Michael Baldea
Michael Baldea Principal Investigator Michael Baldea is Henry Beckman Professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, and a core faculty member in the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES) at The University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his Diploma and M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from "Babes-Bolyai" University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining The University of Texas, he held industrial research positions with Praxair Technology Center in Tonawanda, NY and GE Global Research in Niskayuna, NY. His research interests include the dynamics, optimization and control of process and energy systems, areas in which he has co-authored three books, five book chapters and over 200 peer-reviewed journal and conference articles. Dr. Baldea is Executive Editor of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. Selected awards and distinctions:
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Postdoctoral scholars
Nha Tran Postdoctoral Fellow Nha Tran is a postdoctoral researcher at the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his doctorate in mathematics at Louisiana State University in Fall 2021. His formal research focuses on developing and applying advanced numerical techniques, modeling, and problem-solving for mathematical models in engineering and science, including fracture mechanics and optimal design. Previously, he earned his Master of Science in Computational Engineering from the Ruhr University of Bochum, in collaboration with the Vietnamese German university, and his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics & Computer Science from the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City - University of Science. Nha is co-advised by Drs. Brian Korgel and Michael Baldea. |
Graduate students
Xin Tang PhD student (CSEM program) Xin graduated in 2020 with a BS in Chemical Engineering and Computational Science, Magna cum Laude, from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Indiana. For undergraduate research, she worked on computational phylogenetics, optimization of biochemical production, and analytical methods for packed bed reactors. Her current research interests include computational modeling and simulation, optimization as well as machine learning. Joshua Hammond PhD student Joshua graduated from Brigham Young University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. While an undergraduate, his research focused on dynamic optimization applied to autonomous infrastructure monitoring. His current research interests include reduced order models, clean energy, and energy storage. Josh is co-advised by Drs. Brian Korgel and Michael Baldea. Jorge Martorell PhD student Jorge graduated from the University of Houston in 2017 with a BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with University Honors. His previous experience includes process and controls engineering in chemical manufacturing as well as undergraduate research in the phase relationships of metal alloys. His current research interests include modeling and optimization of carbon capture processes. Jorge is co-advised by Drs. Michael Baldea and Gary Rochelle. Adhika Retnanto PhD student Originally from Indonesia, Adhika graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a minor in Computing and Intelligence. His past research experience includes studying machine learning applications in the development of catalytic processes. His current research include in modeling and optimization of novel energy systems. Adhika is co-advised by Drs. Michael Baldea and Mark Stadtherr. Jihun Jeong PhD student Jihun graduated from Brigham Young University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. For undergraduate research, he studied catalyst preparation methods for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. His current research interests include modeling and optimization of chemical processes. Eivarth Caballero PhD student Eivarth obtained a BSc in Chemical Engineering (1998) and a MSc in Chemical Engineering (2014) from the Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia. He has over 20 years of experience as a process engineer in the Oil, Gas and Refining industry. He is proud of mentoring young engineers in process modeling for downstream optimization. He served as Lecturer for Process Simulation, Petroleum Refining, Synthesis and Process Design courses. His research interests include the energy transition, carbon capture and decarbonization, design and control of intensified processes and process integration, monitoring and optimizing process performance aided by process simulation models, data visualization and digital twins. Jong Hyun (Ethan) Rho PhD student Ethan obtained a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Seoul National University in 2020, and worked as a Research Engineer for Samsung SDI until joining UT Austin in August 2022. Sophia B. Shi PhD student Sophia obtained a BSc, Summa cum Laude, in Chemical Engineering (minor in Industrial and Systems Engineering) from North Carolina State University in 2022. She is co-advised by Drs. Brian Korgel and Michael Baldea. Shashank Venkatesan PhD student Shashank obtained an integrated BTech / MTech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras in 2022. Samuel Mercer PhD student Sam graduated from the University of New Hampshire (2023) with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Summa Cum Laude. His previous research involved catalyst synthesis and characterization at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as well as density functional theory modeling at the University of Florida. Sam’s current research interests include process electrification, optimization and control, design of experiments, and machine learning. |
