engineering based business models, and understand the growing innovations behind alternative energy. He is one with the force and the force is with him.